Annihilation?

Psalm 69:22-28

22 May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap. 23 May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. 26 For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten,  And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded. 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.

Examine / Explain

Lord, annihilate my enemies. Don’t let them make offerings to you. In fact, make it a trap and let them make offerings but unworthy ones. Keep them from seeing that they are not headed in a Godly direction. Let them tremble in fear because they do not know where they are. Pour out your wrath on them. Let Your anger burn them to the ground. Wipe them out so that none are left. Lord, You have already dealt with me, and yet these are persecuting me even more than I can take. They mock me. Add to their guilt, and don’t save them. Keep them from becoming right in Your sight.

How do I apply this in my life?

Woe! Lord, I don’t know if I have ever expressed this harshness against anyone. Who had wronged David to get him to the point that he didn’t want you to give them grace? Who are my enemies? Did I ever want to wipe them off the earth? Maybe in a moment of anger, I wished they would get something in return for how I felt they were treating me. I see David is already dealing with God for whatever he did wrong, and he felt justified in saying that his enemies are too much to deal with now. God wipe them out and don’t give them any chance of salvation. Do I hate someone that much? Again, I am thinking of our current culture. Videos of street preachers basically attacking non-believers with the gospel. I know the lost think it foolishness, and I am definitely not saying to water it down, but how many times have any of us changed the mind of anyone by yelling at them? I am no street preacher and don’t know I could ever be one. I struggle with sharing the gospel. But I can be curious about other people. I can let them know I am interested in their story. We live in a time where this will be the way to their hearts. People are fueled by division and pride. I know in Luke 12 that Jesus talks about how He has come to cast fire on the earth and how one household will be divided between three against two. And I can’t help but wonder the application of this to the lost. Jesus met people where they were and understood people. Understood their pain. The gospel is the good news that the pain was bearable. That one day, we would be in eternity. But until then, God is here on earth with us. We are not alone. Screaming in the streets does not make someone feel less alone. Look at all the identity-affirming groups. What is the root of all of them? People want to know that they belong somewhere. They want to be known and think that these are the only ways to do that.

What is my response?

Father, do I love others well? Do I show enough grace and truth to those around me? Who is my enemy, and who is my neighbor? Lord, you went after those who led people into a false religion. They were empty tombs and vipers. You went after the hearts of the people who were hurting. We have a whole world breaking and needing a savior. We have generations that only know how to attack each other. Who only knows how to say how right they are? Again, I never want to say anything that is not the truth and not do it in a loving way. But believers need to slow down and do some self-examination of our fruit. How are we reflecting Jesus to the world? What does our life look like to others? I’m not saying we shouldn’t be who we are; I think we need to look different. Do we look like the culture and what it stands for? Do we yell and scream that we are so different from everyone else? Or can we live life, love the others in our circle, and make disciples as we walk through this life? Jesus, help me do that! I want to be an example of who You are, I want to be where You have placed me, and I want to make disciples who love You and do the same. That is a good life in my eyes. Thank you, God, for all of those things. Amen.