19.The Surrounding of Adversity: "In the presence of mine enemies" (23:5b)

Psalm 23:5b

The Opposition’s Presence - Jesus never promised that this world would be easy. Nor did He say that His sheep would live without the presence of the enemies of God. Why would God allow evil in the world? We are not of this world, but we are to bring light to the darkness, and not the other way around.

     Sometimes THE enemy, that is, Satan, can use our friends, our family, even ourselves. The phrase, “We are our own worst enemy” is not entirely true. Our worst enemy is the devil and he just uses others to get at us.

     Jesus said in John 17:11-21 “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. …I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world….As Thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. …that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.”

     I felt some genuine evil this week, both in the source and in my reaction which I had. Sometimes our enemies are not really our enemies, but it is the evil force behind the attack. One of the things I kept repeating was “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”

The Overcoming Peace – Jesus does not leave us as orphans, nor does He leave us to fend for ourselves alone. That table is prepared for us in the presence of our enemies so that we could have a witness.

     John 16:33 – “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

     We need to be on the guard against the enemy but also remember that God also guards us against our enemy.

     There is a phrase: “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies sometimes to keep us close to Him.

Our Father in Heaven,
and my Shepherd on earth,
lead me not into temptation,
but deliver me from evil.
Amen.