Day 42 - My Enemies
Because when we belong to Christ, we belong to a kingdom that is fundamentally different from the kingdom of this world.
Day 42 – My Enemies
Psalm 23:5 — “…in the presence of my enemies.”
David doesn’t seem surprised that he has enemies. In fact, he knew what it meant to be opposed, pursued and threatened. Yet, having enemies never meant God had abandoned him.
Every once in a while, I find myself thinking that if I walk with God, life will be easy and people will like me. Yet, Jesus taught the exact opposite.
He said plainly, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you” … “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18-20).
Those aren’t particularly comforting words, but they are real. Jesus never promised that following Him would make us popular. Rather, those who belong to Him can expect to experience the same opposition He did.
Why?
Because when we belong to Christ, we belong to a kingdom that is fundamentally different from the kingdom of this world. We believe that Truth is real, righteousness matters, sin is serious, we are accountable to God and Jesus is Lord. Those convictions put us at odds with the world around us.
Churchill once said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something in your life.” There’s a principle in his words that is taken directly from the Bible. If we are willing to stand for God—we will eventually be opposed.
Our goal, however, is not to collect enemies. It is to remain faithful to the Shepherd. In fact, we are commanded to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us and live peaceably whenever possible.
Loving does not require us to surrender the Truth. We can be gracious and compassionate without compromising or abandoning our commitment to God.
Peter and John were threatened for preaching Christ, but they responded, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Paul continued preaching even when it brought imprisonment and suffering. The early Christians never allowed opposition to diminish their faithfulness.
And that brings us back to David. The Shepherd has prepared a table in their presence.
The enemies are there, but they don’t define our faith. They can’t take away our place at the table or separate us from the One who has invited us there.
