“Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget Your law. The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:109-110

The psalmist faced flesh and blood enemies who hunted him. He was a wanted man. If penned by David, then we know how Saul kept him on the run for years, seeking to kill him. Yet evil will not prevail, not ultimately, such as in David’s circumstances or ones which you might be facing. As believers, we get to know how the Story ends. Sometimes when I’m reading a particularly interesting book and not quite sure how it will end I flip to the last pages to find out. But in this case, we have the great privilege of knowing the cosmic drama ends with victory for King Jesus.

This is why the psalmist clings to God’s law and precepts. Hope is his companion. Faith his anchor. God keeps the souls of His children safe for eternity. Our enemies may plant traps to sabotage our reputation, take all our earthly blessings or even cause us physical harm. Even so, the haters of God who seek to wipe us out and shut us up cannot take away our unseen riches. Salvation, peace, joy and love for God are untouchable by human hands. Nothing can separate us from God. In Christ we are eternally His (Romans 8:31-39). Therefore, the psalmist chooses to persevere in the Lord, digging in deeper than before. Affliction has a way of drawing out honey from the sourwood tree, a tree known for its bitter tasting leaves. Sometimes the enemy’s intentions have the opposite effect as history has shown us. When God’s people are massively persecuted, the holy fires are stoked, spreading like wildfire in spiritual revival.

Christians will not be overcome by their enemies. The Bible says so. For the believer, adversity will tighten our grip onto truth as we go deeper in worshipping the Great and Good Shepherd.

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Psalm 23; Matthew 10:24-28; Romans 12:17-21; 1 John 4:4