Monday - Psalm 35 - Do We Deserve Persecution?

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n Psalm 35:7 & 19 we find that David believed that his persecutors had no cause to treat him with maleficent intentions.  That is not to say that David was as innocent as a baby or as pure as the wind driven snow.  He was a sinner as are we all.  But, David had been kind to people who in turn repaid him evil for his good.  Saul, Nabal and Ahithophel are all excellent examples of men who viciously turned against David for no legitimate reason at all.  But, rather than David executing retribution against these men, in each case God intervened on David's behalf and brought them to their knees... and to their grave.  Evidently David's prayers of imprecation (such as this one) were quite effective.

Let us not end our study in Psalm 35 with the historical view of David's hardships though.  Move right on to your own life.  When people "reward you evil for good to the spoiling of your soul" (Psalm 35:12), what do you do?  Do you have the discipline and heart that David did to treat your enemies as if they were your friends (Psalm 35:14).  It's hard to do, isn't it?  When people make false accusations against you (Psalm 35:11); when they celebrate your failures and conspire to bring you low (Psalm 35:15), are you able to love them anyway and leave justice in the hands of the only one who can judge justly?  When God helps us and fights for us, we can always be sure that the outcome will be ok... eventually.