Psalm 119:116

Psalm 119:116

Never give up the fight

Fighting in any kind of battle can be an extremely demanding experience. Soldiers get tired, they don’t work to a timetable, they may be required to be awake and alert for hours at a time, with no prospect of time off in lieu, or holidays whenever they choose. The demands of war are endless, and they take their toll on those who are engaged in obeying commands and fighting the enemy. 

As we saw in the previous verse, we too fight against a relentless foe, there is no let up and no prospect of respite. Even Jesus grew tired in the battle and would disappear for hours, even whole nights, to spend time with His Father, recharging His spiritual batteries. In the light of this, we all need to ask the Lord to sustain us as He has promised; “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2. This is a deadly battle, there are no rules so far as the enemy is concerned, his ultimate weapon is death, and he will wield it as often as he can. Most believers do not realise that in choosing life through Christ Jesus, they immediately put themselves in a deadly firing line so far as the Satan is concerned. That is why we need the constant protection and care of the Lord around us 24/7, without this we would not survive! 

The verse before us today leaves us wondering what the hopes of the writer were as he pleaded to be sustained and kept in the heat of battle. Did he fear the consequences of his death for those he loved and cared about? Was it that he hoped to show his enemies that he fought for a superior army and that His God would prevail against them? Was it simply that he wanted to keep living and thus discover yet more of the blessings of the Word of God? We will never know, but let’s learn from this that while we are alive on this earth, we have hope, not least because we know that we will live beyond death. Hallelujah! 

 

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