Battles are easy to understand when there’s a physical enemy. But what happens when the enemy is ‘inna me?’ What prayers do we pray? What song do we sing? How do we find strength to survive this type of fight? Psalm 59 offers us insight into our struggle.
The primary focus of Psalm 59 centers around David’s awareness of Saul’s desire to kill him. He knows full well that his success and accolades angers Saul. Because God is with David, he doesn’t seek revenge against Saul but asks God to intervene. David states his position regarding this external situation in verses 9, 10, 16, and 17. In David’s predicament with Saul, he remained steadfast, refusing to harm Saul. As a result, he followed God closely, and his enemy was eventually defeated without David’s involvement. His faithfulness to God allowed David to fulfill God’s plan for his life by becoming king.
What happened to David occurs in our lives. Although David faced a physical battle, his process can guide us for our internal ones. The steps are clear: acknowledge our limitations, know that God is better equipped for all situations, and invite him to handle all our cares.
Our battle tactics begin by acknowledging that we’re unable to fix the problem. By ourselves, we have limited resources. If we could’ve fixed the issue, we would have. Romans 7:18-20 highlights Paul’s recognition of his inability to correct his own internal struggles. By identifying our limited capabilities, we position ourselves to discover an effective resolution. As a result, we remove the pressure to rectify the situation.
Although we acknowledge that we can’t fix our own issues, they still need some tending. Who is capable of handling our life’s struggles? Who isn’t weighed down by personal problems and able to tackle our situations? Is anyone trustworthy enough to know us deeply yet not judge our imperfections? David had the perfect solution: God and his unfailing love.
God is the premier model of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 1 John 4:8). Therefore, his nature is to protect and watch over those he cares for. His love doesn’t equate to no problems or trouble, but it means that we’re not alone in the battle (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). Whether we invite him into our situation or not, God is there. His presence may be too subtle to detect, but if we look back on past challenges, we will find God. In addition, we ask God to exchange his burdens for ours (Matthew 11:29).
But if we want active participation from the one who’s watching the monitor of our war, we need only to invite him. This occurs when we rally behind him. We sing his praises, exalt his name, exhort his goodness, and shout his name. He doesn’t force his way into our circumstances. He desires to assist, but only at our request. We’ve tried this on our own for a long time and have been unsuccessful. Why not give the Lord a try?
