Salmo 55 - Oración por la Destrucción del Engañoso - Parte 2

Salmo 55. Salmo de David, cuando fue expulsado de Jerusalén y de su trono por la rebelión y conspiración de Absalón. Lea 2 Samuel 15-18:17. Comentarios de Dennis Edwards.

Para volver a la Parte 1 

Salmo 55:12-14 Porque no fue un enemigo el que me reprochó, pues lo habría soportado; ni fue el que me aborrecía el que se engrandeció contra mí, pues me habría escondido de él. Sino que fuiste tú, un hombre igual a mí, mi guía y mi conocido. Compartimos dulces consejos y caminamos juntos hacia la casa de Dios.

David, el prototipo de Jesús, tuvo experiencias similares a las de Jesús, pues fue traicionado por alguien cercano a él. Aquí, David podría estar refiriéndose a Absalón o a Ahitofel, uno de sus principales consejeros, con quien había tenido "dulces consejos". La Biblia dice: "Y el consejo de Ahitofel en aquellos días era como si alguien hubiera consultado la palabra de Dios" (2 Samuel 16:23).

Salmo 55:15 Que la muerte los alcance, y desciendan rápidamente al Seol; porque la maldad está en sus moradas y entre ellos.

David ora contra sus enemigos. Tanto Absalón como Ahitofel mueren poco después. Judas corrió una suerte similar al traicionar a Jesús.

Salmo 55:16-17 En cuanto a mí, a Dios invocaré, y el Señor me salvará. Tarde, mañana y mediodía oraré y clamaré, y él oirá mi voz.

Aquí vemos que la costumbre de David era orar durante todo el día. Él estaba en constante comunicación con el Señor. Nosotros debemos hacer lo mismo.

Salmo 55:18-19a Él ha librado mi alma en paz de la batalla que se libraba contra mí, porque había muchos conmigo. Dios oirá y los afligirá, sí, el que permanece desde la antigüedad. Selah.

La expresión "muchos conmigo" podría referirse a las fuerzas espirituales del lado de David. El profeta Eliseo oró al Señor para que le mostrara a uno de sus aprendices un atisbo del plano espiritual cuando la ciudad donde se encontraban estaba rodeada por las fuerzas asirias.

2 Reyes 6:15c-17 “Y su criado le dijo: ¡Ay, señor mío! ¿Qué haremos? Y él respondió: No temas, porque son más los que están con nosotros que los que están con ellos. Entonces Eliseo oró y dijo: Señor, te ruego que le abras los ojos para que vea. Y el Señor abrió los ojos del joven, y miró, y he aquí que el monte estaba lleno de gente de a caballo y de carros de fuego alrededor de Eliseo.”

David pudo haber sido consciente del elemento espiritual que lo asistía.

Salmo 55:19b Porque no tienen cambios, por lo tanto, no temen a Dios.

Los cambios son buenos para nosotros. Sin cambios, tendemos a estancarnos y a dar las cosas por sentado. El cambio nos ayuda a confiar en el Señor. Puede impulsarnos a crecer. El cambio nos ayuda a salir de una zona de confort que puede haber estado inhibiendo nuestro crecimiento espiritual.

Salmo 55:20-21 Él (el malvado) ha extendido sus manos contra los que están en paz con él; ha roto su pacto. Las palabras de su boca eran más suaves que la mantequilla, pero la guerra estaba en su corazón; sus palabras eran más suaves que el aceite, pero eran espadas desenvainadas.

Como vemos en el caso de Absalón, engañosamente robó el corazón de los hombres de Israel, de su padre (2 Samuel 15:6). De igual manera, Judas fingió ser discípulo obediente de Jesús, cuando todo el tiempo dudaba, robaba de la bolsa común y cuestionaba abiertamente las decisiones de Jesús.

Salmo 55:22 Encomienda tu carga al Señor, y él te sustentará; no permitirá que el justo sea sacudido.

Jesús dijo: «Venid a mí todos los que estáis trabajados y cargados, y yo os haré descansar. Llevad mi yugo sobre vosotros y aprended de mí, que soy manso y humilde de corazón; y hallaréis descanso para vuestras almas. Porque mi yugo es suave y mi carga ligera» (Mateo 11:28-30).

Encontramos la misma idea en Isaías.

Isaías 40:29-31: Él da esfuerzo al cansado, y multiplica las fuerzas al que no tiene ningunas. Aun los jóvenes desmayarán y se cansarán, y los jóvenes caerán por completo; pero los que esperan en el Señor renovarán sus fuerzas; remontarán alas como las águilas; correrán, y no se cansarán; caminarán, y no desmayarán». No necesitamos llevar la carga de nuestras vidas con nuestras propias fuerzas, sobre nuestros propios hombros. Nuestras propias fuerzas, nuestros propios hombros no son lo suficientemente fuertes ni anchos para la carga. Nos hundiremos bajo la carga si no recurrimos a la ayuda de Dios. Dios promete ayudarnos si lo invocamos.

Salmo 91:15 Invócame, y yo te responderé: Contigo estaré en la angustia; te libraré.

Isaías 41:17 “Cuando los pobres y los necesitados buscan agua, y no la hay, y su lengua se seca de sed, yo, el Señor, los escucharé, yo, el Dios de Israel, no los desampararé.”

Salmo 55:23 Pero tú, oh Dios, los harás descender al pozo de la destrucción; los hombres sanguinarios y engañosos no vivirán ni la mitad de sus días; pero yo en ti confiaré.

En la historia de David, su hijo Absalón, quien se rebeló contra él, muere en la batalla. Su consejero principal, Ahitofel, quien había sido amigo íntimo y consejero de David, al ver que su consejo no se seguía y comprender el triste resultado que le esperaba a Absalón, regresa a casa, «puso su casa en orden, se ahorcó y murió» (2 Samuel 17:23). Las tristes consecuencias de un traidor.

Así como David fue un prototipo de Jesús, vemos también a Judas, uno de sus amigos más cercanos, traicionarlo a sus enemigos. Judas, al igual que Absalón, no vivió ni la mitad de sus días y, al igual que Ahitofel, murió por su propia mano.

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Salmo 55 - Uma Oração pela Destruição dos Enganadores - Parte 2

Salmo 55 Um Salmo de David, quando foi expulso de Jerusalém e do seu trono pela rebelião e conspiração de Absalão. Leia 2 Samuel 15-18:17. Comentários de Dennis Edwards.

