Wednesday, August 14, 2013
A Different Perspective On Spiritual Warfare
In prayer this morning I found myself reading and praying some Psalms aloud that I felt God wanted me to pray aloud. In prayer I was asking for direction about some of the basic things of life for me and my family. As I was pouring my heart out to God, He had me pray out loud Psalm 63. In this Psalm the psalmist praises God because God delivers Him and destroys the enemies, showing Himself to be God. I continued to ask for direction and God had me pray aloud Psalm 66.
In Psalm 66 the writer discusses the power of God that delivered the children of Israel, allowing them to walk across the riverbed and the sea bottom on dry ground. Hear the psalmist said they will praise them there, in that miraculous place. The psalm goes on to speak about how God refined us like silver, and we experience trials in life. The good news is that in the end, God brings us to a wealthy place, which in Hebrew describes this as a place overflowing with the good things we cried out to God about in our trials. The Psalm ends talking about how the psalmist will pay the vows he uttered while in dispair in the trials, that he goes to the congregation and declares God to be the great Deliverer King. Here he says that had he regarded iniquity in his heart, God would not have heard him. But the evidence is God did hear him and had mercy on him. Early the psalmist describes some iniquity or opportunities to fall into iniquity that would certainly apply here.
First, in verse seven we are warned to not let the rebellious exalt themselves. We must stay humble. Next, the afflictions described are given as a net, afflictions on our backs, men to rule over us, and passing through fire and water. This can be a bit more tricky because those that are placed over us are authority that we must submit to, and even pray for their ability to rule. So what can we cry out to God for in the way of deliverance? Judgement. God’s judgements are always right and pure. When God judges, the result is righteousness, deliverance, the good path being established, etc.
What I saw today is a different perspective than I have considered about spiritual warfare. God is eager for us to be able to stand in the midst of the assembly and tell of His deliverance. He wants us to participate in the spiritual warfare so that He can uphold us, and then we can tell others about it.
Prayer
Father, we so want to stand in the congregation and tell of Your delivering power. Help us, Father, to get through the trials in our lives. Deliver us from the wicked deeds of men. Make us to ride in the plentiful places where we can extol You and Your deliverance. In Jesus name. Amen.