Distress

Do you ever go through life feeling like everyone's out to get you? Like no matter what happens, something or someone is trying to bring you down?

Believe it or not, people in the Bible felt like this sometimes too. Let's look at some more of David's story. Saul, the king before David, really really really didn't like David. And many times Saul tried to have David KILLED.

I think if I went around every day wondering if someone was going to try and kill me, I'd be pretty stressed out! That's taking "out to get someone" to an extreme level! Saul wanted David dead!

But look at what David wrote in Psalm 18. This Psalm is in response to God delivering David from the hand of Saul.


Psalm 18: 1-19

1 I love you, LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.



Wow.

Look at what happens when God's children cry out to Him in their distress? This isn't the "fluffy clouds long-bearded God" that you learn about in Sunday school...this is a God who will kick some serious butt if anyone tries to mess with His children! Smoke rose out of His nostrils and fire came out of His mouth? I DEFINITELY want that God protecting me.

Isn't it great to know that God delivered David in his distress...and He will deliver us from ours, when we just cry out to Him. He will scatter the enemy and be our support.

And look at the last part. Verse 19. "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me."

God LOVES His children. He delights in us. When we live our lives for Him and for His glory, look how far God will go to protect us!

I don't know about you, but that gives me crazy kinds of peace.

Til next time,

ST