War is abundant in this world.
Whether you feel that wars are a necessary evil or an unnecessary one, there’s really no denying that it’s something we’ve seen a lot of in our day and age. It seems most nations can’t go more than a handful of years without some sort of conflict springing up. Regardless of the reasons behind these times of strife, many Christians take these wars as signs of approaching end times.
But while it’s true Jesus told us to be mindful of what an increase in wars, and rumors of them, would point to, it’s also important to be mindful of places like Psalm 140, where David pours out his heart to God about something most of us are wearyingly familiar with: people of violent deeds who devise evil things in their hearts and seem to stir up war on a daily basis.
This is not a struggle unique to our time, or a surefire sign that the end is at hand; rather, we can see how this is a trait of the sin and wickedness in the world, and as long as we are here as witnesses of God, we have a powerful part to play. We intercede with prayer, with action where able, and we remain vigilant and levelheaded, always pointing the way toward God as times of war and strife continue to crop up in this fallen world.
What do we say about God in times like this? Well, Psalm 140 gives us a pattern for that, too! When we dive deeper into this psalm, we see how David relates to God as it pertains to these evil people:
- He acknowledges God as premier in his life (v. 6.)
- He petitions God for aid in his circumstances (v. 4, v. 8-11)
- He acknowledges what God HAS done for him and what he trusts God will do (v. 7, v. 12-13)
As is so often the case in David’s psalms, we see a beautiful blending of praise and supplication. This is such a valuable lesson for all of us! Our times are not so wildly different from the times of King David that we should alter this pattern of acknowledging the eminence of the One who is God, the one and only; asking Him for help in these times of snares and evil and war; and acknowledging what He has done for us and what we trust He will do and be!
If you are tempted to give in to despair or become hyper-focused on times of global conflict as a sign of the fast-approaching end, I encourage you to read and take to heart the content of Psalm 140. Invest deeply in prayer and search for ways to be a present, active part of the spiritual battle raging around us. Help where you can, pray as much as you can, seek God with every beat of your heart. He is as much a part of this now as He was in the time of King David—and He is still a deliverer, a redeemer, and a loving, gracious, and good Heavenly Father!
