Lighthouse scribes

Many of us are familiar with the song from Psalms 3. What comes to mind as you recall the lyrics even now? Do those words remind you of who God is? This Psalm opens with David stating the reality. By the way, I love how we see through David’s Psalms how we can relate to God in reverent fear yet so personally and close. Although he knew God saw his situation, he still told God about it. 

After spending many years of his youth running around, who would have thought that after becoming a king, he’d ever have to leave his kingdom and hide from enemies? But here he was, past middle age, in another exile. David’s enemies hadn’t only increased, but leading them was his son, Absalom. Many people concluded that ‘God will never rescue him!’ Did they say so because they thought God couldn’t rescue him? I doubt that any of his adversaries doubted God’s power. When we read 2 Samuel 12, 15, and 16, we will see that many just felt like David had it coming. The past was catching up with him, and they were aligned to speed that process up. Surely, God wasn’t going to help this sinner and murderer that he’d rebuked in 2 Samuel 12.

That God lets His children go through hard times (even if they are a consequence of our disobedience) does not mean that God forsakes us. Although David had repented, God did not change the plan, and we do not see David complaining or feeling entitled. Instead, we see him rehearsing what he knew to be true about God. David knew his God, and he did not let the opinions of men change what he knew about God. On the run, far away from home, David declared that God was his shield (protecting him), his glory, and the lifter of his head—only a person who sees victory in a battle they are losing can say this. Only a person who chooses to trust God, no matter what, can make such declarations.

The tone in verse 1 starts out sounding troubled. David takes us through how he handled the threat. He turned to God, God responded, and David went to sleep. Many times we are praying to God about something, and we may start to give up hope because we feel like we’ve been at it for years and nothing has changed. We think we don’t pray enough, or maybe we are not God’s favourites, and that’s why we don’t have answers. Perhaps we even gave up on life and now get by each day because we woke up. 

We must magnify God based on who He is and not simply based on our experience of Him; otherwise, we will fall into the enemy’s trap and assume that because God has allowed us to go through a patch, He’s not what the Bible tells us. God never leaves nor forsakes His children, so if you are feeling down and out, recite what you know about God and rest in who He is: a good Father.

Prayer: Thank you, Yahweh, for you are mighty to save. When we call on you and trust in you, you hear us and deliver us from all our troubles. Help us never to stop trusting in you, and when we have doubts, please help us overcome our unbelief.

Love

Osi