Psalm 56, NRSV 

56 Miserere mei, Deus

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
for my enemies are hounding me; *
all day long they assault and oppress me.

2 They hound me all the day long; *
truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

3 Whenever I am afraid, *
I will put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise,
In God I trust and will not be afraid, *
for what can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they damage my cause; *
their only thought is to do me evil.

6 They band together; they lie in wait; *
they spy upon my footsteps;
because they seek my life.

7 Shall they escape despite their wickedness? *
O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.

8 You have noted my lamentation;
put my tears into your bottle; *
are they not recorded in your book?

9 Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight; *
this I know, for God is on my side.

10 In God the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust and will not be afraid, *
for what can mortals do to me?

11 I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God; *
I will present to you thank-offerings;

12 For you have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, *
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

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Reflection:

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Relationships experience times of unity as well as disagreements. Even with a dear friend, we can feel as though we are against each other. My husband is good about reminding me that we are “for each other.” 

 

Psalm 56 is a song which opens with a cry to God for mercy. The psalmist’s enemies are continually “hounding” him. Most of us don’t continually have physical enemies pursuing us; but “ like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

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Satan often uses our own weak areas to discourage us. These can be as “enemies” working against us, such as fear, deception, pride, slothfulness, etc…. For example, my pride can cause me to let other’s expectations of me dictate what I do.  I also can allow Satan to use my own fear of failure and self-doubts to keep me from doing something God is inviting me into. It might be an experience which will benefit others and cause growth in myself. What are the “enemies” in your life that Satan uses to discourage and keep you from fully experiencing God’s goodness? Have you found yourself reaching out to God and overcoming these?

 

Becoming more aware of your internal weaknesses opens up room for growth in relationship with God. As the image of God gathering tears in a bottle expresses, God lovingly cares for you. He wants you to cry out for mercy remembering that he is on your side!

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This photo is of my grandson watching birds take flight. After writing this devotion, I think of this picture and ask God to cause my enemy (fill in what enemy is hounding you at the time) to take flight.

 

Take time to reflect. ​​​​