Para voltar à Parte 1

Salmo 55:12-14 Porque não foi um inimigo que me insultou; se o fizesse, tê-lo-ia suportado; nem foi aquele que me odiava que se exaltou contra mim; se o fizesse, ter-me-ia escondido dele. Mas foste tu, homem meu igual, meu guia e meu conhecido. Tínhamos juntos um agradável conselho e caminhávamos juntos até à casa de Deus.

David, o protótipo de Jesus, teve experiências semelhantes às de Jesus, pois foi entregue por alguém próximo. Aqui, David pode estar a referir-se a Absalão ou a Aitofel, um dos principais conselheiros de David, com quem tinha tido "agradável conselho". A Bíblia diz: “O conselho de Aitofel, naqueles dias, era como o de um homem que consultava o oráculo de Deus” (2 Samuel 16:23).

Salmo 55:15: “Que a morte os surpreenda, e que desçam rapidamente ao inferno; porque a maldade está nas suas casas e entre eles.”

David ora contra os seus inimigos. As vidas de Absalão e Aitofel terminam pouco depois. Judas teve um destino semelhante ao do traidor de Jesus.

Salmo 55:16-17: “Quanto a mim, invocarei a Deus, e o Senhor me salvará. À tarde, pela manhã e ao meio-dia orarei e clamarei; e ele ouvirá a minha voz.”

Aqui vemos que o costume de David era orar ao longo do dia. Estava em constante comunicação com o Senhor. Devemos fazer o mesmo.

Salmo 55:18-19a Ele livrou a minha alma em paz da batalha que me era travada, pois muitos estavam comigo. Deus os ouvirá e os afligirá, aquele que permanece desde a antiguidade. (Selá)

A expressão “muitos estavam comigo” pode referir-se às forças espirituais do lado de David. O profeta Eliseu orou ao Senhor para que mostrasse a um dos seus aprendizes um vislumbre do plano espiritual quando a cidade em que se encontravam foi cercada pelas forças assírias.

2 Reis 6:15c-17 “Então o seu servo lhe disse: Ai, meu senhor! Que faremos? Ele respondeu: Não temas, porque os que estão conosco são mais numerosos do que os que estão com eles. E Eliseu orou, dizendo: Senhor, peço-te que abras os olhos dele, para que veja. E o Senhor abriu os olhos do jovem, e ele viu; e eis que o monte estava cheio de cavalos e carros de fogo ao redor de Eliseu.”

David pode ter percebido o elemento espiritual que o auxiliava.

Salmo 55:19b Porque não há mudanças, por isso não temem a Deus.

As mudanças são boas para nós. Sem mudanças, tendemos a cair na rotina e a dar as coisas como garantidas. A mudança ajuda-nos a confiar no Senhor. Ela pode fazer-nos crescer. A mudança ajuda-nos a sair da zona de conforto que pode estar a inibir o nosso crescimento espiritual.

Salmo 55:20-21 Ele (o ímpio) estendeu as mãos contra os que estavam em paz com ele; quebrou a sua aliança. As palavras da sua boca eram mais suaves do que a manteiga, mas a guerra estava no seu coração; as suas palavras eram mais macias do que o azeite, mas eram espadas desembainhadas.

Como vemos no caso de Absalão, ele “roubou enganosamente o coração dos homens de Israel”, ao seu pai, 2 Samuel 15:6. Da mesma forma, Judas fingiu ser um discípulo obediente a Jesus, quando na verdade estava a duvidar, roubando da bolsa comum e questionando abertamente as decisões de Jesus.

Salmo 55:22: "Lança o teu fardo sobre o Senhor, e ele te susterá; nunca permitirá que o justo seja abalado."

Jesus disse: "Vinde a Mim, todos os que estais cansados ​​e sobrecarregados, e Eu aliviar-vos-ei. Tomai sobre vós o meu jugo e aprendei de Mim, porque sou manso e humilde de coração; e encontrareis descanso para as vossas almas. Porque o meu jugo é suave e o meu fardo é leve." (Mateus 11:28-30).

Encontramos a mesma ideia em Isaías.

Isaías 40:29-31: "Ele dá força ao cansado e aumenta as forças ao que não tem nenhum vigor. Até os jovens se cansam e ficam exaustos, e os moços tropeçam e caem; mas os que esperam no Senhor renovam as suas forças." Subirão com asas como águias; correrão, e não se cansarão; caminharão, e não se fatigarão.”

Não temos de carregar o fardo das nossas vidas com a nossa própria força, sobre os nossos próprios ombros. A nossa própria força, os nossos próprios ombros não são suficientemente fortes ou largos para suportar o peso. Afundar-nos-emos sob o peso se não nos valermos da ajuda de Deus. Deus promete ajudar-nos se o invocarmos.

Salmo 91:15 Clama a mim, e eu responderei; Estarei contigo na angústia; eu te livrarei.

Isaías 41:17 Quando o pobre e o necessitado buscarem água, e não houver, e a sua língua se fartar de sede, eu, o Senhor, os ouvirei; Eu, o Deus de Israel, não os desampararei.

Salmo 55:23 Mas tu, ó Deus, os farás descer à cova da destruição; os homens sanguinários e enganadores não viverão metade dos seus dias; mas eu confiarei em ti.

Na história de David, o seu filho Absalão, que se revoltou contra ele, morreu na batalha. O seu conselheiro principal, Aitofel, que tinha sido amigo íntimo e conselheiro de David, vendo que o seu conselho não foi seguido e apercebendo-se do triste resultado que Absalão teria, voltou para casa, “pôs a sua casa em ordem, enforcou-se e morreu” (2 Samuel 17:23). O triste resultado de um traidor.

Tal como David foi um protótipo de Jesus, vemos Judas, um dos amigos mais próximos de Jesus, a traí-lo e a entregá-lo aos seus inimigos. Judas, tal como Absalão, não viveu nem metade dos seus dias e, tal como Aitofel, morreu por suicídio.

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Psalm 55 - A Prayer for the Destruction of the Deceitful - Part 2

Psalm 55 A Psalm of David, when he was driven from Jerusalem and from his throne, by Absalom’s rebellion and conspiracy. Read 2 Samuel 15-18:17. Comments by Dennis Edwards.

To go back to Part 1 click HERE

Psalm 55:12-14 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hidden myself from him: But it was you, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

David, the prototype of Jesus, has similar experiences to that of Jesus, in that he was betrayed by someone close to him. Here, David may be referring to either Absalom or Ahithophel, one of David’s chief counsellors, with whom he had had “sweet counsel together.” The Bible says, “And the counsel of Ahithophel, in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God,” 2 Samuel 16:23.

