Surrounded by Enemies – Psalm 59
Who or what is your greatest enemy?
All wars are terrible, but the worst kind of war is one that involves guerrilla warfare. In this kind of war, it is impossible to know who your enemy is. They don’t wear uniforms to identify themselves as the enemy. They often speak the same language and look much like friends—until they strike, causing death and destruction.
King David cried out, “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men” (vv. 1, 2).
Whether you realize it or not, you are involved in guerrilla warfare. If you love the Lord, you have enemies all around you. It is not because of anything that you have done. David said, “They lie in wait for my soul . . . not for my transgression, nor for my sin . . . without my fault” (vv. 3, 4).
No matter how tired you become of struggling against evil, it is impossible to surrender. If you weaken and try to surrender to the enemy, your situation will only become worse.
A young man was in the hospital “drying out.” He had been addicted to alcohol for over ten years. He said, “I know I have got to do something. I tried religion, and it didn’t work. I am going to try the Twelve Step Program.” His problem was that the enemy was not only all around him, but the enemy was also within him.
The good news is that the Lord will come to your rescue—no matter who or what your greatest enemy is. Cry out to Him, and He will show you mercy. You can also enjoy the same mercy that David enjoyed!
“I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence . . . for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy” (vv. 16, 17).