Thursday, February 28, 2019
How Can You Handle An Antagonist Without Getting Your Fingers Burnt?
Psalms 17: In the Shadow of Your Wings A Prayer of David.
1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right!
3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
12 He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
Craig Richard Coley was twenty-three years old when he moved to Simi Valley, California. A Vietnam veteran and the son of a retired Los Angeles police officer, he was newly married with no criminal record. Coley managed several restaurants over the years. After a divorce, he dated for a time Rhonda Wicht, a twenty-four-year-old waitress who shared an apartment with her four-year-old son, Donald. On November 11, 1978, Wicht and her son were killed in their beds. Coley, who had broken up with her, was arrested and charged with their murders. After two trials, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Both of his parents died while he was imprisoned.
Meanwhile, Michael Bender had started a career as a police officer. In 1989, he looked into the Coley case and was shocked by what he found. Coley's alibi seemed strong; there were viable suspects who were never pursued; and hair and fingerprint evidence was not analyzed properly and then went missing. Two years later, Bender met Coley in prison and knew he was talking to an innocent man. "In dealing with a lot of bad guys over the years, there are mannerisms and body language you come to know. He didn't have that," Bender explained. In 1991, his superiors ordered him to stop pursuing Coley's case or face termination, so he quit his job and became a theft investigator. In 2003, he moved his family to Carlsbad, California, where he continued to pursue the case in his spare time.
In 2015, Gov. Brown's office agreed to conduct an investigation. DNA evidence, previously thought destroyed, was found and tested. It showed another man's DNA on sheets and clothing in the apartment. Witness testimony against Coley was largely discredited as well. In November 2017, the governor's office formally pardoned Craig Coley. Gov. Brown said of him, "The grace with which Mr. Coley has endured this lengthy and unjust incarceration is extraordinary." Last Saturday, Simi Valley reached a $21 million settlement with him.
How did Coley get through thirty-nine years of wrongful imprisonment? Around 2005, he began actively practicing his Christian faith. He started a prison Bible study group in 2011 and later earned degrees in theology, biblical studies, and biblical counseling. "My way of looking at things changed," he said. "I believed whatever happened was what God had in store for me, and everything I get is a blessing." Craig Coley came to believe in the providence and sovereignty of God, knowing that his Father was working to redeem his circumstances even in prison. As a result, he knew that "everything I get is a blessing."
Skeptics might claim that such faith is naïve and masks the real suffering of this life. They would be wrong.
"God has a purpose behind every problem."
Psalm 17 brings insight into how to survive a personal attack.
David was subjected to 15 years of mistreatment by Saul. Some antagonists will hate you when they see you. Some antagonists would cross a road to kick you when they see you. Some antagonists will dream of crossing a road to kick you and kick you and kick you every night of their lives. Saul dreamt of killing David. All the time!
9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12 He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.
How Can You Handle An Antagonist Without Getting Your Fingers Burnt?
Conduct A Self-Examination
Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! 3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
God will only vindicate you if you are innocent in this matter.
Innocence is pretty hard to maintain. Being unbiased in matters of slander is pretty hard to maintain. We all have a natural tendency to self-defence. We all want to keep our reputations clean. When someone slanders us, it is hard. Our pride wants to defend our reputation. I have a close friend, Dave, who during a particularly trying time, I took the opportunity to bare my soul. I asked him these hard questions.
Ask : Are we to blame in some way?
Ask: Are we selfish in any way?
Ask: Am I self-deceived in any way?
Ask: Am I immature in this matter in any way?
Ask: Am I slipping into biased bitterness in any way?
Ask: Am I responsible to set this right in any way?
Matthew 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Look at
2 Corinthians 12:7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
To stop him being conceited, God allowed Paul to be slandered. He pled three times that this thorn in the flesh, probably a slanderer, might be removed from his life.
The Lord made it plain
2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Reassure Yourself Of God's Steadfast Love.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
David's words in this Psalm reflect some precious promises given through Moses.
Exodus 15:13 says "You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
Deuteronomy 32: 9 But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.10 "He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions,12 the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him.
These are the scriptures David was relying on to reassure him of God's steadfast love.
They reminded him that God was Merciful in His love.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.
His trust was in the mercy of God to hear his prayer. This was based on the next verse that speaks of God's wondrous love.
They reminded him that God was Mighty in His love.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
steadfast love ESV
wondrously show Your lovingkindness, NASB
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, NKJV.
The tying of God's lovingkindness to His powerful right hand demonstrates the nature of God's love. The word for lovingkindness is "hesed", which speaks of God as the covenant keeping God. As the covenant keeping God, his right hand vindicates His people, sooner or later. It was because of His covenant love that God lead His people out of Egypt after 430 years in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 7:6 "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.7 "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. 11 "Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.
David set his focus on God's covenant love to vindicate him. So may you! So must you!
They reminded him that God was Moved in His love.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
The apple of the eye is where all the nerves meet in the centre of your eye. How do I know this? Years ago I drilled a hole to place a towbar on a car. A sliver of steel slipped under my glasses into the apple of my eye. It hurt. Until the optometrist took it out. He told me about the apple of your eye. What hurts you the Lord feels deeply.
Remember when murdering saul was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ? "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute" believers? "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me!"
The Lord knows your pain and feels your pain. He is moved by your pain! He cares more about your pain than you do!! The Bible claims and the cross proves that God loves us unconditionally and passionately. The next time circumstances seem to contradict his character, reverse the order: view suffering through the prism of grace. Ask yourself, "Why would the God who loves me allow this?" Look for ways he is redeeming the present and trust him to redeem the future.
Trust Your Sufferings and Your Antagonists to the God Who Saves You
9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12 He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, 14 from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.
Lord you are the One who is going to have to deliver me!
Years ago I had a very unusual thing take place. I arrived late to a denominational churches assembly meeting of about 200 pastors. I sat at the back. A few minutes later another younger fellow arrived. He sat next to me. I had never seen him or met him before. He said "have you heard about this Steve Grose guy?" "I said "I haven't heard anything about him!" "He went into a school at Colo Vale and completely disrupted the Scripture program." I asked where Colo Vale was as at the stage I had never actually been into the area around Richmond. He then said "do you know this guy?" I said, "I see him occasionally" (in the mirror each morning, but that's about it). "What does he look like? Can you point him out?" "Why he looks exactly like me! And I can assure you I have never been to that area in my whole life." I was in Europe when these events were supposed to have taken place. He looked startled and moved away quickly. A couple of years later I moved to Richmond and found out that I was being scapegoated due to another's very poor behaviour. This behaviour was repeated in several High schools in the Hawkesbury region and further, resulting in a general email sent to all Principals warning of his behaviour.
If we trust God, the Lord will eventually bring things to light and vindicate our character. It may take years. For Joseph it took 15 years! For Coley it was 39 years! Life in Prison!
Such faith in the character of God is a compelling witness to a secular culture. It's one thing for us to believe in our Creator when all in his creation is good. It's another thing entirely for us to trust his heart when we cannot see his hand. Rick Warren: "God has a purpose behind every problem. He uses circumstances to develop our character." And then he uses our character to impact our culture.
Find Your Satisfaction in Communion with the Lord Now and Hereafter.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
David found his satisfaction in seeing the Lord's face now.
Coley found his satisfaction in the love of the Lord to Him, as he read his Bible.
And when he awakes into eternity, he shall be satisfied with the Lord's likeness. We get perfect there!
1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Craig Coley is Exhibit A. Will you be Exhibit B today?
