Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence. Psalms27:11-12
When we go through hardships we are at risk of falling into traps of bitterness, cynicism and temptation.
David prays a courageous prayer in the midst of his trouble:
-Teach me YOUR way
-Lead me in a STRAIGHT path
It is very tempting to "fight fire with fire" or "repay a wrong with a wrong." When we are depleted and demoralised, it is tempting to take shortcuts or let our tongues run away with us. When we fall into these traps, we fall into the Enemy's hands.
David's earnest prayer begins with God ("do not hide Your face"), then moves to himself ("teach me Your way"), and to his enemies ("don't turn me over to their desires").
David recognises that when we are in trouble, we often focus on the problem (the illness, the financial shortage, the conflict, the heartache, the loss) but we should focus on staying close to God, keeping our integrity intact and then on the problem.
This takes courage, but it bears good fruit!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
