SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/8/2012 9:24:34 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Trust in the Lord
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Psalm 55:6-23
Message of the verses: We will continue to look at Psalm 55 in
today’s SD and just a reminder of the outline that Warren Wiersbe has in order
to help us understand this psalm. He
writes these words at the end of his introduction, “The psalm reveals four
possible approaches to handling the painful problems and battles of life.” We looked at the first way in yesterday’s SD;
“We Can Look Within at Our Feelings” which covered verses 1-5.
“We Can Look Beyond for a Safe Refuge” (vv.
6-8): “6 I said, "Oh, that I
had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 7 “Behold, I would
wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah. 8 “I would hasten to
my place of refuge From the stormy wind and tempest.’”
These
verses tell what David finally did in order to get away from Absalom, as he
went across the Jordan River and lodged in the wilderness of Mahanaim where he
would stay until the battle was over.
As
believers we sometimes desire to run away from our troubles, and that is not
always the right thing to do. When we
look at the book of Job we see that Job could not run from his troubles because
of the physical shape that he was in and in the end he finally learned what it
was that God wanted him to learn, and because we have this great book in our
Bible we too can learn that there are times when we as believers will suffer
without a reason. David knew the truth
of this from his wilderness wonderings as he ran from Saul. Michael Card, who writes all the music that
he sings, wrote a song “In The Wilderness,” which was from the wilderness
wonderings of the children of Israel and the song talks of what we can learn
when we are on in our wilderness journeys.
Dr. Wiersbe
points out that “When we find ourselves in the midst of trouble, our first
thought is ‘How can I get out of this?’
But the dedicated believer needs to ask, “What can I get out of this.” One more point from his writings, “But we
don’t need wings like a dove so we can fly away from the storm. We need wings like an eagle so we can fly
above the storm (Isa. 40:30-31)”
“We Can Look Around at the Circumstances”
(vv. 9-15, 20-21): “9 Confuse, O
Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10
Day and night they go around her upon her walls, And iniquity and mischief are
in her midst. 11 Destruction is in her midst; Oppression and deceit do not
depart from her streets. 12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I
could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him. 13 But it is you, a man my equal, My
companion and my familiar friend; 14 We who had sweet fellowship together
Walked in the house of God in the throng. 15 Let death come deceitfully upon
them; Let them go down alive to Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their
midst.
“20 He has
put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has violated
his covenant. 21 His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war;
His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.”
As we look
at these verses we can see the situation that was going on in Jerusalem with
David and with his son Absalom. There
was strife that was going on in the city and David knew this. He knew that it would come to a head and that
there would have to be something done about it.
David was a very intelligent man and prayed that the Lord would confuse
those who were against him, namely Absalom and also Ahithophel who was David’s
trusted counselor who now had gone over to the side of Absalom.
The
important thing that happened was that Satan was trying to stop what the Lord
had told David and that is that David’s reign would be a dynasty and the Lord
had already told David that Solomon would be the next king in Israel so Satan
was trying to stop all of this. We mentioned
in yesterday’s SD that Ahithophel was a type of Judas in that as he betrayed
David so Judas betrayed the Lord and as Ahithophel hanged himself, so Judas
hanged himself. It was difficult for
David to be betrayed by his friend, yet we see Satan involved in this situation
to stop the Dynasty, but Satan is no match for the Lord.
“We Can Look up to God and Trust Him” (vv.
16-19, 22-23): “16 As for me, I
shall call upon God, And the LORD will save me. 17 Evening and morning and at
noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice. 18 He will redeem
my soul in peace from the battle which is against me, For they are many who
strive with me. 19 God will hear and answer them-Even the one who sits
enthroned from of old- Selah. With whom there is no change, And who do not fear
God.
“22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain
you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. 23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; Men of
bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in
You.”
David was older at the time of
Absalom’s uprising against him, which meant that David would not be able to go
out and led his army as he did when he was young, but David could pray and he
did pray all day long, which is what it means when he stated that he prayed
morning, noon, and evening. David uses
the covenant name for God in verse sixteen which is Jehovah. David knew that his throne was in trouble,
but he also knew that the Lord’s throne was never in trouble and so he prayed
and expected an answer, and the answer came.
David would morn for a long time when Absalom was killed, but if he had
not been killed then the whole thing could have started over again. There would be more trouble ahead for David,
but David was a man of prayer and had great faith in the Lord.
Dr. Wiersbe
writes something interesting that goes along with situations that are now
happening in our country today: During
his difficult years of preparation, David had experienced many changes, and
this taught him to trust the God who never changes (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17). Absalom and his friends had lived in luxury
and ease and knew very little about the challenge of changing circumstances, so
they had no faith in God or fear of God. A prosperous life is an easy life until you
find yourself in the midst of the storm, and then you discover how ill-prepared
you are; for what life
does to us depends on what life finds in us.”
Let us take
a look at verse twenty-two for that verse is used by Peter in 1Peter 5:7 and
Dr. Wiersbe states, “The word translated ‘burden’ (‘cares,’ NIV) means ‘that
which he has given you,’ reminding us that even the burdens of life come from
the loving heart of God (Ps. 33:11; Rom. 8:28).
When David’s lot was a happy one, it came from the Lord (16:5-6), and
when he experienced times of pain and sorrow, the Lord was still in control.”
David ends
the psalm by speaking to the Lord and affirming his faith and he was confident
that God would judge his enemies. It is
unclear whether or not David expected the suicide of Ahithophel.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I have read in Warren Wiersbe’s writing
before the statement “for
what life does to us depends on what life finds in us.” That statement is so true and that is why it
is important to have good character, character that is built upon the truths of
Scripture. This is needed when times of
trouble come and as I have mentioned on many occasions I need to learn
contentment, and it is the times that Dr. Wiersbe is speaking of that help to
learn contentment. Contentment to me,
knowing that God is in complete control of whatever happens in my life, knowing
that He will word all thing out for my good and for His glory even though many
times those things do not seem good to me at the time.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
1.
Continue to learn contentment through the
circumstances that God is allowing and controlling to come into my life.
2.
Remember that what life does to me will
depend on what life finds in me.
3/8/2012 10:26:21 AM
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