Psalm 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

David prays against his enemies. Both Absalom and Ahithophel’s lives end shortly afterwards. Judas had a similar fate as Jesus’ betrayer.

Psalm 55:16-17 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.

Here we see David’s custom is to pray throughout the day. He was in constant communication with the Lord. We should do likewise.

Psalm 55:18-19a He has delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. God shall hear, and afflict them, even He that abides of old. Selah.

The “many with me,” could be referring to the spiritual forces on David’s side. Elisha the prophet prayed to the Lord to show one of his apprentices a glimpse into the spiritual plane when the city they were in was surrounded by Assyrian forces.

2 Kings 6:15c-17 “And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! How shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

David may have been aware of the spiritual element assisting him on his behalf.

Psalm 55:19b Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

Changes are good for us. Without change we tend to get in a rut and take things for granted. Change helps us to trust in the Lord. It can cause us to grow. Change helps us to break out of a comfort zone that may have been inhibiting our spiritual growth.

Psalm 55:20-21 He (the wicked) has put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he has broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

As we see in the case of Absalom, he deceitfully “stole the hearts of the men of Israel,” from his father, 2 Samuel 15:6. Likewise, Judas feigned obedient discipleship to Jesus, when all along he was doubting, stealing from the common bag, and openly questioning Jesus’ decisions.  

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Jesus has said, “Come unto Me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light,” Matthew 11:28-30.

We find the same idea in Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

We do not need to carry the burden of our lives in our own strength, on our own shoulders. Our own strength, our own shoulders are not strong or broad enough for the load. We will sink under the load, if we do not avail ourselves of God’s help. God promises to help us, if we call upon Him.

Psalm 91:15 Call upon Me, and I will answer (you): I will be with (you) in trouble; I will deliver (you).

Isaiah 41:17 “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”

Psalm 55:23 But You, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in You.

In the history of David, his son Absalom that rose up against him, dies in the battle. His high counsellor Ahithophel, who had been David’s close friend and counsellor, seeing that his counsel was not followed, and realizing what the sad result would be for Absalom; returns home, “put his house in order, and hanged himself, and died,” 2 Samuel 17:23. The sad results of a traitor.

As David was a prototype of Jesus, we similarly see Judas, one of Jesus’ closest friends, betray Him to His enemies. Judas, like Absalom, did not live out half his days, and like Ahithophel, dies by his own hand.

Originally published March 20, 2025.

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Psalm 55 - A Prayer for the Destruction of the Deceitful - Part 1

Psalm 55 A Psalm of David, when he was driven from Jerusalem and from his throne, by Absalom’s rebellion and conspiracy. Read 2 Samuel 15-18:17. Comments by Dennis Edwards.

55:1-3 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not Yourself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

David’s first reaction in times of trouble is to call upon the Lord with all his heart and soul. In Jeremiah we read, “You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me, with all your heart,” Jeremiah 29:13.

When the Amalekites had attacked the town of Ziklag, where David and his men’s wives and families were; “David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep,” I Samuel 30:4. The people were so grieved that they spoke of stoning David. “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God,” 1 Samuel 30:6.

The beauty of David’s Psalms is that they teach us to cry out to the Lord in our distress, to poor out our complaint before the Lord, and trust that the Lord will hear, respond, and save. David teaches us to encourage ourselves in the Lord and in His word. “Great peace have they that love Your law, and nothing shall offend them,” Psalm 119:165.

Psalm 55:4-5 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

I remember at the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic seeing various YouTube posts out of China of many people dying from the unknown sickness. On viewing these posts, my heart was overwhelmed with fear. A spirit of fear came upon me, as I faced the unknown menace.

However, knowing God’s word, I knew that the emotional fear that I was experiencing was not of God. God’s word over and over again tells us to, “Fear not.” Some scholars say that over 365 times the phrase or idea of “fear not” can be found in God’s word.

Apostle Paul wrote, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7.   Apostle John similarly stated, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love,” 1 John 4:18.

I had to call out to God with all my heart to rebuke the fear I was feeling and claim God’s word for peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heat be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” John 14:27. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,” John 16:33.

Reading, studying, praying, and remembering God’s word helped me to overcome that spirit of fear.

Psalm 55:6-8 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

That’s exactly how we feel with all the troubles we see daily in the world around us. We would like to fly away to some safe place, some Shangri-La, free from the problems of the present evil world. Similarly to what C.S Lewis wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

However, there is no safe place in our present world. For that reason, Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit, to be a strength and comfort in times of trouble and distress. We can find our hiding place through prayer, through reading and meditating on God’s word, through listening to His still small voice. We can find our Shangri-La in the arms of Jesus.

God has promised to be a “strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat,” Isaiah 25:4. He has promised to be “our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble,” Psalm 46:1.

He has told us that we shall dwell under the shadow of His wings. He shall be to us as a refuge and a fortress. He shall deliver us from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover us with His feathers, and under His wings shall we trust. His truth shall be our shield and buckler. Psalm 91:1-4.

We shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day; nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand shall fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand; but it shall not come nigh us. Psalm 91:5-7.

Only with our eyes shall we behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because we have made the Lord, which is our refuge, even the most High, our habitation (and desire); there shall no evil befall us, neither shall any plague come nigh our dwelling. Psalm 91:8-10.

Psalm 55:9-11 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.  Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.  Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

As David was moved and in anguish with the sins of his own people, so we should be in lamentation over the sins of our own culture or nation. When God was ready to judge Jerusalem for her sins, He sent an angel ahead to place “a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof,” Ezekiel 9:4b. Those with the mark would be protected from coming destruction.

We should never become comfortable with evil. We should sigh and cry for all the abominations committed in the midst of our nations. Apostle Paul admonishes us to, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine,” 2 Timothy 4:2.

Apostle Peter, also, advises, “You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things (the coming judgment) before (hand), beware less you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” 2 Peter 3:17-18a.

We need to be sober and vigilant because the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour, 1 Peter 5:8.

Go to Part 2 HERE

Originally published March 30, 2025.

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Salmo 55 - Uma Oração pela Destruição dos Enganadores - Parte 1

Salmo 55 Um Salmo de David, quando foi expulso de Jerusalém e do seu trono pela rebelião e conspiração de Absalão. Leia 2 Samuel 15-18:17. Comentários de Dennis Edwards.

55:1-3 Dá ouvidos à minha oração, ó Deus, e não te escondas da minha súplica. Atende-me e ouve-me; Gemo na minha queixa e clamo por misericórdia por causa da voz do inimigo, por causa da opressão dos ímpios; pois oprimem-me com iniquidade e odeiam-me com ira.

