Reading: Psalm 40:13-15

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.
Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

Reflection:

David was seeking help from the Lord because of his enemies who wanted to destroy his life. He had no one to run to but only to God. Are you in the same situation right now like David was?  You feel like no one likes you or everyone is against you? Or perhaps, you feel like your life is so messed up that people don’t care anymore about you? Or, you experienced being humiliated and belittled? Or if not, maybe you just feel burned out with your day to day things in life that you have to force yourself to get up from bed every morning?

If you are experiencing any of these, I want you to remember two things. One – God loves you. Two – God cares for you.

David surrendered to God those people who wanted to ruin him. He did not fight back and took matters into his own hands. Instead, He let God handled this trial in his life. And, God wants it the same for all of us. Whatever trial you are going through right now, God wants you to surrender it to Him. The Bible said that our enemies are not of this world. Ephesians 6:11-12, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The enemy is the devil who uses people or situations to tempt and provoke us that we may disobey God. But Satan will never win with God. When Jesus died on the cross and resurrected, Satan was defeated. That’s why what he can only do is take more souls with him to his destiny in hell.

When someone is trying to test your patience or has hurt you or doesn’t like you, always remember, that person is not your enemy. All you can do is to surrender it to God and just continue doing good to that person, even pray for that person. If you feel so tired and worn out with your work, remember that your boss is not your enemy. The devil uses this situation to make you hate your boss and even steal your time away from God. So instead of complaining, spend more time with God and give all your concerns to Him. The devil trembles when we do these things with God.

To be able to overcome the works of Satan, indeed, we must put on the full armor of God. What are these? These are mentioned in Ephesians 6:14-18.

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

You alone dear God is powerful, mighty and sovereign. There is no one like You and no one can defeat You. Thank Lord for your Son Jesus, because of His death and resurrection, the devil was defeated. Thank You for the victory we have through Jesus Christ. Help us Lord to overcome temptations and attacks of the devil. I can’t do it on my own strength Lord. I need your power to enable me to walk each day without being defeated. I surrender all of my problems, my worries, my concerns to you dear God. I’m letting you take charge of my life from this day on. Thank You for giving us a full armor that we can stand firm for you. This I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. ( 1 Corinthians 10:13)

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Song: