A Devotional Thought From Psalm 35:1-9
A Psalm of David.
1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me:
Fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
And stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me:
Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul:
Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind:
And let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery:
And let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit,
Which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares;
And let his net that he hath hid catch himself:
Into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord:
It shall rejoice in his salvation.
Psalm 35:1–9
A wife spoke to her husband as they strolled arm in arm at the end of the day. The conversation went something like this…
Wife: “Honey, do you still think I have the most beautiful eyes in the world?”
Husband: “Yes”
Wife: “do you still love the sound of my voice after all these years?”
Husband: “yes”
Wife: “do you still believe that I am the love of your life and that you want to be with me till death do us part?”
Her husband being quite the silver tongued charmer replied, “yes” once again.
Then the wife said, “ah honey, you say the sweetest things!”
We immediately realize upon reading this story that the wife is longing to hear words of affirmation. She badly wants to be told that she is special. In this case, the husband is doing a poor job of giving her what she needs but at least she knows what she longs to hear and is able to have him sign off on her words.
I think we all need to hear words of reassurance sometimes, don’t you?
I knew a pastor whose wife asked if he still loved her and he replied that he told her he told her that he loved her once and if he ever changed his mind then he would let her know.
I don’t think that is good. I believe a healthy, loving relationship includes steady doses of kind and reassuring words of affection.
Thankfully, my Lord is not the “tell ya once and never again” type. He tells of his amazing love in his Word. He tells it over and over again.
I am so glad that our Father in Heaven
Tells of His love in the Book He has Given;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see:
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me
But what if you need to hear of his love in a fresh new way? When troubled, could one just ask the good Lord for fresh assurance that all will be ok? I know he has already said so in his word. I don’t mean to imply that the Scripture is not enough, but just to hear it again would calm the soul.
Could one just request, “say unto my soul, I am thy salvation”?
Would God grant that request and whisper from within? I believe so!
David said those very words.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me:
Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Psalm 35:3
In Psalm 35 David is once again wrongly accused and threatened by enemies. Rather than defending himself he is begging God to stand in his defense. In the midst of fear and distress he asks his Lord for that “within whisper” to his soul, to be reminded that the Lord is his salvation.
I have experienced that “within whisper” many times from his sweet Spirit. I have been reminded from inside what I have often read in his word, that he is my hope and my rock upon whom I can depend.
Like David, I know that at that point of faith I can rejoice in my salvation and the one that solely provides it.
Thank God for the “within whisper”!