Psalm 7

Where to Focus in Times of War – Psalm 60

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

Images of war, reports of cruelty, and daily updates of escalating violence fill our newsfeeds. The first verses of Psalm 60, a prayer of lament, paint an eerily accurate reflection of scenes in the Middle East in October of 2023.

News networks bombard us with reports of earthquakes, acts of terror, kidnapping, and people staggering under the crushing force of witnessing one traumatic event after another.

1O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters.
3 You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
(Psalm 60:1-3 ESV)

The psalmist cries out to God for restoration, knowing that only He could bring what is needed. While the one who wrote Psalm 60 had a clear idea of who was at fault, the current complexities and histories of the conflict in the Middle East could not be summed up so simply. Fault finding by those who live thousands of miles away can become a tool to create even more distance from these atrocities.

  • Are there people in the area who have rejected God? Yes
  • Are there innocent civilians caught in a conflict they did not create? Yes
  • Are there people there who honor God? Yes
  • Are there people there who have turned away from God? Yes

Therefore, only God can and will bring stability to the region because He alone can provide justice and mercy in equal measure.

I may never live in a war-torn city. However, as a believer, I live in times of spiritual warfare. The enemy of my soul bombards me and those I love with discouragement, uncertainty, financial problems, and suffering. When I step out to serve and commit to God’s assignments, I often experience increased discouraging opposition. The onslaught of opposition can leave me feeling defeated before I even start.

4 You have up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
5 That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us!
6 God has spoken in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” 
(Psalm 60:4-8 ESV)

In verse 4, the psalmist speaks of Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Victory. This name of God reminds us of His ability to win all wars and be the one who fights for us. Amid the brokenness, the destruction, and the trauma, He will set up a banner for His people to flee to.

In times of war, look for God’s banner. Sometimes, God provides a place to flee to before the restoration.

 

By only focusing on seeing the provision or the healing, I might overlook the place of refuge God is calling me to go to with Him.

Banners can be used to celebrate victories, share hope with soldiers in the fight, and establish territory that has been won over. Banners fly high in the sky, beyond the fray, and point in the direction of respite for those fleeing the war.

In verses 5 to 8, the psalmist lists specific geographical areas that remind the people of God’s previous victories. Imagine God is unfurling His war resume full of victories.

In times of war, review God’s victories in your life. Where and when has He rescued you?

Making a list of God’s victories can remind your war-weary heart of all God has done in your life. Take time to give thanks for those victories. Share those victories with other believers to encourage them. Has God given you victory over an addiction? Has God restored a broken relationship? Has God made a miraculous provision for you when you didn’t have what you needed?

9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11 Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!
12 With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
(Psalm 60:9-12 ESV)

In verses 9-12, the psalmist focuses on putting all his confidence in God’s abilities. The psalmist turns his attention to what will happen “with God.”

In times of war, focus on what God will do, not the enemy’s attacks.

The final words of Psalms 60 in verse 12 speak of God’s ability to put our foes under his feet. He will be in authority over them. When we spend time with God, our hearts will be filled with courage.

When you feel sad and overwhelmed by the news headlines, take time to pray through Psalm 60. When you feel weighed down from your own spiritual battles, allow the truth of God’s word to tend your war-weary soul.

Prayer

Here’s another prayer for Israel from Psalm 7.

What is God doing in the dark? Psalm 7

/ Anthea Kotlan / 1 Comment

In the cool dark recesses of the cupboard under the stairs, I carefully placed my newly potted bulb. My father made it clear that I was not to pull it back out into the light for a few months. At seven years old patience was not my strong suit, and I desperately wanted to take a peek after school each day. Instead, I took my red colored pencil and marked off another day on the calendar in the kitchen.

Eventually, my wait was rewarded. My father gave me permission to place the pot in a sunny window.  Within a few weeks, gorgeous blooms burst forth! Months spent in the dark followed by sudden sunshine caused the bulb to believe spring had come early, and it was safe to bloom despite the outdoor frigid temperatures in our British garden.

Have you ever spent a season in the dark with the Lord?

Sometimes we spend time in the dark waiting.

Sometimes we spend time in the dark wondering.

Sometimes we spend time in the dark preparing.

Sometimes we spend time in the dark resting.

God may use a season in the dark with Him in order to prepare us to grow and bloom.

1 O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. (Psalm 7:1-2 ESV)

In the dark, God provides a refuge from evil.

While enemies might still be near at hand, God’s presence provides a safe harbor.

A place of refuge with God may cloak me in darkness to hide me from our enemies.

Days or weeks or months might slip by in this dark waiting place. All the while I sit in God’s presence away from the evil one who may prowl around like a roaring lion threatening to attack me. My dependence on God grows roots down into the soil of His word and His presence.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause,
5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah (Psalm 7:3-5 ESV)

In the dark, guilt might try to hound my heart.

Unlike David, the palmist, I know I could never claim to have no wrong on my hands. It is only my relationship with Jesus that provides forgiveness for all my past, current, and future sins. In the dark, the light of forgiveness keeps me company.

In the dark, God may call me to examine all I have done or left undone.

I may need to repent of sins I lost track of. I can ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart for any hidden sin. Time spent in the dark with God is sowing into a season of growth.

6 Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. (Psalm 7:6-7 ESV)

In the dark, I need God to work in my most difficult situations.

In the areas of my life where I am fearful and controlling, I might need time to realize how much more I need to surrender to God. It may take time before everyone (the assembly) can see how only God can set things right and bring true justice.

8 The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.

9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! (Psalm 7:8-9 ESV)

In the dark, the Lord may take a full inventory of my life.

He may call me to let go or take on new kingdom assignments, so I might grow in ways He wants me to.

Lord, when you judge me, I know that you alone are my source of righteousness. I can only become “right with you” in our relationship. I am established in righteousness once and for all by the blood of Jesus.

10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. (Psalm 7:10-11 ESV)

In the dark, I give thanks to God.

I give thanks and worship because He is my refuge, shield, and strong tower, I can always run and hide in His presence.

12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;
13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. (Psalm 7:12-13 ESV)

In the dark, God may reveal to me hidden sins.

In this world, it is far too easy to become comfortable with the presence of evil. I need time alone with God to discover anything that draws me away from Him. He may need to take his sharpened sword and remove what is not pleasing to Him for my good.

An evil man, who refuses to repent, will be destroyed by God. The judgment will be swift and accurate like an arrow.  

14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief
    and gives birth to lies.
15 He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.
16 His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. (Psalm 7:14-16 ESV)

In the dark, God may reveal the wickedness of others.

He may even call me to draw healthy boundaries with those who seek evil who cross my path.

A wicked man becomes an incubator for mischief and lies. He gives birth to more and more deception. Ultimately all of this will end his life.

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High. (Psalm 7:17 ESV)

God’s righteousness does not dim with time but is eternally preserved in who He is. The Lord is the only source of righteousness, and He generously chooses to share it with those who trust in Him.

Prayer

I will give thanks for the seasons of my life spent in a dark refuge with my righteous savior. In due time, I will be brought back out into the light, and beautiful blooms will burst forth for His glory.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.