A primeira reação de David em tempos de dificuldade é clamar ao Senhor com todo o seu coração e alma. Em Jeremias, lemos: “Procurar-me-eis e encontrar-Me-eis, quando me procurardes de todo o vosso coração” (Jeremias 29:13).

Quando os amalecitas atacaram a cidade de Ziclague, onde se encontravam David e as mulheres e famílias dos seus homens; “David e o povo que estava com ele levantaram a voz e choraram, até não terem mais forças para chorar”, 1 Samuel 30:4. O povo ficou tão aflito que falou em apedrejar David. “Mas Davi fortaleceu-se no Senhor, seu Deus”, 1 Samuel 30:6.

A beleza dos Salmos de David reside em ensinar-nos a clamar ao Senhor na nossa angústia, a derramar a nossa queixa diante do Senhor e a confiar que Ele ouvirá, responderá e salvará. David ensina-nos a fortalecermo-nos no Senhor e na Sua palavra. “Grande paz têm os que amam a tua lei, e nada os fará tropeçar”, Salmo 119:165.

Salmo 55:4-5 O meu coração está profundamente angustiado dentro de mim; os terrores da morte caíram sobre mim. O terror e o tremor dominaram-me, e o horror envolveu-me.

Lembro-me de, no início da pandemia de Covid-19, ter visto várias publicações no YouTube vindas da China, mostrando muitas pessoas a morrer daquela doença desconhecida. Ao ver estes posts, o meu coração foi tomado pelo medo. Um espírito de temor dominou-me ao deparar-me com a ameaça desconhecida.

Contudo, conhecendo a palavra de Deus, eu sabia que o medo que eu estava a sentir não vinha de Deus. A palavra de Deus diz-nos repetidamente: “Não temas”. Alguns estudiosos afirmam que a frase ou a ideia de “não temas” aparece mais de 365 vezes na palavra de Deus.

O apóstolo Paulo escreveu: “Deus não nos deu um espírito de medo, mas de poder, de amor e de equilíbrio” (2 Timóteo 1:7). O apóstolo João afirmou de forma semelhante: “No amor não há medo; pelo contrário, o perfeito amor expulsa o medo, porque o medo envolve castigo. Aquele que tem medo não está aperfeiçoado no amor” (1 João 4:18).

Precisei de clamar a Deus com todo o meu coração para repreender o medo que sentia e reivindicar a palavra de Deus para obter a paz. Jesus disse: “Deixo-vos a paz, a minha paz vos dou; não vo-la dou como o mundo a dá. Não se turbe o vosso coração, nem se atemorize” (João 14:27). “Tenho-vos dito estas coisas para que em Mim tenhais paz. Neste mundo tereis aflições; mas tende bom ânimo, Eu venci o mundo” (João 16:33).

Ler, estudar, orar e recordar a palavra de Deus ajudou-me a vencer este espírito de medo.

Salmo 55:6-8: “Então eu disse: Quem me dera ter asas como a pomba! Voaria e encontraria descanso. Eis que vaguearia para longe e permaneceria no deserto. Selá. Apressaria a minha fuga da tempestade e do vendaval.”

É exatamente assim que nos sentimos com todos os problemas que vemos diariamente no mundo que nos rodeia. Gostaríamos de voar para algum lugar seguro, algum Shangri-La, livres dos problemas deste mundo perverso. À semelhança do que C.S. Lewis escreveu: “Se nos encontramos com um desejo que nada neste mundo pode satisfazer, a explicação mais provável é que fomos feitos para outro mundo”.

No entanto, não existe um lugar seguro no nosso mundo atual. Por essa razão, Jesus enviou-nos o Espírito Santo, para ser força e consolação em tempos de dificuldade e angústia. Podemos encontrar o nosso refúgio através da oração, da leitura e meditação da Palavra de Deus, ouvindo a Sua voz mansa e delicada. Podemos encontrar o nosso Shangri-La nos braços de Jesus.

Deus prometeu ser “força para o pobre, fortaleza para o necessitado na sua angústia, refúgio contra a tempestade, sombra contra o calor” (Isaías 25:4). Ele prometeu ser “nosso refúgio e nossa fortaleza, socorro bem presente na angústia” (Salmo 46:1). 

Ele disse-nos que habitaremos à sombra das Suas asas. Ele será para nós um refúgio e uma fortaleza. Ele nos livrará do laço do passarinheiro e da peste perniciosa. Ele nos cobrirá com as Suas penas, e debaixo das Suas asas estaremos seguros. A Sua verdade será o nosso escudo e broquel. Salmo 91:1-4.

Não temeremos o terror da noite, nem a seta que voa de dia, nem a peste que anda nas trevas, nem a destruição que assola ao meio-dia. Mil cairão ao nosso lado, e dez mil à nossa direita, mas nós não seremos atingidos. Salmo 91:5-7.

Só com os nossos olhos contemplaremos e veremos a recompensa dos ímpios. Porque fizemos do Senhor, que é o nosso refúgio, do Altíssimo, a nossa habitação (e desejo), não nos atingirá mal algum, nem qualquer praga chegará à nossa tenda. Salmo 91:8-10.

Salmo 55:9-11 Destrói, Senhor, e divide as tuas línguas, porque tenho visto violência e contenda na cidade. O dia e a noite andam ao redor dela sobre os seus muros; maldade e a tristeza estão no meio dela. A perversidade está no meio dela; o engano e a astúcia não se afastam das suas ruas.

Assim como David se comoveu e angustiou com os pecados do seu próprio povo, também nós devemos lamentar os pecados da nossa própria cultura ou nação. Quando Deus estava pronto para julgar Jerusalém pelos seus pecados, Ele enviou um anjo à frente para colocar “um sinal na testa dos homens que suspiram e choram por causa de todas as abominações que se cometem no meio dela” (Ezequiel 9:4b). Aqueles com a marca seriam protegidos da destruição vindoura.

Nunca nos devemos acomodar com o mal. Devemos suspirar e chorar por todas as abominações cometidas no meio das nossas nações. O apóstolo Paulo admoesta-nos: “Pregue a palavra, esteja preparado a tempo e fora de tempo; repreenda, corrija, exorte com toda a longanimidade e doutrina” (2 Timóteo 4:2).

O apóstolo Pedro aconselha ainda: “Portanto, amados, sabendo estas coisas (o juízo vindouro) de antemão, guardai-vos para que não sejam levados pelo erro dos ímpios e caiam da vossa firmeza. Cresçam, porém, na graça e no conhecimento do nosso Senhor e Salvador Jesus Cristo” (2 Pedro 3:17-18a).

