In this land and in this city are you not surrounded with those who plot evil and whose hearts are devices of violence and who speak words that are like the poison of vipers? Are you more aware of their violence and their threats than you are of My mercy and of My power to deliver? My servant David was well aware of such men and he did not take lightly their evil intents. But you see that he was not overwhelmed by such awareness and by such threats, but he looked to Me and regarded My power to deliver him. He calls Me his strong deliverer. And you see that he recalls My protection and My deliverance in former days, for he declares that I am the one who shields his head in the day of battle. And he is quite confident that I am the one who secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. It is good for you, like My servant David to be more impressed with how I have shown you My faithfulness and My deliverance than you are impressed with the threats of evil men. It is much better for you to contemplate and to affirm My character as the one who secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. You read so many reports of wickedness and violence. You see pictures that portray the results of the plots of evil men. Your souls become weighed down and you are intimidated and even fearful. And the enemy would use these things to cause you to forget that I am your source of help and protection from these things. But I am calling you to be as David was when you are confronted by the threats and the works of the violent. And I am calling you to remember who I am and what I have done for you and for all those who trust in Me. I am calling you to have the same hope that My servant David expressed here and the same confidence that I will judge the wicked and deliver the poor and the needy. And I will cause all those who are My righteous ones to praise My name and to live before Me. Is this not your portion, not to be intimidated, but to walk in confidence and trust?

Tags: Evil Doer, God Confident, Judgment, Protection

As you read these words at first glance you may think that My servant David is boasting before Me because he is declaring that he has led a blameless life, because he declares that he has not consorted with those who are deceitful and wicked, because he declares that he loves My house, because he has washed his hands in innocence in order that he may go about My altar and proclaim My praise. You may think that these are boastful words and that he is coming before Me with self righteous claims. I want you to look again more closely and to see some things that he declares here that indicate that these are not boastful and self righteous words. First of all he appeals to Me to vindicate him. He appeals to Me to test him, to examine his heart and mind. He is aware of having trusted in Me without wavering. He is aware that he has set My love before him and has walked in My truth. He desires to proclaim My praise and tell of My wonderful deeds.

He appeals to Me to redeem him and to be merciful to him even though he is conscious of having led a blameless life. I want you to see by these words that those words that seem boastful are instead the awareness of the fruit of a life that is dependent upon Me and that trusts in Me for all those blessings that he here requests of Me. I want you to see that he looks to Me and not to his own deeds to vindicate him and to show that his life is righteous and pleasing to Me. I want you to see that he desires that I examine his heart and mind to test and try him. And even though he believes that he leads a blameless life, he calls out for My redemption and depends upon My mercy. His desire is to give Me praise, to tell of My wonderful deeds and to be where My glory dwells. Do these words of petition and desire express the heart of a boastful and self righteous man?

Do they not rather reveal the heart of one who truly trusts Me and has within, the sincere witness that he is walking in My ways. And if I could so work in the heart of David before the coming of My Son into the world, what can I not do in your hearts through My Son to bring you to the place where you can trust Me without wavering, and where you can set My love before you and walk continually in My truth. Where you can desire to live where My glory dwells and to be ever dependent upon My redemption and My mercy. Where you can desire to proclaim My praises and tell of My wonderful deeds.

Tags: Dependence, God Confident, Trust