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Lord Plead My Cause 
Lord Plead My Cause

Vindicate me, O Lord my God according your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. Psalm 35:24 (New King James Version)

Few things in life can be more tragic and discouraging than when our friends become our foes. Those that we have loved, trusted, confided in, and ministered to; are now viewed in the same perspective that we see our greatest enemies. So it was during this particular episode in the life of David. Saul was king, yet as a lad of a boy, David had conquered the giant Goliath. His relationship with Saul was stable and one of equal fellowship. It was David whom Saul called upon to minister to him as David his armor bearer and worship leader. Yet in the wake of David's conquest over Goliath, that was soon to change by the mere mention and praise of David from the mouth of others. "So the women sang as they danced, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him." I Samuel 18:7-8a (NKJV)

People whom David knew well and had highly esteemed were actually poisoning the mind of Saul with malicious lies about David. This would seem to be a suitable background for this particular psalm. It was during this time that David's response as a man constantly seeking after the heart of God was of greater significance than anything his enemies could launch against him. Perhaps Jesus said it best. "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)

David makes two requests in the text that will help us deal with friends who have unfortunately become our foes. He first asks the Lord to "vindicate me". In the King James Version it states "plead my cause". Here the idea is that God himself will contend against our enemies on our behalf. It is the picture of one filing a lawsuit to receive vindication in the form of a punitive or compensatory award. In this instance God personally argues our case so our enemies can't do us any harm.

Secondly, David asks that God would not let his enemies rejoice over him. Another way to look at this request is that David is requesting for God to, "fight against them that fight against me". If we are to make a similar request we must be also willing to trust God with everything that is within us and resist the temptation to take matters into our own hands. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. "But you have saved us from our enemies and put to shame those who hated us." Psalm 44:7 (NKJV)


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