Psalm 17:9

⁹(Hide me) from the wicked who are   out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

King Saul was envious of David. He tried to kill him several times. One night, David had opportunity to kill King Saul as narrated in 1 Samuel 26:6-11. ⁷Saul was lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. ⁸Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.” ⁹But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? ¹⁰As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. ¹¹But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”

King Saul wanted to kill David but David trusted that the Lord would keep him safe and vindicate him. David exemplified how we can love our enemies. Christ teaches in Matthew 5:44, ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 

Most often, God allows undesirable individuals to oppose us. Was it because God wants to test if we trust that he saves us from enemies? Was it because he wants us to practice loving enemies? It’s an opportunity to earn eternal treasure actually. There will always people who oppose us. Saul and David were both Israelites, yet Saul wanted to kill David. Similarly, church attendees can be envious of other church attendees. It’s day reality. What can we do? We pray for them!

Lord Jesus help me be prayerful of those who oppose me!

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