We ordinarily think of David as a mighty man. As a shepherd boy, he slayed lions and bears who threatened his flock, and the giant Goliath, who threatened God's people. As a warrior, he defeated many enemy soldiers. As an army general, he lead his troops to victory after victory. But in Psalm 109, David is anything but a picture of strength. He describes himself as poor and needy, and says even his heart is sapped of its normal strength. Like an evening shadow that is soon lost in the growing dark, he is fading away. He considers himself as light as a locust, and just as easily cast aside. He has lost weight and strength, and the simple task of carrying his own weight is now a challenge. Passersby shake their heads when they see David, seeing him as an object of derision and scorn (v. 22-25).
Lord, when we are weak, you are still strong. We praise you for being our rock: steadfast, firm, strong. Though many rebel against you, you are not challenged. You are unafraid, and unmoved from your position of absolute power and authority. Your strength is not diminished. You do not grow tired or weak. You still have sovereign power over all of creation.
We are like the evening shadows, that soon pass away and fade into the dark, but you are like light; you are like the sun, blazing on and on throughout the years. We are like an insect, easily swatted away, but you are immense, filling the entire universe, and holding the earth like a ball in your hands.
Lord, when David is weak, he comes to you for help. Teach us to do the same. Beyond being weak, at this low point in his life, his enemies circle around him like hyenas, ready to pounce on him when he drops and devour him even before he takes his last breath. Lord, sometimes the saying "when it rains, it pours" is a good description of our lives. We pray: grant that we might not give up. Give us the strength to persevere. Moreover, we pray: deliver us from the circumstances that threaten to undo us. Deflect the evil others intend for us. Stop their villainous plans from taking effect. David prayed that the evil of his enemies would rebound on themselves, but after seeing Christ's love for us on the cross, we pray: grant an even more permanent change might come upon our enemies. Grant an even better outcome than "karma" for them. Grant that our enemies might be won over by love and be transformed from evildoers into peacemakers, to go from causing hurt to bringing healing, and to go from cursing others to blessing them in Jesus' name. Yes, Lord, we truly believe our enemies can be our brothers and sisters. By your grace (and only by your grace), our enemies can be transformed into our friends. So we pray not for their destruction, but for their transformation. In Jesus' name, amen.
