Battling the Deceitful Undercurrent
Daily Old Testament Reading: Psalm 38, 41-42
Daily Focus Passage: Psalm 41
“I thought they were my friends.” This statement has been uttered many times as people face the pain of having people they love and trust turn their backs on them. This betrayal often occurs as an unknown undercurrent instead of waves you see coming against you. David speaks of this experience in his life as he faced the onslaught of the waves of his enemies and the undercurrent of the betrayal of his friends. David shares in Psalm 41 the reality of the opposition and how we must strive to stand firm against the waves of enemies and the undercurrent of betrayal.
THE WAVES OF ENEMIES AND THE DECEITFUL UNDERCURRENT
David recognized that his enemies attempted to destroy him and bring down his success. In Psalm 41, David declared that his enemies would come to visit and, while visiting, speak deceitfully. David realized that, to his face, his enemies spoke kindly but that they practiced deceit in their words by attempting to turn those in his kingdom against him. This practice took place because the enemies of David intended to cause evil against David. They used their visits to gain opportunities to gain opposition against him and to plot against David. This form of opposition attacked David as a coming wave in the ocean. He could see the enemy's wave coming and prepare to take on the hit.
David acknowledges that an undercurrent of opposition exists as well. The undercurrent consists of trusted friends who have turned their backs on David and attempted to overthrow him. The undercurrent comes with power and force experienced before it is recognized. The undercurrent comes, unlike the wave, because it is hidden. The undercurrent is marked by individuals who front as friends but exist as genuine enemies. They break the bond of trust by manipulating conversations, breaking confidence, and using moments of friendship as leverage. David did not see this enemy coming because he had a relationship with them and trusted them.
HOW TO STAND STRONG AGAINST THE WAVES AND THE UNDERCURRENT
David teaches in Psalm 41 how to stand strong against the waves of the enemies and the undercurrent of opposition. The first step centers on the ownership of sinfulness. David admitted his sinfulness before the Lord. Acknowledging his sin identifies his understanding that he is not perfect and struggles with sin. Admission is the step in seeking forgiveness from the Lord. David’s confession guards him from claiming a victim status that ignores the presence of personal sin. Thus, the first step in standing firm is to admit sinfulness and weaknesses.
The second step is the pursuit of living with integrity. David desired to live a life that honored the Lord and followed the ways of the Lord. He wanted to live for the Lord when people were looking and not looking. He wanted his character to be wrapped up in the Lord so that his life illuminated the goodness and glory of the Lord. Living in integrity meant that David sought to live according to the Lord in every aspect of his life and to treat people around him with the grace, mercy, love, and compassion that the Lord had dealt with him. Thus, the second step is to set out to live in integrity.
The third step is seeking to please the audience of One. David did not concern himself with pleasing others. He sought to desire the Lord alone. He knew that to please the audience of One in the Lord was far greater than pleasing the masses of humanity. He did not strive to live according to people's expectations but instead wanted to live under the commands of the Lord. As David lived for the Lord, people turned against him because he failed to meet their expectations. Thus, the third step centers on striving to live for the Lord and please him alone.
The final step is to stand in the promises of the Lord. David found the motivation needed to live for the Lord and to stand firm against the waves and undercurrent of the enemy from trusting in the promises of the Lord. He rested in the eternal nature of the Lord and the promise of eternity for his chosen. He trusted in the strength provided by the Lord to stand firm despite the onslaught of the waves and the undercurrent. David knew that the Lord alone provided the needed victory. Thus, the final step is to find motivation and encouragement in the promises of the Lord.
When we consider the life of David, we find that he faced many enemies. He had enemies that attempted to overthrow him. His friends turned their backs on him in betrayal and became enemies. Yet, David sought to live in faithfulness before the Lord. When considering David’s response, we must evaluate if we are resting in Christ when the onslaught of the waves and the undercurrent happen. Do we stand firm against the opposition in the Lord, or do we fall prey to the opposition?
