“David fled and escaped, then came to Sh’mu’el in Ramah and told him everything Sha’ul had done to him. So he and Sh’mu’el went and stayed in the prophets’ dormitory.”-1 Samuel 19:18
David was now a fugitive, on the run from a king who was hell-bent on killing him.
Imagine the terror and torment David must have been feeling.
It was during this time that David began writing special prayers to God that would eventually become the Book of Psalms.
Here is the exact Psalm David wrote during this specific time when he escaped in the nick of time from being killed by Saul’s men:
“My God, rescue me from my enemies!
Lift me up, out of reach of my foes!
Rescue me from evildoers,
save me from bloodthirsty men.
For there they are, lying in wait to kill me.
Openly they gather themselves against me,
and not because I committed a crime
or sinned, Adonai.
For no fault of mine, they run and prepare.
Awaken to help me, and see!
You, Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot,
God of Isra’el,
arouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those wicked traitors. (Selah)
They return at nightfall, snarling like dogs
as they go around the city.
Look what pours out of their mouth,
what swords are on their lips,
[as they say to themselves,]
“No one is listening, anyway.”
But you, Adonai, laugh at them,
you mock all the nations.
My Strength, I will watch for you,
for God is my fortress.
God, who gives me grace, will come to me;
God will let me gaze in triumph at my foes.
Don’t kill them, or my people will forget;
instead, by your power, make them wander to and fro;
but bring them down, Adonai our Shield,
for the sins their mouths make with each word from their lips.
Let them be trapped by their pride
for the curses and falsehoods they utter.
Finish them off in wrath,
finish them off, put an end to them,
and let them know to the ends of the earth
that God is Ruler in Ya‘akov. (Selah)
They return at nightfall, snarling like dogs
as they go around the city.
They roam about, looking for food,
prowling all night if they don’t get their fill.
But as for me, I will sing of your strength;
in the morning I will sing aloud of your grace.
For you are my fortress,
a refuge when I am in trouble.
My Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for God is my fortress, God, who gives me grace.”
The reason believers from all eras and nations love these Psalms is because they’re so open and honest.
David is baring his soul for all to see.
However, there’s something peculiar about these Psalms.
They talk about events both in the present and future.
Check out the parts I highlighted and bolded in red.
For example, the part where it says God will mock the nations.
What is that all about?
Lots of Bible experts feel uneasy about this idea.
They try to explain it by saying that certain Psalms might have been changed later to make them seem mysterious.
Some say we just don’t get what they were supposed to mean.
Others think our Bibles today might not be accurate.
Starting in the 1700s, when the Enlightenment was happening in Europe, many church scholars blended those new heretical ideas with their beliefs.
They decided miracles weren’t real and that we should only look for truth in natural things.
They thought anything mysterious in the Bible was just a mistake or an old superstition.
A lot of modern Christian scholars still follow this way of thinking.
Of course, I completely disagree with them.
We’ll dive into this topic again…
But for now, let’s transition over to the takeaway that comes from the above Psalm.
Here’s the lesson I want you to grasp and fully internalize.
At a time when David was in a state of desperation with no reasonable means of escape, what did he do?
Or perhaps the better question to ask is WHO did he turn to?
In this moving Psalm, he says…
My God, rescue me from my enemies!
My Strength, I will watch for you, for God is my fortress.
God, who gives me grace, will come to me;
God will let me gaze in triumph at my foes
Notice David didn’t attempt to escape from the terrors and pressure of life by…
Meditating on his navel for hours on end…
Saying a billion positive affirmations in a futile attempt to control reality…
Or drowning himself in alcohol or going on Doritos or Cheeto binges…
He turned to his Creator…the only true God of the universe.
So when you’re back’s against the wall…
When you feel cornered with no apparent means of escape…
When you feel like there’s no hope and all is lost…
I recommend you follow David’s lead, my friend.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and
your minds in Messiah Yeshua.”
-Philippians 4:6-7
“Cast all your anxiety on Him
because he cares for you.”
-1 Peter 5:7
“Let us then approach
God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us
in our time of need.”
–Hebrews 4:16
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