Allowing God To Work In Your Life

Psalm 41:
Oh, the joy of those who are kind to the poor!  The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.  The Lord protects them and keeps them alive.  He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies.  The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.  "O Lord," I prayed, "have mercy on me.  Heal me, for I have sinned against you."  But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.  "How soon will he die and be forgotten?" they ask.  They visit me as if they were my friend, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.  All who hate me whisper about me, imagining the worst.  "He has some fatal disease," they say.  "He will never get out of that bed!"  Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.  Lord, have mercy on me.  Make me well again, so I can pay them back!  I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.  You have preserved my life because I am innocent; you have brought me into your presence forever.  Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting.  Amen and amen!

David describes how God cares for those who are kind to the poor.  I imagine David has done a great deal to care for the poor in his kingdom.  Yet David's heart is grieving.  He is in a position of power, can have anything, have anyone as his friends and yet he is heartbroken.  People he thought were his friends have simply come to gather gossip and even his best friend has turned against him.  They are all simply waiting for him to die. 
     In verses 10-12, David is praying for healing so that he can pay back those "friends".  David's heart is vexed, he is ill and the ones he thought were his friends are simply wolves in sheeps' clothing.  He longs for healing but is it for the right reasons?  How he is going to pay them back we are not sure, could be good or bad.  How many times in our lives have we been in this place--a place of illness, of being wronged and wanting revenge?  When those whom we need, our friends, are simply waiting for our destruction.  We feel so alone and all we can think of is getting well enough to pay them back.
     But we are never alone.  God is always at our sides.  He longs for us to come to Him in those dark days and pour ourselves out to Him like the perfume Mary poured on Jesus' feet in John 12:3.  He wants us to remember we are not alone.  And best of all, instead of thinking of revenge, he wants us to remember that we have the greatest Judge of all in our corner, God.  Let Him work your case, no matter what the issues are.  He is there and will be honest and fair in His judgement.  All you have to do is give it all to Him and be patient.  Let Him work in your life.

My prayer for you today is that you will pour your hearts out to God and allow Him to move in your lives instead of seeking revenge yourselves.  Remember God is the ultimate Judge.