Psalm 5:11,12 – “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. 12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”
Proverbs 18:19 – “A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle.
Today’s psalm is an encouragement for all those who live righteously before the Lord. The psalm has several sections to it:
Pray to God in the morning and wait in expectation upon Him (vv.1-3). For those of you who are not early risers and think this may not apply to you, simply give to Him the firstfruits of your day, whenever that may be. Pray and believe.
God will take care of the people who don’t do right (vv.5,6,9,10). Don’t worry about the people who are doing wrong…that’s not your concern.
Turn to God and let Him lead you (vv. 8,9). The powerful portion of this psalm is in verses 11 and 12 as highlighted above. God will defend you. Please hear that today! And God’s blessing is upon the righteous. With favor, He surrounds you like a shield. The emphasis is not on favor surrounding you; it is upon Him surrounding you. Thus, He is your protection and therefore you are also encompassed with favor. That’s great news!
The proverb was hard to pass up today as well. When someone is offended they are closed like a fortified city and a barred castle. You cannot “get inside.” People who live offended lives are isolated, lonely people. They keep their guard up constantly. You never really get to know them. Dear friend, let us move past offenses. In this life you will become offended at some point. Don’t let it create such a defense around you that is impenetrable that people have difficulty relating to you. Let God heal you of past emotional wounds that have been inflicted. There are people out there who are trustworthy. If you have offended someone, don’t keep trying to “get in.” Give some space and some time and wait until you see the walls come down. Only then will you be able to be heard and received.
What have you learned about being offended and dealing with people who get offended?