Scripture For Today: Psalm 55:1-23
“16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. 17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”
Psalm 55:16-17
In the instant gratification culture of our day it has become increasingly uncommon for believers to be able to manage difficult circumstances in their lives with a correct view of God and His love and power. God in His power is able to deliver us from difficult circumstances, God in His love is willing to deliver us from difficult circumstances knowing ultimately that almost every difficult circumstance in our life is the product of our own choices to go our way instead of His. Believer instead of running and hiding from difficulties, flee to God and hang onto Him until he answers your plea and delivers you.
Avoid just escaping the situation by running away in your own strength but instead turn to God and ask Him to deal with your oppressor and be clear about your difficulties and your specific needs from God.
David amazes me often! I desire the faith that faced Goliath and saw God give impossible victory. I fear the weakness that led David to walk on a different path than obedience to God on several occasions in his life. But I relate to the hint of fear I often hear in His prayer to God. In this Psalm we hear David’s shield of confidence in God penetrated for just a moment by his knowledge of his own weakness and fear that God will find it more appropriate to leave him to wrestle with his own battles than to rush in as the mighty deliverer and bring victory again to his life. As he begins this Psalm he pens his cry for God to “give ear”, “hide not”, and “attend”, to his supplication and complaint. David for all his victories through God also had many struggles and trials. In verses three through five of this Psalm he reveals before God his heart that is filled with fear and pain because of the threats and presence of his enemies. It is the simple fact that these difficulties have not only brought fear to his heart but have broken his heart. We find out why when David reveals that it was a close counsellor and friend that had sided with his enemies and turned against him. “12 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 hid myself from him: 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” Psalms 55:12-14.
Davids response to all of this is not uncommon, he determined that what he wanted to do was disappear and be free of the circumstance. “6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. 7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. 8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” Psalms 55:6-8. Many times in life Christian your first answer is to just get away from the difficulties in your life. Let me suggest that instead of desiring just to run away from your circumstances you run to God with your complaint and supplication.
David clearly tells God what he desires and needs in Psalm 55:9-15. David asks God to eliminate his enemy and thereby give victory in this particular circumstance. David determines that instead of just escaping his difficult circumstance he would flee to God and ask God to overcome for him and give him victory. He asks in very clear terms and states his complaint very clearly. Christian, learn to do this. Recognize that every circumstance in life will not be easy and some will be unfair and very difficult. Avoid just escaping the situation by running away in your strength but instead turn to God and ask Him to deal with your oppressor and be clear about your difficulties and your specific needs from God.
David understands that only God can deliver him from this circumstance through victory. His own way of fleeing and escaping won’t actually remove the oppressor it will just delay the battle and strengthen the enemy, but God will give victory. In Psalm 55:18-21 he expresses his confidence in God to deal with his enemies and give him the victory. Determine that only God can deliver you, that to delay by avoiding and ignoring the battle will only cause it to be faced on another battlefield and on another day. Flee to God, cry out to Him, tell Him your need and your difficulty.
David declares his intention and gives us counsel to follow. “As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. 17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Psalms 55:16-17. Here he declares his intention to never stop seeking God for victory until he has delivered it. His counsel to us today is: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22. God can change even circumstances that are brought on by your own mistakes. This one in David’s life is a result of his sin with Bathsheba and still we know that God delivered David from this particular oppression because instead of trying to get away from the difficulty through the only means he could see, he fled to God and pled his cause until the answer of deliverance came. Our God still delivers, flee to Him!