**I will extol thee, Oh LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. **Psalm 30:1
In the books of Samuel and here in the Psalms, we see again and again that David had to deal with his enemies on a regular basis. There were several different people that wanted to take his throne from him. They were people near to his heart…his beloved King Saul, his own son, and his close friend and advisor.
But over each one, the LORD gave him the victory.
We have looked at this aspect of David’s life in earlier posts. How he, as a shepherd, had to protect his flock from lions and bears. With that kind of strength and courage to face wild animals, surely he could have killed his human enemies as well. But he chose not to.
David understood that all that he had…his title, his wealth, and his protection came directly from the hand of God. He did not presume to deserve any of it. He did not see himself as special or gifted. When his throne was threatened, he walked away from the fight. He did not feel that his throne was his to defend.
David did not rail on his enemies, did not criticize them, did not physically attack them, and he did not seek immediate vengeance on them. How wonderful it would be if our modern day leaders behaved in the same way!
Beyond David’s mercy and lack of self preservation, he mourned the final death of his enemies. David gave his heart to those close to him. Their betrayal hurt him and their death caused him great sorrow.
For me, David is a great example of the heart of Jesus Christ. We, of course, know that Jesus did not defend himself to his enemies either. He stayed focused on the Father’s purpose for him and did not let his enemies’ words or actions detour him.
His role was to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and to die on the cross for the sin of all mankind. He did not waste his time on earthly disputes. Just before his death, his words were…**Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do**….
Jesus spent his free time in prayer. Hours of his day or night were spent in conversation with his Father. His desire was to stay close to him, and to point others towards the Father’s heart.
Both Jesus and David trusted in their Heavenly Father, although their understanding of him was a bit different. Yet, both knew that victory over their enemies was in the Father’s hands.
Let’s be like David, and even more so, let’s be like Jesus Christ and put all of our problems, confrontations and difficult, even toxic people, in the Father’s hands through prayer and acceptance of his will.