"Rescue Me": A Reflection on the Psalm for September 23rd, 2018: Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

---

PSALM 54:3-4, 5, 6 AND 8

R. (6b) The Lord upholds my life.

O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.

R. The Lord upholds my life.

For the haughty men have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes.

R. The Lord upholds my life.

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
​
R. The Lord upholds my life.

---

What is an enemy? The Oxford English Reference Dictionary defines an enemy as “a person actively hostile to another.” In my experience, overcoming an enemy can be tough. It can tax one’s mental and emotional resources to near exhaustion.

Years ago, a work colleague took an active dislike to me. Never in my career had I been treated with such contempt. My colleague refused to speak to me. She discouraged others from trusting me. She intentionally undermined my work. She became my enemy.

Although my bosses were aware and sympathetic—and most coworkers were supportive—the situation never got better. My colleague continued to search for a listening ear; she left no room for reconciliation. Despite the support in my workplace, I worried. I worried about the future of my career, from which I derived such happiness. I worried whether, in light of events, my employment contract might not be renewed and I’d be facing unemployment, however temporary. How would that impact our family’s finances? Most immediate of all, I was frustrated and anxious because I did not know how to defend myself.

One day I happened across Psalms 54 and 94 respectively: “God is my helper”; “the Lord is my defender.” What a comfort these verses became to me! I clung to them. I prayed with them every morning before work and many times throughout the day. I prayed for the faith to believe that my professional reputation was safe even though I could do nothing to protect it against a determined enemy.

One evening at Alpha I was praying silently, not about work but for all the new guests there, that Jesus would touch their hearts and they would know His Presence. In my mind I saw myself, standing before Jesus. In His right hand lay three beach rocks: one marked money, one marked happiness, and one marked career. He picked up the one marked money in his left hand, crushed it and poured the dust onto the floor. Then he took the one marked happiness, crushed it and poured the dust onto the floor. Finally, he took the stone marked career, smiled at me, and tucked it in the breast pocket of His tunic. It was a beautiful message. And, in the end, it was fulfilled.

I don’t fancy myself as special enough to receive visions, but our “specialness”—or lack thereof—has nothing to do with Jesus’ choice to speak to us. He is special, and He is active in our lives.

When it comes to some enemies, no one but Jesus can rescue us. And He will do so. He is not a remote and distant God—no. He is active in our lives. He walks every step with us. And, as Psalm 54 proclaims, He hears the cry from our hearts, and He hearkens to the words of our mouths. He is in this world with us, to defend us and to sustain us and to save us.

I will praise Your Name, O Lord, for You are good to me. ​

​Donna Davis

"He is in this world with us, to defend us and to sustain us and to save us."
​- Donna Davis (Ora Reflections)

Tweet