Thursday, July 10, 2014

My enemy will suffer!

Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them. As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. (Psalm 55:15-16 NIV)

Does this verse shock you? It seems pretty harsh. I had to do some work investigating, studying its meaning because it bothered me so much. Really this is not a very good translation of the tone of this verse. It seems harsh but it's not. The wording makes it appear to be a wish by King David. It's meant to be a prediction, not a desire. 

The enemies of God are going to perish and it's not going to be pretty. Death will be sudden. There will be no turning back. It will be forever. It's a fact. You can try to sugar coat it. It's easy to feel sadness and pity for the lost. But the final choice is theirs, not ours. I serve a loving God that does not wish anyone perish, but he will not yield. The choice has been granted to each of us. That choice has dire consequences. 

The harsh feelings we have toward our enemies are normal. But, we can not forget the directions Jesus gives us. We are to love our enemy. Justice will be served. The end will be harsh. God will deal with their sins just like he will deal with ours. Until that time, we are to love them as much as we can, protect ourselves, and protect the message of Christ. Judgment will come!

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