Precisamos de ser sóbrios e vigilantes, porque o diabo anda ao redor como um leão que ruge, procurando a quem possa devorar (1 Pedro 5:8).

Aceda à Parte 2 

Publicado originalmente a 30 de março de 2025.

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Salmo 55 - Oración por la Destrucción del Engañoso - Parte 1

Salmo 55. Salmo de David, cuando fue expulsado de Jerusalén y de su trono por la rebelión y conspiración de Absalón. Lea 2 Samuel 15-18:17. Comentarios de Dennis Edwards.

55:1-3 Escucha, oh Dios, mi oración, y no te escondas de mi súplica. Está atento a mí y escúchame; gimo en mi queja y alarido; a causa de la voz del enemigo, a causa de la opresión de los impíos; porque sobre mí han arrojado iniquidad, y con furor me han aborrecido.

La primera reacción de David en tiempos difíciles es invocar al Señor con todo su corazón y alma. En Jeremías leemos: «Me buscaréis y me hallaréis, porque me buscaréis de todo vuestro corazón» (Jeremías 29:13).

Cuando los amalecitas atacaron la ciudad de Siclag, donde se encontraban David, las esposas y las familias de sus hombres, «David y el pueblo que estaba con él alzaron la voz y lloraron hasta que les faltaron las fuerzas para llorar» (1 Samuel 30:4). El pueblo estaba tan afligido que habló de apedrear a David. «Pero David se animó en el Señor su Dios» (1 Samuel 30:6).

La belleza de los Salmos de David reside en que nos enseñan a clamar al Señor en nuestra angustia, a presentar nuestra queja ante Él y a confiar en que Él nos escuchará, responderá y nos salvará. David nos enseña a animarnos en el Señor y en su palabra. «Mucha paz tienen los que aman tu ley, y nada los hará tropezar» (Salmo 119:165).

Salmo 55:4-5. Mi corazón está dolorido dentro de mí, y terrores de muerte me han sobrecogido. Me invaden temor y temblor, y el horror me ha abrumado.

Recuerdo que, al estallar la pandemia de COVID-19, vi varias publicaciones en YouTube desde China sobre muchas personas que morían a causa de la enfermedad desconocida. Al ver estas publicaciones, mi corazón se llenó de miedo. Un espíritu de temor me invadió al enfrentarme a la amenaza desconocida.

Sin embargo, conociendo la palabra de Dios, supe que el temor emocional que experimentaba no provenía de Dios. La palabra de Dios nos dice una y otra vez: «No temas». Algunos eruditos afirman que la frase o idea de «no temas» se encuentra más de 365 veces en la palabra de Dios.

El apóstol Pablo escribió: «Dios no nos ha dado un espíritu de cobardía, sino de poder, de amor y de dominio propio» (2 Timoteo 1:7). El apóstol Juan afirmó de manera similar: «En el amor no hay temor, sino que el perfecto amor echa fuera el temor; porque el temor conlleva castigo. El que teme no ha sido perfeccionado en el amor» (1 Juan 4:18). Tuve que clamar a Dios con todo mi corazón para reprender el miedo que sentía y reclamar su palabra de paz. Jesús dijo: «La paz os dejo, mi paz os doy; yo no os la doy como el mundo la da. No se turbe vuestro corazón ni tenga miedo» (Juan 14:27). «Estas cosas os he hablado para que en mí tengáis paz. En el mundo tendréis tribulaciones; pero confiad; yo he vencido al mundo» (Juan 16:33).

Leer, estudiar, orar y recordar la palabra de Dios me ayudó a vencer ese espíritu de temor.

Salmo 55:6-8 Y dije: ¡Quién me diera alas como de paloma! Porque entonces volaría y descansaría. He aquí que entonces erraría lejos, y permanecería en el desierto. Selah. Me apresuraría a escapar de la tempestad y el vendaval.

Así es exactamente como nos sentimos con todos los problemas que vemos a diario en el mundo que nos rodea. Quisiéramos volar a un lugar seguro, a un Shangri-La, libres de los problemas del malvado mundo actual. Como escribió C.S. Lewis: «Si nos encontramos con un deseo que nada en este mundo puede satisfacer, la explicación más probable es que fuimos creados para otro mundo».

Sin embargo, no hay lugar seguro en nuestro mundo actual. Por eso, Jesús nos envió al Espíritu Santo para que sea fortaleza y consuelo en tiempos de dificultad y angustia. Podemos encontrar nuestro refugio mediante la oración, leyendo y meditando en la palabra de Dios, escuchando su suave voz. Podemos encontrar nuestro Shangri-La en los brazos de Jesús.

Dios ha prometido ser «fortaleza para el pobre, fortaleza para el necesitado en su angustia, refugio contra la tormenta, sombra contra el calor» (Isaías 25:4). Ha prometido ser «nuestro amparo y nuestra fortaleza, nuestro pronto auxilio en tiempos de angustia» (Salmo 46:1).

Él nos ha dicho que moraremos bajo la sombra de sus alas. Él será para nosotros como refugio y fortaleza. Nos librará de la trampa del cazador y de la peste maligna. Nos cubrirá con sus plumas, y bajo sus alas confiaremos. Su verdad será nuestro escudo y adarga. Salmo 91:1-4.

No temeremos el terror nocturno, ni la flecha que vuela de día, ni la peste que anda en tinieblas, ni la destrucción que asolará al mediodía. Mil caerán a nuestro lado, y diez mil a nuestra diestra; pero no se acercarán a nosotros. Salmo 91:5-7.

Solo con nuestros ojos contemplaremos y veremos la recompensa de los impíos. Porque hemos puesto al Señor, que es nuestro refugio, al Altísimo, nuestra morada (y anhelo), no nos sobrevendrá mal alguno, ni plaga tocará nuestra morada. Salmo 91:8-10.

Salmo 55:9-11 Destruye, oh Señor, y divide sus lenguas; porque he visto violencia y contienda en la ciudad. Día y noche la rodean sobre sus muros; también hay maldad y tristeza en medio de ella. Maldad en medio de ella: el engaño y la artimaña no se apartan de sus calles.

Así como David se conmovió y angustió por los pecados de su propio pueblo, así también nosotros debemos lamentarnos por los pecados de nuestra propia cultura o nación. Cuando Dios estaba listo para juzgar a Jerusalén por sus pecados, envió un ángel para colocar «una marca en la frente de los hombres que gimen y claman a causa de todas las abominaciones que se hacen en medio de ella» (Ezequiel 9:4b). Aquellos con la marca serían protegidos de la destrucción venidera.

