#DailyDevotion People In Your Life Causing You Trouble?
Psalm 28 3Don’t drag me away with the wicked, with those who do wrong, who talk of peace with their neighbors but have evil in mind. 4Pay them back according to what they have done, according to their wicked deeds. Pay them back according to what their hands have done, and give them what they deserve.
We Christians often have a hard time being able to speak these words in light of the fact Jesus told us to pray for our enemies and to bless them. Yet, it is the same Spirit of Christ Jesus who had David pen these words. What are we to make of that? Well we probably don’t have a problem with verse three here. We should not want to be dragged away with the wicked. We may in our various vocations know such people who do wrong without thinking it is wrong. They will talk of peace with people to their faces but when they are not around they are working against them. When you see them do this with others, you have to wonder if they do that with you as well.
To help you get over verse four, the commentaries say David is predicting what will happen to all such people. David is doing nothing more than praying what will happen to such people if they do not repent. Since Jesus was a faithful Jew we know He prayed this Psalm without violating His teachings of love and mercy. We can pray this by leaving vengeance up to the LORD. We do not go about being the means by through which the LORD executes vengeance. We leave it to God to determine what they deserve for their sins. We don’t tell God how to go about doing it. If God gives them what they deserve in this life, perhaps it will be the wake up call they need to repent.
5Because they don’t consider what the LORD has done or what His hands have made, He will tear them down and never build them up again.
Here we see the justice in the curse from verse four. These people, these enemies of ours are unbelievers. They don’t consider the work of the LORD’s hands. In fact, while they recognize it, they nevertheless in the rebelliousness of their hearts deny it. It is plain to them as to all people (Romans 1:19). If they do not repent of their unbelief, the LORD will tear them down and never build them up again. The fires of Gehenna await them.
A great warning for us not to be lax in our faith. There are some who claim to be Christians but because they see the LORD tarry in returning they think they have all the time in the world to repent of their sins. They do not keep watch. But destruction will come upon them suddenly. They are called to give an account of their lives before they have a chance to repent. The truth is, they rejected the faith and never were going to repent no matter how long the LORD gave them. You be vigilent.
6Praise the LORD —He has heard my call for mercy.
Whatever the problem was, David praises the LORD. He has heard David’s prayers for mercy. You to praise the LORD in your prayers. You can, based on the promises of Jesus concerning prayer know the Father in heaven has heard your call for mercy. He will do what is necessary and salutary for you. He will give you mercy.
Heavenly Father, have mercy upon us. By Your good Spirit, keep us from following the ways of the wicked. Keep them from their wicked plans against us. Preserve us in the one true faith unto life everlasting. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.