Psalm 41

"Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble."  
Psalm 41:1

In Psalm 41, verse 1 establishes the context for all that is yet to come. Even when David asks for mercy from the Lord in dealing with his enemies, it's with the understanding that we are blessed when we have regard for the weak and the poor... even when that could be our enemy. There is no time or place for us to put others down, even when we triumph over those who have put us down to begin with. We are blessed not when we get one over on our enemy, but when we pray the Lord's blessing over them.
When we read David say "But may you have mercy on me, Lord; raise me up, that I may repay them" (verse 10), we may tend to think in the mindset of today's society where payback is not a nice thing. But in Proverbs 24:17, we're told not to gloat when our enemy falls. In Proverbs 25:21 we're told to feed our enemy when he's hungry. And then the blatant instruction to love our enemies comes from Jesus in His sermon on the mount:
In Matthew chapter 5: "you have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies…"
So, even when we rise up and can finally repay our enemy, it is not with what they deserve, but with the grace and mercy we didn't deserve either.

Prayer and Action Steps:
1. In what way have you lived out Jesus' command to love your enemy even if you didn't want to or  you didn't like it?
2. Who is it hardest for you think to about showing love to?
3. Pray and ask God for a heart of grace and mercy even for those who you feel least deserve it.
4. What simple thing could you do today to have regard for the weak, even if they are more like an enemy than a friend?