Nunca debemos sentirnos cómodos con el mal. Deberíamos lamentarnos y llorar por todas las abominaciones que se cometen en nuestras naciones. El apóstol Pablo nos exhorta: “Predica la palabra; insiste a tiempo y fuera de tiempo; redarguye, reprende, exhorta con toda paciencia y doctrina” (2 Timoteo 4:2).

El apóstol Pedro también aconseja: “Así que vosotros, amados, sabiendo de antemano estas cosas (el juicio venidero), cuidaos de no caer de vuestra firmeza, arrastrados por el error de los malvados. Creced, antes bien, en la gracia y el conocimiento de nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo” (2 Pedro 3:17-18a).

Debemos ser sobrios y vigilantes porque el diablo, como león rugiente, anda alrededor buscando a quién devorar (1 Pedro 5:8).

Ve a la Parte 2 

Publicado originalmente el 30 de marzo de 2025.

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Saudi Arabia’s Decided Who Its Future Superpower Partner Is, And It’s Not the US

By Simon Watkins - Jun 23, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT
Saudi Arabia appears to be recalibrating back toward China and Russia after the Iran conflict, with recent high-level meetings focused on expanding energy cooperation.
The shift reflects a decade-long evolution that began after the 2014-2016 oil price war, when China deepened its influence in Saudi Arabia through investment, energy deals, support for Aramco, and alignment with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic ambitions.
Riyadh's confidence in U.S. security guarantees has been shaken by Iranian strikes on key Saudi energy infrastructure during Operation Epic Fury.



Since the replacement of Russia by China as the primary would-be superpower rival to the U.S., Saudi Arabia has sought to balance its relationships with Beijing and Washington -- sometimes leaning more one way, and sometimes the other. Until the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, the U.S. was the core relationship; after the war had finished, it was China and Russia; and then, from the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term in office, it was the U.S. again. However, in the aftermath of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, this looks set to shift once more back to China and Russia, with a series of high-level meetings between Chinese and Saudi Arabian officials taking place last week. One of these -- between the deputy head of China’s National Energy Administration, Song Hongkun, and Saudi Aramco’s Downstream President, Mohammed Al Qahtani -- focused on boosting global energy security and bilateral oil and gas cooperation between the two sides. So, how has the global oil market arrived at this point, and what happens next?

The genesis of the current position lies in the financial devastation to OPEC countries of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, fully analysed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Before the conflict started, there had been a broad and deep relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia based on a landmark agreement between Washington and Riyadh formulated at a meeting on 14 February 1945 between the then-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Saudi King at the time, Abdulaziz Al Saud. The deal was this: the U.S. would receive all the oil supplies it needed for as long as Saudi Arabia had oil in place, in return for which the U.S. would guarantee the security of the ruling House of Saud and, by extension, of Saudi Arabia. 

This worked well enough to survive the 1973 Oil Crisis, in which Riyadh led an oil embargo alongside its OPEC brothers against the U.S. and its allies for helping Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. However, it did not truly survive the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, as by then the U.S.’s shale oil sector had become a serious global oil-producing force, making the country much better able to withstand lower-for-longer oil prices than Saudi Arabia and its fellow OPEC members. Moreover, Washington regarded this, effectively, as a second oil price war instigated by Saudi Arabia as one breach too many of the fundamental relationship agreement of 1945.Related: Iran Says U.S. Agreed to Unblock $12 Billion in Frozen Funds

Following the financial devastation of 2014-2016 Oil Price War for Saudi Arabia and its OPEC brothers, they had little choice but to admit Russia to the wider ‘OPEC+’ grouping to restore the organisation’s shattered credibility in the global oil markets. China, in turn, was able to leverage the new-found power of its ally into extending its own influence in the Middle East’s leading energy state through a series of wide-ranging agreements made after 2016, and its immediate focus on laying the groundwork for these was a rising star in Riyadh -- then-Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). 

From the first year of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, Saudi Arabia’s government budget went into deficit -- to double digit levels of GDP in the first full year of the war -- and it stayed in deficit until the end of 2021. At the same time, MbS was not the natural successor to King Salman, with the heir-designate to King Salman being Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, but the young Prince had an idea that he believed would help him progress -- an initial public offering (IPO) of Saudi Arabia’s flagship firm, Aramco.

It was his belief, publicly aired in the second half of 2016, that if Saudi Arabia listed 5% of the firm on international stock markets then it would raise at least US$100 billion for the Kingdom in much-needed funds. This figure would also mean a valuation for Saudi Aramco of US$2 trillion, making it by far the most valuable company ever listed in the world, so restoring some of Saudi Arabia’s damaged reputation in the process. MbS also thought that a listing of Saudi Aramco in multiple major financial centres around the world, including the two most prestigious stock exchanges – the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange – would project Saudi Arabia’s presence as an international player in financial markets as a whole and not just in the oil sector. All these reasons looked solid enough on the surface and the senior Saudis agreed to go ahead.

 However, almost immediately that the process began, questions began to emerge from international investors over the corporate structure of Aramco, the degree to which it would be subject to government control, its valuation, its true oil reserves and spare capacity, and the physical security of its fields, among many others. The upshot was that no serious international investor wanted to become too involved in the IPO and nor did the world’s most prestigious stock markets. That put MbS in a tricky position, as he was the original champion of the idea. However, at precisely that point, China offered to buy the entire 5% of Aramco scheduled to be offered in the IPO. Although the offer was eventually declined, MbS never forgot China’s gesture.

Shortly afterwards, in March 2017, a landmark visit to China by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman took place, during which around US$65 billion of business deals were signed in sectors including oil refining, petrochemicals, light manufacturing and electronics. In August that year, the then-Saudi Vice Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed al-Tuwaijri, told a Saudi-China conference in Jeddah that: “We will be very willing to consider funding in renminbi and other Chinese products.” The use of the renminbi was -- and remains -- a central plank of China’s strategy to subvert one of the key pillars upon which the U.S.’s global dominance is built -- the use of the dollar as effectively the global reserve and trade currency, as also detailed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Al-Tuwaijri’s comments came during the visit of high-ranking politicians and financiers from China to Saudi Arabia in August 2017, during which it was also decided that Saudi Arabia and China would establish a US$20 billion investment fund on a 50:50 basis. 

