“Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!  For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”  Psalm 43:1-2

Have you ever felt that you were personally attacked and needed an advocate?  I can think of several times in my life that I have felt very alone in the world and had no defense against the assaults hurled in my direction.  Further, the current social climate of our nation makes it difficult to hold to Christian values and basic biblical principles.   To say that I feel a bit oppressed by this is an understatement.  Then there is my illness.  While I accept it as part of God’s plan for me, it can be tiring and leave me feeling alone and assaulted unnecessarily.  Whether from friends or medical personnel, it is difficult to abide those who doubt the realities of living with a rare disease…especially and invisible one.  Finally, there are times when I feel that I am my worst enemy and that I need an advocate to protect me from myself.  When I feel God’s presence connecting with my soul, it seems bearable, but when I don’t, I feel utterly alone and find myself asking where God is in all of this.  Experience and study tell me that He is here and that He has a plan, but fatigue, emotions and Satan toying with me often cause me to doubt that God is truly my advocate and leave me feeling depressed, frustrated and rejected.  Two key words in that last sentence are “emotions” and “feeling”.  Given the number of stories in scripture as well as Psalms like this one that speak to the need for vindication and help, it’s a widespread problem.

“Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Note that verse two ends with a question rather than a statement.  The writer knows, as I do, that this is not a reasonable state given what we know about God’s character, ability and immense love for us.  So why do we indulge it and mope about?  The short answer is sin and lack of conviction.  The bright side of this dilemma is that we know the antidote.  Verse three lays it out clearly.  “O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places.”   In those dark times when we feel alone, we need the truth of God’s word to provide clarity and remind us that we are children of the Most High God, that we are His heirs and that He chose to love us before we loved Him.  We need the truth to remind us that He is our source of strength and that He has not abandoned us, but rather is working on our behalf whether or not we are aware of His actions.  At times, those actions do, in fact, protect and vindicate us while at others they provide the strength to endure.

. “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.”  (Emphasis added.)  Also note that the result of God’s truth and light invading our souls may take time to complete its intended effect.  When it does pierce our soul and attain its perfect outcome, we will: be drawn to the altar of God, recognize that God is our source of exceeding joy and move from oppression to praise.  God replaces our oppression with hope.

“Why are you in despair, O my soul?  And why are you disturbed within me?  Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”   The first four verses of this Psalm are a conversation directed to God.  However, the last verse is a bit of positive soul talk.  It is a type of reprimand as it recognizes that despair and a disturbed soul are the result of a lack of hope.  It is an affirmation that when we are reminded of the truths of scripture and allow God’s light to invade our souls, our hope in God and His work on our behalf is restored as is our state of praise.  This last verse is one of the tools that I regularly employ when I feel overwhelmed and beaten down.  I repeat it to myself over and over as is necessary.  It is a very powerful reminder of truth and a source of encouragement.  Further, it impedes the debilitating effect of negative thoughts when used with conviction.

Whether or not we feel the need for vindication, when trials, illness and the pressures of life overwhelms us,  we do well to plead with God to invade our circumstances with His light and truth.  When life seems to be going rather well, rather than merely basking in the joy, we do are better served to draw near to God so that when the next storm come, we are adequately prepared, protected and ready to turn to God for help rather than acting on our own.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved you and given you eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your heart.

Will