Psalms 61:6-8 (NIV)
“Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.
May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint Your love and faithfulness to protect him.
Then I will ever sing in praise of Your name and fulfil my vows day after day”.
These verses are direct cry from David’s heart.
The previous three chapters are written while David was hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him. Those chapters have him crying out for help, strength and protection from the Lord. Then in this chapter things changed as we see in these verses, his prayers changed to something interesting.
Yet if we look from an earthly perspective they simply do not fit. Do you know why? His position shifts as he lifts his eyes above the natural, he starts to pray for Saul, asking the Lord to increase his days, that the Lord’s Presence will circle Saul forever and for God’s love and faithfulness to protect him.
Wow! Yes this prayer is for the man who was trying to hunt him down to kill him.
And one of the reasons the Lord said David was a man after the same heart as him
“The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14, NKJV). The second time was by the Apostle Paul who recounted Israel’s history, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts. 13:22)
David was about to do as Jesus asks us to do “Love his enemies with unconditional love, Undeserving love, show mercy in the face of injustice, title, rank, situation or circumstance.
Wow! Why would He or could we in fact do the same?
The Lord delivered Saul into his hands and yet David would not kill him. Actually David did everything he could to honour and respect Saul.
How would we act if we were faced with the same opportunity?
“This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:10 NIV)
David knew this one thing seen in 1 Corinthians 11:19 (NIV)
“No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval”.
God’s approval comes from doing things in a way that is upside down to this world. Jesus display’s this through His earthy ministry – do we?
Loving our enemies, and praying for those that curse or threaten to kill us!
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” Matthew 5:44 KJV
Ok but why and how do we do this?
Here’s why!
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”.
Matthew 7:1-2
I believe that judgement leads us back through the Cross so we are under the law no longer under Christ’s Blood in GRACE. David was able to understand this and so lived under grace even though its time had not yet come. As he could do this in his day, but through judging we can live under the law even after the death of Christ and His blood which was spilt for us.
So how can we do what Jesus asked us to do? What David did?
First David only shared his thoughts of Saul with the Lord, he cried out everything of himself until there was nothing left. It was then he could start seeing the situation or circumstance from the Lord’s heart and perspective.
Over the years I have seen this happen in my own life as people have upset, dishonoured, cursed or threatened me! I have waited and allowed time for all of the pain to past in crying out to the Lord then choosing to honour these individuals, bless them, and pray for them. In most cases (not all) their hearts have changed and I’ve been blessed with an even stronger friendship or relationship with them. To the ones that are not yet resolved my heart is one day that the Lord will make a way to restore. This was David’s heart too, not allowing his heart to dishonour the Lord’s anointed king Saul even though he was running from him for his life.
Isn’t this what unconditional love looks like and why God said that David was a man after His own heart, one centred and anchored on unconditional love, which our hearts should be too.
Challenge time
- Ask the Lord is my heart like Your own Heart? One centred and anchored on unconditional Love.
- Lord are there any areas, situations, circumstances where I am sitting or operating in judgement? Record what He says, cry out to them until there is no more pain, then repent of them, asking for forgiveness and declare that you are willing and wanting for His heart and eyes to see them as He does with His heart.
- With these areas, situations or circumstances ask Him how you are to honour or pray for them and do so in obedience.
- Worship Him
Let’s Pray:
Father God thank You for this reminder that we all want to be known as David is, a Man after the Lord’s own heart. Yet Holy Spirit we need Your help to live out this new revelation and do the heart work of seeking You to inquire If we sit in judgement anywhere, to cry out to you about the injustice, pain, unfairness, feelings we have, and to journey through to yielding to You and choosing to honour and pray for those people or situations that persecute, hate, mistreat us or cause pain. So like David we can live from the heart posture of Unconditional Love, being centred and anchored to You and Your way, view, heart. Jesus we love You and thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.
Craig Patten
Encounter Ministry
