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Resolved to Respond to My Enemy (Psalm 119:42)

So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word.
Psalm 119:42

True believers will definitely face opposition in this life. In the midst of such opposition it can be very easy to develop bad habits. We can become angry, agitated, bitter, impatient, etc. If we are to be obedient to the Lord, we must keep in mind God’s sovereignty in all the circumstances of life.

Trusting in God’s word means that we trust the God of the word. If we trust Him, we can have confidence that He will accomplish His purposes, regardless of what our enemies are doing. Don’t assume that your enemies are in control. While they will be held accountable for their evil deeds, God will still perfectly accomplish His purposes.

Peter and his fellow believers rehearsed how evil men ultimately are used to accomplish God’s purposes.

“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.”
Acts 4:27–28

It is not an easy thing to respond to the wicked when they are reproaching you. The Proverbs remind us to carefully consider our answer.

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
Proverbs 15:28

Paul exhorts believers to recognize ministry opportunities when faced with opposition.

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
2 Timothy 2:24–26

The only way the psalmist could respond biblically in the midst of opposition was to have absolute confidence in God’s word. We also need God’s word to keep our hearts and minds in sync with God’s purposes. Only then will we be able to respond to the wicked as God intends.

 

 

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Rocky Wyatt

Rocky Wyatt came to know the Lord as a young teenager and began working in youth ministry when in college. After serving in churches in Utah, California and Colorado, Rocky moved to Texas to serve as Youth Pastor at Countryside Bible Church. He served there for 26 years where he eventually moved from youth ministry to serve as an Associate Pastor.

Over the course of his ministry, Rocky has always had a desire to train men for pastoral ministry in the context of the local church. In 1992 he started XL Ministries, an organization that is committed to helping churches establish intensive internships for pastoral training. In 2020 he left his position at Countryside Bible Church to become the Executive Director of XL Ministries and now works full time assisting churches in training men for ministry.

He is co-author of The Youth Ministry Training Manual, a textbook for training youth pastors, and has also written multiple other resources for use in various local church ministries. He is currently working on a book to encourage churches to take the primary responsibility to train pastors.

Rocky is married to Pamela, has two sons and daughters-in-law, and ten grandchildren. 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.1 Corinthians 15:58