At this point in my Bible reading, David is on the run from Saul. King Saul, jealous and paranoid, orders the murder of 85 priests because one priest gave David some bread. Saul is out of control; his troops and officials are terrified of his unpredictable behavior.
David, God’s chosen king, surrounded by his “band of misfits and malcontents” is hiding in caves; in the forest; in a Philistine encampment (you have to be really desperate to hide in the very city of the enemy champion you defeated!).
When we read, we are reading “history.” In just a few pages we see results. However, David was living hour by hour. He didn’t know how long this trial would last. However . . .
O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge;save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. Psalm 7:1,2
David knew that God was his only refuge, his only deliverer. The circumstances looked bleak, but his soul could be safe in God
O Lord my God, if I have done this,if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Psalm 7:3-5
Healthy introspection is helpful when facing adverse circumstances. Are current financial woes due to poor budgeting, or coveting, or greed? Or are they mounting medical bills or an accident by which God can display His supply and His sufficiency in His time?
In this relationship difficulty, is there an offense I need to own and seek forgiveness for? Or is this a time when God wants me to see that He is enough?
In my present circumstance, am I so occupied with begging for relief, that I have not stopped to consider what God may be working out through this very difficulty?
The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous- you who test the minds and hearts,O righteous God!
My shield is with God,who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge,and a God who feels indignation every day.Psalm 7:8-11
In difficult circumstances, proper perspective is vital. God is the ultimate, holy and righteous judge of all the earth. Not I. The familiar adage, “when I am wronged, I demand justice; when I wrong, I beg for mercy” is helpful to remember.
But what a comfort to know that God sees EVERYTHING. And injustice toward those He loves is not met with a yawn and an “oh, well.” That’s why the gospel is such incredibly good news. God sees every single sin, and Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection can cover every sin.
I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High. Psalm 7:17
So David returns back to the truth. God is righteous. God is my refuge. He is working His will and His ways in so many different ways that I cannot imagine. He can be trusted.
Father, Thank You for loving me. Thank You that You see everything, and that You will not let evil prevail. Lord, even in hard circumstances, may Your glory shine through. May it be evident that my hope is in You. . .Amen
Plea for Grace 