Coffee With The Lord

What are you going to believe about what might happen to you?  Some people encourage you and say everything is going to be ok – things are going to turn out good!  Others warn you to watch out because things are bad and you might have to deal with disaster, trouble, and adversaries.  You got friends – and you got enemies… Who to believe?  What to believe?

I just read a Psalm in the Bible this morning that is connected to just such an issue… Psalm 54 that is associated with a story found in 1 Samuel 23:15-29.

King Saul had it in for David and was pursuing him to capture and kill him.  Although he had been anointed by Samuel to be the next king David was running for his life – he had become a fugitive.  Jonathan, King Saul’s son, was David’s dear friend.  He came to David and encouraged him saying, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father shall not find you!  You will be king over Israel!”  But the Zephites, among whom David was hiding, went to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh,” and offered to turn David over to them.

So the issue was… who was right?  Which side would win out?  What was going to happen to David?  How would it actually turn out?

Who should David believe?  What should David do?  Psalm 54 tells us what David actually did…

First of all, he poured out his heart to the Lord in prayer: He said, “Oh God, save me, by your name, and vindicate me by your might!  Oh God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth!”

Then he affirmed and confessed His trust in the Lord:  “Behold, God is my helper – the Lord is the upholder of my life!

Then in faith, he vowed to praise God when deliverance actually came!  He said “I will give thanks  to your name,  O Lord, for it is good!  For You have delivered me from EVERY trouble, and my eye will look in triumph on my enemies!” (From Psalm 54, a Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave)

Hey, I think that’s a pretty good strategy when you’re not quite sure what is going to happen or how circumstances in your life will turn out!  Don’t you?