David

Psalms 119:45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.


The life of David amazes me. The way He fought and loved, the mercy and justice he understood and embraced...even the mistakes He made and still quickly came back into God's presence with confidence. But what strikes me the most this morning are the private conversations he had with God. He had some amazing conversations with the Lord that he recorded. Some of them are awe-inspiring in their tenderness...but some are jaw-dropping in their harshness:


Psalms 58:3-8 The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, Which will not heed the voice of charmers, Charming ever so skillfully. Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord ! Let them flow away as waters which run continually; When he bends his bow, Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.


Ouch! What a prayer. David said words most Christians wouldn't dare admit to stringing together, certainly not for something as tame as someone saying bad things about us...which is what David's complaint was here. Most of us at least talk about practicing the command to "judge not, lest we be judged." David's anger is plain here, so what made it ok for Him to verbalize it? The answer is that David knew where and when to speak such things!


Many people, when they are resisted, think that the Biblical thing to do is to "shut up and take it." This is not what the Bible says. Pretending to not feel something is never part of God's program for His children, any more than we would want our kids to pretend something wasn't happening.


God wants us to make Him our strength:


Psalms 37:39-40 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord ; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.


Where I bring my complaints reflects who I REALLY believe can help me with my trouble. David knew God was His strength...telling God about the vengeful feelings David had made total sense. David was, after all, telling God things that God already knew lurked in David's heart. He was bringing dark emotions to the light. No one else is light like God!


When someone resists me, or is flat out working counter to me, it would be silly for me to just grit my teeth and pretend it isn't happening. Bottling up anger like that is not healthy. But who do I tell? There is only one righteous place to "let it fly"...right to God. It really has to do with what or who I define as my own place of truth and strength.


When someone wrongs me, I am immediately tempted to get satisfaction by telling others and have them justify my position with me...validate me...so I can let my heart ramp-up in justified anger...making myself some kind of ticking time bomb...just waiting for the moment I am justified to let them have it. This is a scheme right from the devil. I don't have to fall for it. Another trick is to get us to engage in our own "internal" conversation...spinning in my own mind about what I should do...hiding the anger from everyone, including God.


If my strength really is God, then He is the One I should be rushing to tell my complaints to. He is the one who already knows the internal conversation I have been having, and He is the One who can really do something about my issues while still increasing righteousness...no one else can do that. Many people can make me "feel better" for a minute but in the process I will damage their relationships, and division is sure to take root. No one but Jesus can achieve justice and still increase righteousness in my own heart in the process.


The only way to be angry and not sin is to make Jesus my dumping ground and sounding board for my negative emotions. He isn't surprised by any of them, and He knows exactly what I need to hear to move my heart forward in righteousness. He is the only one who truly understands the nuances of my heart....plus, vengeance is His...because He knows how to execute justice and still forgive!


Psalms 99:8 You answered them, O Lord our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds.

Psalms 37:1-9 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord , and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord , And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord , Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord , and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret— it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord , They shall inherit the earth.