O Lord my God,
in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers
and deliver me
or like a lion
they will tear me apart
Psalm 7:1-2
Have you ever been chased by "a lion."
In my day, I’ve faced a handful of lions. (And I’ve faced a lot of termites too – lots of little things that I’m tempted to see as insignificant, but in the long-run can make me fall as easy as pouncing lion.)
In today’s Psalm, David's ravenous foe was surely human. He (or they) were of flesh. Literal people (or armies) were angry, spiteful, and sinful. Like lions, they were pouncing on David.
My internal foes – the termites of anger, greed, lust, and other deadly sins – are human too. They are my fleshly nature, as the Apostle Paul would have said. They are my old and feeble nature which I have yet to crucify.
Yes, in both cases, these are human foes. But any vengeful human that was stalking David (and any fleshly sin stalking us from the inside) is surely not alone in its destructive desires. Scripture tells us that there’s another enemy. “Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet 5:8).
Do you feel like your being chased by circumstances, pursued by illness, hunted by creditors, stalked by depression, enslaved by bad habits, or ripped apart by gossip?
You're not alone.
David's hope was not clever plans, skilled doctors, better psychology, or powerful human intervention. He cried, "10 God is my shield. He saves the upright in heart ... 17 [Therefore,] I will ... sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High."
In Christ's Lord,
a guy who knows
a real lion tamer
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