According to comments at the time from then-Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, this fund would invest in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, mining and materials, among other areas. In August 2022, at the signing of a multi-pronged deal between Aramco and the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), the president of Sinopec, Yu Baocai, said: “The signing of the MoU introduces a new chapter of our partnership in the Kingdom…The two companies will join hands in renewing the vitality and scoring new progress of the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] and [Saudi Arabia’s] Vision 2030.” Moving into the fourth quarter of 2022, Saudi Arabia reiterated its commitment to China as its “most reliable partner and supplier of crude oil,” along with broader assurances of its ongoing support in several other areas. This was in line with the earlier comments from Aramco chief executive officer, Amin Nasser that: “Ensuring the continuing security of China’s energy needs remains our highest priority - not just for the next five years but for the next 50 and beyond.”

This, and several similar comments around that time, appeared to confirm that Saudi Arabia had come to regard the U.S. as just another one of its partners -- particular in the realm of providing security -- in a new global order that would see Beijing and its allies share the leadership position with Washington, before attempting to surpass it. This view appears to have re-asserted itself after what Saudi Arabia -- and many of its fellow Middle Eastern states -- see as a failure by Washington to safeguard their security and economic interests during the war with Iran.

 Despite having invested hundreds of billions of dollars over the years in U.S.-supplied defence equipment aimed at providing the Kingdom with a security umbrella against attacks, Iran was able to hit key targets in the country, including the East-West Pipeline, the Manifa and Khurais oil Fields, the Ras Tanura Refinery and several other oil, natural gas, refining, and petrochemical sites stretching from the Eastern Province to Yanbu Industrial City. These successful Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia’s critical energy infrastructure underline to Riyadh that, even on a security basis, the use of the U.S. appears limited. These concerns are heightened by the Kingdom’s broader fears that whatever the U.S.-Iran deal finally turns out to be, it will leave Saudi Arabia in a far more vulnerable position than it was before the war began.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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Psalm 124 - Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

Psalm 124 a Psalm of David commentaries by Dennis Edwards

124:1-5 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;  If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

The Bible often uses the metaphor of overflowing waters to represent the overwhelming psychological battles we are confronted with in life. Many times, these battles are the results of slanderous attacks against us or against our character or reputation. In Psalm 69, David uses the same imagery.

Psalm 69:1-4a “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: they that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty,”

We see David is experiencing the waters of discouragement from the slanderous attacks on his person. In verse seven he explains that he is being reproached.

Psalm 69:7 “Because for thy sake I have borne reproach (or criticism): shame has covered my face.”

In Revelation 12 when the Antichrist is persecuting the followers of Christ, we read the following:

Revelation 12:15 “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.”  

The imagery is the same where we see the serpent casting forth a flood of lies against the believers. He is trying to deconstruct their belief system, to get them to doubt what they have believed. If anyone has gone through a media storm, or had their business go through one, they will understand the depth of anxiety one faces in such situations. Words are real things. They bless, or they curse. Jesus said that we will give account for every idle word, for by our words we will be justified, and by our words we will be condemned. Solomon wrote that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Psalm 46 is another Psalm where we see the imagery of overflowing waters bringing destruction.

Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains fall into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shale with the swelling thereof. Selah.”

Even though the waters of slanderous lies are trying to flood into our soul through the words of the Press, our enemies, our spiritual enemy, or even our own loved ones; we will not lose hope and faint in our minds. God has promised to be a refuge and a very present help in those times of trouble, the times when the waters are overflowing into our soul and causing us to almost drown in discouragement and anxiety and unbelief.

Jonah had had the same experience where he had fallen into condemnation through his disobedience to the Lord. Having been swallowed by a whale, he spent three days and nights wallowing in despair. Finally, he rebuked the lies of the enemy and proclaimed, “Salvation is of the Lord.” He stopped observing the lies of the enemy and remembered the Lord’s mercy. He called out to God in his distress, and the Lord heard him. The whale vomited Jonah onto dry land and Jonah was soon onto the mission he had refused to yield to previously.

In Isaiah we find an encouraging promise from the Lord, that He will be with us in our times of trouble.

Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you pass through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you.”

Psalm 124:6-8 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I have an interesting testimony about the above Psalm. In July of 1990, five missionary families living together in a communal setting were detained by the Barcelona police in an early morning raid. They were accused of fraud, of being an “illegal association,” which at that time included ETA - a terrorist group, and of not having their children enrolled in the local school system. Their children were removed and placed into government facilities for abandoned children. There had been no warning or government interaction with the missionary community before the raid.

Meanwhile, in the press, the missionary families were accused of abuse of minors, and of belonging to a sex-cult, our defrauding their friends and contacts. The government declared the adults would most likely get 20 years or more a piece in prison for their crimes.

It was at that time, when three of the women from the group, went on a fundraising trip to another part of Spain, to Zaragoza. As was often the case on such “faith-trips,” they trusted God for their lodgings. In Zaragoza, they ended up meeting and staying with a woman who was studying to become a nun. As was the custom of the missionary women, they would have a time of devotion and prayer before starting the day. The novice nun, likewise had her own time in a similar manner. 

The missionary women were struggling under the cloud of slander they were facing. They were having a hard time to get on their feet and do their fundraising. They were questioning their own belief system. The novice nun was not oblivious to their psychological condition. One morning, she came and shared the above Psalm with them. She told them that she didn’t know what they were going through, but God had showed her to share that Psalm with them.

Just as the Psalm states, "If it had not been for the Lord, that was on their side, when men rose up against them, they would have been swallowed up quickly. The waters would have overwhelmed them and gone into their souls." But it was not so, because the Lord was on their side. In spite of the power of the Barcelonian government and the help of the mainstream media, the Lord made a way of escape. He broke the snare of the enemy.

One year after the children were abducted by the welfare department of Barcelona, they were returned to their parents. Four years later, both the Penal Court and the Constitutional Court found their parents innocent of all charges. Their help had been in the name of the Lord, who had made heaven and earth. They cried and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of all their afflictions, just as the above Psalm predicted. 

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Salmo 124 - O nosso auxílio está no nome do Senhor, que fez o céu e a terra.

Salmo 124, um Salmo de David - Comentários de Dennis Edwards

Psalm 124:1-5 Se o Senhor não estivesse ao nosso lado, agora Israel poderá dizer: Se o Senhor não estivesse ao nosso lado, quando os homens se levantaram contra nós! Então eles ter-nos-iam engolido vivos, quando a sua ira se acendeu contra nós. Então as águas ter-nos-iam submergido, e a corrente teria passado sobre a nossa alma. Então as águas impetuosas teriam passado sobre a nossa alma.

A Bíblia utiliza frequentemente a metáfora das águas transbordantes para representar as batalhas psicológicas avassaladoras que enfrentamos na vida. Muitas vezes, estas batalhas são o resultado de ataques caluniosos contra nós, contra o nosso carácter ou contra a nossa reputação. No Salmo 69, David utiliza a mesma imagem.

