”Preserve Me from the Violent Man”
Does God listen to the prayers of the soldier going to, fighting in, or coming from battle? Read the words of Psalm 91, sometimes known as the “Soldier’s Psalm:”
New International Version: Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
This is a Messianic psalm that applies equally to the soldier. Notice that verses 14-16 switch voice from the soldier to the Lord. The Lord says, “[the soldier] will call upon me, and I will answer him.”
A basic soldier’s prayer is to be kept from the violent man, as expressed in the following:
Psalms 140:4
4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
Soldiers should pray to keep from being weakened. Isaiah gave these words:
Isaiah 40:31
31 … they 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.
Latter-day Saints are very familiar with the section of the Doctrine & Covenants known as the Word of Wisdom. It says:
D&C 89: 18-21
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.
Spiritual and physical strength, such that we might run and not be weary, depend upon living the commandments, living in a manner that we may attend the temple, and obtaining sacred knowledge. Then, we are promised that the destroying angel shall pass us by.
Will the Lord be closed to those who have lived a riotous life? No. A central message of the scriptures is one of forgiveness. Listen to the prophet Isaiah, as he gives this pray for the prodigal son or daughter:
Isaiah 55:7
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Should the concerned soldier be reticent to pray? No. The Lord is near and will listen to our requests. From prayer is the peace of God.
New American Standard Bible: Philippians 4: 4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Can we pray too much? Is it possible to overdo prayer? Not according to the Apostle Paul:
1 Thessalonians 5:17
17 Pray without ceasing.
Soldiers in the theater of war do suffer. To be such a soldier is to sacrifice the comforts of life. Peter gives this advice to the suffering:
1 Peter 4:12-13
12 ¶ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Nephi’s psalm is ideal for the warriors of the desert.
2 Nephi 4: 32-35
32 … O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!
33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way--but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.
34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. …
35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.
Nephi seems to be saying: Lord, shut NOT thy gate upon me. Let me walk in the low valley on the plain roads, not the treacherous ones on higher ground. Protect me with thy robe. Provide a straight way of escape from my enemies. Provide a clear way without stumbling blocks, but impair the path of mine enemy. Lord, I will trust thee, not man. You will answer my prayers, and therefore I will cry to thee forever.
Side note: Would a man of Hebrew background use a term like “stumbling block.” such as given in verse 33? Sure. The term could easily come from “stone of stumbling,” as given in Romans 9: 32-33 and Isaiah 8: 14. The Hebrew words are “eben” [Strong’s #068] meaning “stone,” and “negeph,” [Strong’s #5063] meaning “stumbling.” The Book of Mormon is full of such phrases, often given in slightly different terms.
Other blog-essays with military-scriptural themes can be found on this site at the following links:
#1: The Lord is My Shade
#2: We are ALL Prodigal Sons
#3: Advice for LDS Combat Soldiers
#4: More Advice to LDS Combat Soldiers
#5: Modern Psalm for Our Soldier
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Copyright © 2010 S.Faux (Email: foxgoku54 [at] gmail [d0t] c0m; URL: http://mormoninsights.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information. All other rights reserved.
Please feel free to give my blog site a "Blogged.com" rating and review by clicking here.
Support Mormon Insights by making a COMMENT.
1 comments:
I am sure that God hears all prayers, including those from a soldier.
Post a Comment