¿What to do when you feel persecuted? Psalm 142
There are circumstances in life in which some people point at you and harass you. There are times when you feel persecuted and find no refuge anywhere to find peace of soul. Envious people end up harassing and persecuting others. King David experienced this and left us his wonderful advice in Psalm 142, which he wrote in one of the many caves where he hid from his enemies who were persecuting him, especially from King Saul.
In this Psalm 142 David provides us with interesting tools that we can use in times of persecution.
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Saul was the first king that the people of Israel had, who felt a very perverse jealousy when he found out that David was the person who was going to replace him on the throne of Israel. Just knowing that David was the next king, Saul was filled with jealousy and launched a campaign of persecution against David, who had to flee to different places and caves to hide from the hatred that Saul had for him. In that situation of persecution David considered the mercies of God and prostrated himself before Him saying:
With my voice I will cry to the LORD;
With my voice I will cry to the LORD for mercy.
2 Before him I will lay my complaint;
Before him I will declare my distress. Psalms 142: 1-2 Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960)
When David was surrounded by his enemies, the first thing he did was to cry out to God and seek the Lord's mercy to come to his aid. David called on the name of the Lord from the depths of his heart and expressed to Him the feelings of anguish he was experiencing because of the persecution of his enemies.
There are situations of distress that require you to be the one to cry out to God and tell Him how terrible you feel in the depths of your heart because of your adversaries. God wants to hear our own voice when we find ourselves in dangerous situations that generate distress. It is not about telling someone else to pray for you or for the church, but it is you who must cry out to God for the Lord to come to your aid and deliver you from what you are experiencing.
In times of persecution go to God and cry out to Him for help.
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God clearly knows the situation of distress we may be living in. The Lord knows our path and knows the people who persecute us with hatred. The Lord knows who sets traps in your path and who treats you with contempt.
When we feel persecuted, our spirit is anguished, however, when we seek God's face and put everything in His hands, He takes care of being our refuge, even if there are people who hate and reject us. God knows very well the moment we live in when people persecute us. Let us leave everything in God's hands and He will fight for us. God is our refuge.
When my spirit was troubled within me, you knew my way.
In the path I traveled, you hid a snare for me.
4 Look to my right hand and see, for there is no one who wants to know me;
I have no refuge, and there is no one who cares for my life. Psalm 142: 3-4
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It is in times of persecution that we must know that God is our only hope. It is not a matter of taking refuge in man, in whom there is deceit and falsehood, it is a matter of placing our hope in God, who is our quick help in tribulations. On earth we have no other hope of life than God. The Lord will always be ready to deliver our spirit from every affliction. God is our portion in the land of the living. David said:
I cried unto thee, O Lord;
I said: Thou art my hope
and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Hear my cry, for I am greatly distressed.
Deliver me from those who persecute me, for they are stronger than I am. Psalm 142: 5-6
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When we seek God's face in prayer and consider Him as our only hope of life and help over our enemies, the Lord delivers us from the prisons of persecution that the enemy generates against us. When God delivers us from the hands of those who persecute us, a glorious praise of victory is unleashed in us and we begin to sing and praise God for the deliverance he has given us. God delivers us and leads us to gather with those who call upon his name and we all sing praises to our God for the victory over those who persecute us.
In times of persecution, God is the key to victory. We must seek intimacy with God to obtain the benefits that come from his presence.
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For you will be merciful to me. Psalm 142:7
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