Salmo 69:1-4a “Salva-me, ó Deus, porque as águas chegaram até à minha alma. Afundo-me em lama profunda, onde não há firmeza; entrei em águas profundas, onde as correntes me submergem. Estou cansado de clamar; a minha garganta está seca; os meus olhos se consomem de tanto esperar pelo meu Deus. Os que me odeiam sem causa são mais numerosos que os cabelos da minha cabeça; os que me querem destruir, sendo meus inimigos injustamente, são poderosos.”

Vemos que David está a experimentar as águas do desânimo devido aos ataques caluniosos contra a sua pessoa. No versículo sete, explica que está a ser insultado.

Salmo 69:7 “Porque por tua causa tenho suportado afrontas (ou críticas); a vergonha cobre o meu rosto.”

Em Apocalipse 12, quando o Anticristo persegue os seguidores de Cristo, lê-se o seguinte:

Apocalipse 12:15 “E a serpente lançou da sua boca água como um rio, atrás da mulher, para que fosse submersa pelo rio.”

A imagem é a mesma, onde vemos a serpente a lançar um dilúvio de mentiras contra os crentes. Ela está a tentar desconstruir o sistema de crenças deles, para os fazer duvidar daquilo em que acreditam. Se alguém já passou por uma tempestade mediática ou viu o seu negócio passar por uma, compreenderá a profundidade da ansiedade que se enfrenta em tais situações. As palavras são reais. Elas abençoam ou amaldiçoam. Jesus disse que prestaremos contas de toda a palavra ociosa, pois pelas nossas palavras seremos justificados e pelas nossas palavras seremos condenados. Salomão escreveu que a morte e a vida estão no poder da língua.

O Salmo 46 é outro Salmo onde vemos a imagem de águas transbordantes a trazer destruição.

Salmo 46:1-3 “Deus é o nosso refúgio e a nossa fortaleza, socorro bem presente na angústia. Portanto, não temeremos, ainda que a terra se mude, e ainda que os montes se transportem para o meio dos mares; ainda que as águas rujam e se perturbem, ainda que os montes se abalem com a sua fúria. (Selá).”

Mesmo que as águas da calúnia tentem inundar a nossa alma através das palavras da imprensa, dos nossos inimigos, do nosso inimigo espiritual ou até mesmo dos nossos entes queridos, não perderemos a esperança nem desfaleceremos. Deus prometeu ser um refúgio e um socorro bem presente nestes momentos de angústia, nos momentos em que as águas transbordam na nossa alma e nos fazem quase afogar em desânimo, ansiedade e incredulidade.

Jonas teve a mesma experiência, caindo em condenação pela sua desobediência ao Senhor. Tendo sido engolido por uma baleia, passou três dias e três noites mergulhado no desespero. Por fim, repreendeu as mentiras do inimigo e proclamou: “A salvação vem do Senhor”. Deixou de dar ouvidos às mentiras do inimigo e lembrou-se da misericórdia do Senhor. Clamou a Deus na sua angústia, e o Senhor o ouviu. A baleia vomitou Jonas em terra firme, e Jonas não tardou a cumprir a missão a que se recusara anteriormente.

Em Isaías, encontramos uma promessa encorajadora do Senhor: Ele estará connosco nos nossos momentos de dificuldade.

Isaías 43:2 “Quando passares pelas águas, eu serei contigo; e quando pelos rios, eles não te submergirão; quando passares pelo fogo, não te queimarás, nem a chama arderá em ti.”

Salmo 124:6-8 Bendito seja o Senhor, que não nos entregou como presa aos seus dentes. A nossa alma escapou como um pássaro do laço dos passarinheiros; o laço rompeu-se, e nós escapámos. O nosso auxílio está no nome do Senhor, que fez o céu e a terra.

Tenho um testemunho interessante sobre o Salmo acima. Em Julho de 1990, cinco famílias missionárias que viviam juntas numa comunidade foram detidas pela polícia de Barcelona numa rusga realizada ao início da manhã. Foram acusadas de fraude, de serem uma “associação ilegal”, que na altura incluía a ETA – um grupo terrorista – e de não terem matriculado os seus filhos no sistema escolar local. Os seus filhos foram retirados à sua guarda e colocados em instituições governamentais para crianças abandonadas. Não houve qualquer aviso ou contacto do governo com a comunidade missionária antes da rusga.

Entretanto, na imprensa, as famílias missionárias foram acusadas de abuso de menores, de pertencerem a um culto sexual e de fraudarem os seus amigos e conhecidos. O governo declarou que os adultos provavelmente receberiam 20 anos ou mais de prisão cada um pelos seus crimes.

Foi nesta altura que três mulheres do grupo fizeram uma viagem para angariar fundos noutra zona de Espanha, a Saragoça. Como era comum nestas "viagens de fé", confiaram em Deus para a sua hospedagem. Em Saragoça, acabaram por conhecer e ficar na casa de uma mulher que estudava para se tornar freira. Como era costume entre as missionárias, estas tinham um momento de devoção e oração antes de começar o dia. A noviça tinha também o seu próprio momento de devoção.

As missionárias lutavam contra a nuvem de calúnias que enfrentavam. Estavam com dificuldades para se reerguer e realizar a sua angariação de fundos. Questionavam o seu próprio sistema de crenças. A noviça não era alheia à sua condição psicológica. Certa manhã, ela veio e partilhou com elas o Salmo acima. Ela disse-lhes que não sabia o que estavam a passar, mas que Deus lhe tinha mostrado que devia partilhar aquele Salmo com eles.

Tal como afirma o Salmo: "Se não fosse o Senhor, que estava do lado deles, quando os homens se levantaram contra eles, teriam sido rapidamente engolidos. As águas tê-los-iam submergido e penetrado nas suas almas." Mas não foi assim, porque o Senhor estava do lado deles. Apesar do poder do governo de Barcelona e da ajuda dos grandes meios de comunicação, o Senhor providenciou uma saída. Ele quebrou a armadilha do inimigo.

Um ano depois de as crianças terem sido raptadas pelo departamento de assistência social de Barcelona, ​​foram devolvidas aos pais. Quatro anos depois, tanto o Tribunal Penal como o Tribunal Constitucional consideraram os pais inocentes de todas as acusações. O auxílio que receberam foi em nome do Senhor, que fez o céu e a terra. Clamaram e o Senhor ouviu-os e livrou-os de todas as suas aflições, exatamente como o Salmo acima predisse.

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