Day 168 – Persecution

Psalm 69:1 (To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.) Save me, O Elohiym! For the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my Elohiym. 4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongly; though I stole nothing, I must restore it. 5 O Elohiym, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You. 6 Let not those who wait for You, O Adonay Y@hovih of hosts, be ashamed because of me; let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O Elohiym of Israel. 7 Because for Your sake I bear reproach; shame covered my face. 8 I became a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children; 9 because zeal for Your house eats me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You fall on me. 10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11 I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a byword to them. 12 Those who sit at the gate speak against me, and I am the song of the drunkards.

 13 However, as for me, my prayer is to You, O JEHOVAH, in the acceptable time; O Elohiym, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation. 14 Deliver me out of the mire and let me not sink; deliver me from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. 15 Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me. 16 Hear me, O JEHOVAH, for Your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. 17 Do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in trouble; hear me speedily. 18 Draw near to my soul and redeem it; deliver me because of my enemies. 19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; my adversaries are before You. 20 Reproach broke my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

 22 Let their table become a snare before them, and their well-being a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; and make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation upon them and let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their dwelling place be desolate; let no one live in their tents. 26 For they persecute the ones You have struck and talk of the grief of those You wounded. 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity and let them not come into Your righteousness. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous. 29 However, I am poor and sorrowful; let Your salvation, O Elohiym, set me up on high.

 30 I will praise the name of Elohiym with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 This also will please JEHOVAH better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves. 32 The humble will see this and be glad; and you who seek Elohiym, your hearts will live. 33 For JEHOVAH hears the poor and does not despise His prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For Elohiym will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. 36 Also, the descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell in it.

God’s names:

Elohiym – Supreme God

Y@hovih – God

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Adonay – God’s proper name

Yeshuwa – Jesus

Iesous – Jesus

Hagios Pneuma – Sacred, Holy, Violent breath, Wind, Spirit

God’s character:

Mercy

Truth

Salvation

Deliverer

Lovingkindness

Redeemer

Indignation

Anger

Wrath

When people treat you badly, you want vengeance. You want to see the same thing happen to them as they gave you.

David felt pressed on every side by his enemies. Even the members of his family came against him. His desire was toward Elohiym. He asked Elohiym to take care of his enemies. He knew Elohiym’s justice would be fair to those who came against him. As for himself, his desire was to spend time in Elohiym’s presence, to go to His sanctuary.

How do you react as Christians when people come against you. Do you seek vengeance, or do you pray and seek Yeshuwa’s help? Where is your focus? Do you want to spend time in Yeshuwa’s presence as David longed to do, or do you forget about Yeshuwa between Sundays.

Your number one enemy is Satan. He will do everything he can to destroy your relationship with Yeshuwa.

Yeshuwa had many enemies among His people. David predicted through the Hagios Pneuma what His people would do to Him on the cross, giving him gall and vinegar for His thirst. Can you expect any less from those who don’t know Yeshuwa as Savior and Adonay?

John 19:28 After this, Iesous, knowing that everything was now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 When Iesous had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Bowing His head, He gave up His Pneuma.

When you go to Yeshuwa, seeking His face in prayer because of the actions of unbelievers against you, He will help you. He will bring His wrath and anger against those who came against you. His indignation will rise against them, and you will see His justice because you belong to Him as His child. You only need to pray. He will do the rest.

Let’s pray: Father, too often I want to take vengeance against those who seek to harm me because I believe in You. Instead, let me give those who come against me into Your hands and praise You because I know you will take care of me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 5 July 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux