TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A MIKTAM OF DAVID, WHEN HE FLED FROM SAUL, IN THE CAVE.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth! [1]
Running in fear for his life, the king of Israel had at last come to a cave in the Judean hills. Having been raised up from his position as a humble shepherd watching his father’s flocks, the young man had ascended to the powerful position of a commander of the armies of Israel. Married to the king’s daughter, his best friend the king’s son, and secretly anointed to be the king, David had reached dizzying heights that most people would find unimaginable. Just as suddenly as he had reached those exhilarating heights, he was plunged to the depths as he was compelled to flee for his life. From the sublime to the muck of despair within a moment of time. Though he knew that God had commissioned him to reign over the people of Israel, David’s Kingdom was suddenly reduced to a dark cave in the Judean wilderness.
Fleeing into the dark recesses of a cave in the wilderness of Judea, David at last had time to reflect. It is important to note that he didn’t flee just so he would have time to think, but because he was running for his life he sought refuge and found it in a cave. Secure for the moment, David at last found a place where he could rest—and he was definitely in need of rest. David found refuge in a cave. In that cave, he was out of sight of prying eyes that might betray him and deliver him into the hands of Saul. In that cave he had a measure of protection that he hadn’t had earlier. However, there was something even more important in the cave. In the cave, David at last had a respite from the pressures bearing down on him, and he was able to cry out to the LORD his God. The LORD met David in the cave; and there, the LORD revealed His might and mercy to His weary servant. David needed that revelation; and each of us need the same revelation, if not at this moment, then in the very near future..
RESTING IN A CAVE —
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
[PSALM 57:1-3]
There is something exceptionally tragic to read of David, the King of Israel, seeking respite in a cave. We know that David survived this dark episode in his life and that he ultimately rose above the trials that were then driving him into the dim recesses of a Judean cave. Nevertheless, at this moment, all hope appeared gone and the man whom God had anointed to be King must have questioned what advantage serving God gave.
David was in despair. He had nowhere to turn. He felt that he was deserted and no one would stand with him. David had forgotten that our feelings often deceive us—and our feelings assuredly will deceive us if we allow them to guide our thinking and our actions. Pursued as he was and facing the danger then threatening him, David did the one thing that was most necessary—he stopped to rest and to cry out to the LORD.
When you are exhausted in the midst of the conflicts of life, it is true that the best thing you can do sometimes is to turn out the lights and get a good night’s sleep. One of the great preachers of a bygone era was in almost constant pressure from church and denominational leaders who were intent on destroying him. For almost the entirety of his ministry, these honoured denominational leaders constantly sought to besmirch his name. He was charged with arson of his own church building on two different occasions and subsequently tried for the supposed offence and found not guilty by a jury of his peers.
He was threatened with death when a man armed with a handgun barged into the church office after publicly declaring his intention to kill the preacher. When the preacher shot and killed that man, the city police tampered with the crime scene, even seizing the firearm that the dead man brough with him and somehow losing that pistol. The preacher stood trial for murder and was found not guilty by reason of self-defence. Denominational leaders, and some of the most notable preachers of that bygone era, engaged in all sorts of political skullduggery in a constant effort to destroy this man.
On one occasion that preacher was asked, “How do you stand the pressure?” Some people think his answer undignified, but it was excellent nevertheless. He replied, “I pull the shades each night and let the world go to hell.” Excellent advice! The world will rage on in any case and your worrying won’t change a thing!
I have appropriated Dr. Norris’ response on several notable occasions. On one occasion a church treasurer was deliberately combative and snarky as she confronted me. Sarcasm dripped in her challenge, “How do you put up with so many people hating you?” I simply responded, “I outlive them.”
David needed rest, and he found rest and refuge in a cave. He may well have formulated the words that he would one day write in another of the Psalms. Though the twenty-second Psalm is a Messianic Psalm, the sentiment expressed is one that perhaps every follower of the Christ has known at one time or another. David wrote,
“O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.”
[PSALM 22:2]
Truthfully, who among us has not felt the sense of weariness expressed in these words?
“Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
I would hurry to find a shelter
from the raging wind and tempest.”
[PSALM 55:6-8]
I suspect that each of us has known a time when we spoke in despair, complaining,
“If the LORD had not been my helper,
I would soon rest in the silence of death.”
[PSALM 94;17 CSB]
Here is the truth that we must never forget: God is always with His child. The Lord does not desert His beloved child even when things appear rough for that child. There is yet another of the Psalms that reveals this truth. And David also wrote this particular Psalm, just as he wrote the Psalm before us this day.
“LORD, you have examined me;
you have known me.
You know when I rest
and when I am active.
You understand what I am thinking
when I am distant from you.
You scrutinize my life and my rest;
you are familiar with all of my ways.”
[PSALM 139:1-3 ISV]
The child of God does not rest, does not seek respite, except the Lord knows where His child is and what His child is doing. You, because you follow the Son of God, may seek a refuge from the trials you face or seek a place in which you can rest from the assaults of the wicked. When that happens, and it will happen, take comfort in the knowledge that your God knows where you are—He knows what you are doing and He knows why you have done this. God knows your way, and He is ever with you.
Let me encourage you who know the Lord by reminding you of what you know to be true. I am not saying that you will never experience exhaustion as you fend off the attacks of those who seek to injure you or who seek to destroy your good name. I do not say that you will not feel as if you needed a place to hide for even a short while, or that you will not ever need a covert in which you can catch your breath. I do say that when you are driven to seek that place of refuge and respite, the Lord Himself will know where you are despite what you may feel. And He will be with you. Listen to His Word. “[God] has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say,
‘The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?’”
[HEBREWS 13.5-6]
The Apostle Paul has reminded us of God’s presence and His provision even during those times of extreme testing. He has written, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
“Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ‘I believed, and so I spoke,’ we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-18].
YOUR SITUATION AND GOD’S GLORY —
My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
[PSALM 57:4-5]
Your present situation, the threats you may face, do not fully reveal the love your Father has for you. Your Father knows the danger you now face, and He will supply the strength you need to address that danger. You and I need to hear this, and we especially need to remember that God is fully aware of what we are facing. Our God will remember His promise to supply all that we require as we face these challenges. As followers of Christ, we need to hear the promise delivered by the Apostle Paul when he writes, “No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it” [1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 NET BIBLE FIRST EDITION].
It is essential that you and I remember that God did not redeem us just so He could fail in transforming our lives. Look forward to what lies ahead in order to be encouraged. For instance, recall the encouragement delivered to the saints in Rome. “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” [ROMANS 8:14-17].
We also have this insight provided by the Apostle as he wrote, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” [ROMANS 8:28-30].
This is powerful encouragement intended to lift the spirits of each follower of Christ. We are saved for a great purpose, which is to glorify the Risen Lord of Glory. Writing the suffering saints in Salonica, you may recall Paul’s opening paragraph. The Apostle encouraged those believers even as they were facing relentless attacks, writing, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.
“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” [2 THESSALONIANS 1:3-12].
Even now, because you are His prized possession, our Lord is at work ensuring that you are worthy of His calling. Thus, because you are worthy, He is at work ensuring that you will see the fulfilment of your resolve for good and also every work of faith that you are even now performing by His power. Because this is true, the Risen Lord of Glory shall be glorified in you—in you—at His coming. At His return, we who are followers of Christ the Lord will share in His glory! That is powerful encouragement meant to hearten each redeemed child of God.
I have no way of knowing what trials you are facing, I do have some knowledge of those opposing some of you, though I cannot ever fully understand the pressure you face. However, what I know to be true is that God knows the pressure that bears down on you now, and He knows those that are surrounding you with tongues as sharp as knives and teeth as spears and arrows. He will not permit you to be overthrown, but He is your Great Defender that will stand for you in every trial.
In the midst of his confession of the threat and the danger of those assailing him as he wrote this Psalm, David suddenly breaks out in praise to God. It is far more than a mere interjection. It is as if the Psalmist was surrounded, vainly attempting to defend himself, when suddenly he lifted his eyes toward heaven and he saw One whom those attacking him could not see. They were blind to the reality, for they could see only the momentary; they were insensible to the reality of God’s view of life.
Is this not like the account of God’s intervention to deliver His servant Elisha? You may recall how the King of Syria was determined to take Elisha captive because God was continually revealing to Elisha the plans of the Syrian king, thwarting his plans to harm the people of Israel. Isn’t that the way of the world? The powerful imagine that if only they can silence the spokesman of God, they can have their way with the saints! However, God always has a say in the matters of this life.
Here is the account recorded in 2 KINGS 6:15-17. “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
The servant of Elisha looked about the city, seeing with the eyes of flesh those who were then threatening them. This servant was prepared to initiate a full-bore headlong panicked run that would accomplish nothing except exhaustion. Elisha, on the other hand, was looking on the same scene with the eyes of faith. He saw what mere eyes could never see; the prophet of God saw the armies of God watching over His servant.
Would that you and I would learn the reality of the revelation given in the Letter to Hebrew Christians. Early in that missive, we are told,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
[HEBREWS 1:7]
Ultimately, we have the Son of God seated at the right hand of the Father defending us. And that is greatly comforting. However, more immediately, we have the ministers of God standing ready to defend us because we belong to Him. Later, in this same letter, we read, “Are [the angels] not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” [HEBREWS 1:14]?
At just the moment when the foe seems to be so strong that you will never be able to resist them, when your strength is gone and you have reached the limit of your endurance, when all earthly hope is gone, at just that moment, the Master will say to one of His holy angels, “Angel, deliver him now!” And that angel will mount one of the swift steeds of Heaven. Spurring the mighty steed forward, the angel will fly past galaxies and stars and planets and moons until he arrives on earth. Then, he will stride over to your side to give you strength and to drive back those who are seeking to harm you. God’s angel will stand for you because He is sent for this specific purpose.
May I say that I’m glad I don’t always see the angels of God as they perform their mighty work on behalf of the heirs of salvation. The response of godly people when the angel of the Lord reveals himself is always terror. Like you, I walk by faith and not by sight. So, I’m pleased that I don’t look on the august person of God’s angels. It is enough to know that God is watching over me and using His mighty angels to protect me.
I am reminded of the words Gabriel spoke to Daniel when that mighty angel had been dispatched to deliver God’s message to Daniel. When Daniel became aware of the angel, he fell down in terror until Gabriel touched him and set him on his feet. This mighty angel said, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days” [DANIEL 10:12-14].
Gabriel had been in spiritual combat with a satanic power that was assigned to the land of Persia. However, when Daniel prayed, the LORD decided that answering his prayer was sufficiently important that He would pull Gabriel away from the battle to answer Daniel’s prayer. The LORD sent an even more powerful angel, Michael, to stand with Gabriel so that the satanic powers would not prevail at that moment. After Gabriel had completed his mission to deliver God’s message to Daniel, the angel informed him, “Now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come” [DANIEL 10:20]. A battle rages all about us, and watching over all the field of conflict is the Living God who watches over you, because you are precious to Him. God is watching over you!
Child of God, when the battle seems most intense, when the flames scorch your shield of faith and the sword of the Spirt begins to feel heavy to your weary hand, lift your eyes! Look up, and you will see the unseen Lord of Glory watching over you. As the unknown writer of that Letter to Hebrew Christians points to Moses as an example of one who walked by faith, he makes an incredible statement, stating, “By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible” [HEBREWS 11:27].
Moses faced the wrath of the Pharaoh, which is undoubtedly intimidating. Compounding the intimidation Moses faced, he was leading a nation of slaves—the people thought like slaves, they were a people who were ready momentarily to turn back to slavery because they couldn’t handle the challenges that freedom demanded of them. They were often ready to stone Moses and in rebellion return to slavery. Under such conditions, Moses might have despaired, but he lifted his eyes upward, and it was as if God drew back the curtains of Heaven to give Moses just a glimpse of the Unseen God. Understand that the LORD did not ignore His servant; He encouraged Moses by reminding him on multiple occasions that the LORD was God, and Moses would be guided until he had completed the task to which the Lord GOD had appointed him.
I understand that some of you are exhausted. I know something about discouragement, I know something about having been in the conflict for so long that I could only barely lift my shied to fend off the enemy’s fiery darts and wielding the sword of the Spirit required almost more energy than I possessed.
When I am exhausted, when I’m not even certain that I can formulate a proper prayer, I’ve learned that often the most effective prayer I can offer is, “Help!” When my strength is almost gone, and even formulating the word, “Help!” demands more strength that I think I possess, just lifting my head to look up becomes a powerful prayer for deliverance. This is the thrust of the Psalm that teaches us,
“To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he has mercy upon us.”
[PSALM 123:1-2]
Amen. Amen, indeed.
DELIVERED —
They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
[PSALM 57:6-11]
Would it surprise you if I was to admit that I’ve often wished I could have a respite from the pressures of ministry? Many people are genuinely surprised to hear that service to the people of God can generate pressure. Ministry places heavy demands upon the servant of God, and the demands often are greater than any mere man can handle. The pressure of ministry can only be addressed with divine help, and even then, it is necessary to find a respite at times. Throughout my service before the Lord, I have often sought a refuge in the mountains where I had no phone service, no computer to constantly demand my attention, no distractions as I simply allowed my mind to reflect on the goodness of the Lord God. At other times, I have sought and found a refuge while fishing the rivers of our beautiful province. Crowds are seldom found along the rivers, and for a brief moment, there is solitude, the freedom to think and to delight in God’s goodness. Escaping to the mountains or to the rivers allows me to refresh my mind so that I can again focus on the Lord who loves me and Who appointed me to His service.
As I review this Psalm, I note that David gives a summation of the situation he had faced. He speaks of the pressure he felt. Had he stopped there, we would have been content that he was describing precisely what we have each felt at various times in our walk with the Master. However, David brings the Psalm to a grand conclusion as he pens a shoutin’ song! And it is not merely a joyous exclamation just so he can say that he has shouted, he is rejoicing in the character of the Living God. He has experienced deliverance, and that deliverance was brought about even as he was surrounded by lions. David writes this Psalm even while surrounded by lions. He likens his situation to lying down in the midst of fiery beasts. Of course, the Psalmist is speaking of people intent on destroying him, and despite his situation he writes as though he is safe from all harm!
Listen to the Psalmist as he faces his tormentors.
My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
[PSALM 57:7-10]
Surrounded by those who mean to destroy him, David is looking up in order to see the goodness of God. As he lifts his eyes, he sees the Living God watching over him to ensure that he is not destroyed by those who are opposed to him. In similar manner, you, as a child of the Glorious Lord of all creation have One watching over you to ensure that nothing comes into your life that will not bring Him glory.
It is as though David is anticipating the words of the Apostle Paul who testifies as he writes the congregation in Philippi, “I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account” [PHILIPPIANS 1:18-24].
Dear people, I know that we are tempted to look at the conditions of the moment. Candidly, the conditions are never fortuitous; there is always a reason why we would despair when looking at current conditions. I know that we are conditioned by what we call “reason” to look at the size of the foe, to look at the strength or those opposing us. And when we do this, we will inevitably be discouraged. The reason we will be discouraged is that we are attempting to compare our strength with the might of those standing in opposition to us, and our strength will never be enough to carry the day against our enemies. I am advising you to quit looking at the conditions, advising you to quit looking at those arrayed against you. Rather, lift your eyes to see the goodness of God Who is pledged to invest His strength to deliver you from the foe.
You may feel that you don’t have the capacity to praise God for deliverance at this moment. When you are in the midst of battle, it is seldom possible to be grateful for His deliverance. However, you will not always be in battle. Eventually, you will have finished the battle that now consumes your attention. When God has at last delivered you, you will praise Him because He rescued you.
How often we see the Psalmist crying out for deliverance. Here are some examples of the Psalmist pleading for deliverance. Let his cry encourage you to look to the Lord for deliverance. Here is David’s prayer while in the cave awaiting deliverance.
“I cry to you, O LORD;
I say, ‘You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.’
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.”
[PSALM 142:5-7]
Consider another instance when the Psalmist cried out for deliverance.
“Answer me quickly, O LORD!
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
“Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD!
I have fled to you for refuge.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!
“For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!”
[PSALM 143:7-11]
This Psalm reveals the urgency which the Psalmist felt. We don’t know the particular circumstances surrounding the Psalmist when he offered this prayer, but we witness David confessing that his spirit was about to fail. Whatever the situation may have been, David clearly felt desperation taking control of his life, and he knew that only the Lord could deliver him. To Whom could he turn, if not to the Lord his God. Therefore, David turned to the Lord for the deliverance that he could not provide in his own strength. There is encouragement for me and for you to cry out to the Lord for His deliverance. Child of God, don’t make prayer the last thing you do; make prayer the first thing that you do when you are in jeopardy and facing severe opposition.
And again, we witness the Psalmist crying out for rescue when he prays,
“Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down!
Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them!
Stretch out your hand from on high;
rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
“I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
who gives victory to kings,
who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.”
[PSALM 144:5-11]
Once more, we don’t know the particular circumstances that elicited this prayer from the heart of the King of Israel, but it is obvious that he is desperate. Turning to the Lord who had delivered him so very often, the King pleaded for God’s deliverance. And he was not merely asking for deliverance, he was pleading for dramatic demonstration of God’s might. Just so, we need on occasion to plead for God’s divine intervention.
Every Christian should have a story of deliverance that is so exciting, so exceptional, so dramatic that it can only be because God intervened. Each of us should be able to speak of a time when God split the heavens and touched the mountains, discomforting the foe and revealing His mighty arm bared for you. And when He has delivered you, you will want to praise Him. You will have a story to tell that will encourage generations to come. Your children should know your story you tell of how great the Lord is until they are able to experience His might for themselves.
And when the Lord had rescued David, the Psalmist praised God for the relief God had given.
“[The LORD] sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”
[PSALM 18:16-19]
I don’t know the melody, but I do know the song. “Do Not Destroy” is my song, a song I have sung on multiple occasions. The enemy thought I was finished, and frankly, I was finished. But at the very moment when all was about to fade to black, God reached down to deliver me. He acted in His time, and not in my time. I learned that His time is always right, to ensure that He receives the glory, giving me a reason to praise His Holy Name. Amen.
There is someone listening at this time who is exhausted and ready to give in to those seeking to injure you and endeavouring to discredit the Lord God. Child of God, look up to see the face of Him Who loves you and Who gave Himself for you! Now is the time to seek the deliverance that only our God can give. Don’t quit. You keep on keeping on, and your Saviour will shortly give you His victory.
There are others listening who have never put faith in the Son of God. You are relying on your own strength, and you know that your strength is never enough. You may stand firm for a brief time, and then you must surrender to the inevitable. This doesn’t need to be the case. There is One Who loved you and gave Himself for you. Jesus, the Son of God died because of your sin, and He rose from the dead to give you standing to come before the Father, receiving the strength that He alone can give. Therefore, if you agree with God, that Jesus Christ is Master, believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. This is God’s promise given to all who receive Christ. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
