Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A City under Siege

“May the Lord be praised, for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me in a city under siege.” (Psalm 31:21)

The “city under siege” the psalmist refers to is himself. Psalm 31 is a beautiful and eloquent expression of one seeking the Lord and giving thanks to God for His grace and in particular for His forgiveness and redemption. The “siege” was brought on by his own sin. He says in verse 10, “Indeed, my life is consumed with grief, and my years with groaning; my strength has failed because of my sinfulness, and my bones waste away.” The siege came also from his enemies who seek his harm, who hold overt ill will against him. But this man knows the redemption of the Lord, and he expresses a profound trust in the love and redemptive power of God to deliver him not only from his own sin but from those who use every opportunity to hold it against him.

It is true that sometimes we shoot our wounded. It shouldn’t be, though. We all sin. But the reality is that we also have an Advocate, one whose blood has covered over our sins, so that we now have forgiveness. We have a God who is redemptive and forgiving and loving. We can thank Him that today our sins are forgiven, and we have been given a second chance. Maybe what He has done for us, we should also do for one another.

Lord, As You have forgiven us, help us to pass it on and forgive one another. Amen.

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