Psalm 129

They have greatly oppressd me from my youth - let Israel say -

They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.

Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.

But the Lord is righteous;

He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

My all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.

May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow;

With it the reaper cannot fill his hands,

Nor the one who gathers fill his arms.

May those who pass by not say,

"The blessing of the Lord be upon you;

We bless you in the name of the Lord."

I am so grateful for Psalms like this which give me full Biblical permission to know that God is on my side in any struggle with the enemy.

I can identify with being "greatly oppressed from my youth" by the enemies of Satan, the world, and worst of all, my own flesh. I have scars from "long furrows on my back". The worst of it is that most of those furrows started with seeds that I chose to plant. It's always easier to believe God is on your side when the attack is completely one that is not of your choosing. The enemy beat me up for 7 years before I came to realize that God wanted to free me from the oppression I had entered willingly. He was righteous, and cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

Maybe that's why I don't have the struggles with the latter part of the Psalm that some people do. "Zion" is used in Scripture to refer to God's habitation, or to Jerusalem as the spiritual seat of Israel. "Hating Zion" is essentially hating what God stands for, what is close to His heart. Of course those who would be coming against God's purposes should be turned back. Of course He is greatly interested that what they plant withers and dies. And of course, we should not bless what is opposed to God. Israel tried that in her history, and ended up in exile as a result.

This passage should encourage believers to be bold and continue advancing for the sake of the kingdom of God. We of all people should never be discouraged when the world acts like the world. We have the answer: a countercultural community that engages with loving acts of service and holds forth an example of radical love for each other. It's called the church. And God has guaranteed its success: Matt. 16:18 says "...upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." The verbage reflects a church on the offensive. The gates of hell will not stop what God is doing in the church. His eternal purpose depends upon it! No one is more dedicated to seeing His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven than He is.

So step out in the freedom God has granted you. Move away from the oppression of your youth and into the victory of your maturity. Trust me, based on Psalm 129: God is on your side!