READ:
Psalms 55-56
Psalm 55 is another psalm of David.
Again we read of David being pursued. His emotions are passionate and deep. The
suffering he is enduring is most definitely overwhelming him. Most of us are
not be able to relate to having people hunt us down, or whole nations and
cities being against us. Yet this is David’s situation – and not even for the
first time! He says in verses 6-8 he wishes he had wings so he could just fly
away from it all. That is something more of us have experienced. David is
longing for a break, for rest and reprieve from the constant running, hiding
and not being sure whom he can trust.
In verses 12-14 we learn it’s worse
than just enemies pursuing him. It’s a close friend. This brings him down more
than all the enemies combined. We can see how David’s trust in others has been
eroded. Instead of taking the wounding and betrayal of someone who should have
loved him, and deciding then to trust no one at all, though, David gives us
another testimony.
Starting in verse 16 David proclaims
loudly how God is faithful. He knows God hears his voice no matter
when he calls. In verses 20-23 David contrasts his friend’s betrayal to God’s
steady sustaining power. In the midst of all this turmoil, it might make sense
to us for David to have his trust in God waver. But David is rock solid. No
matter what happens to him, his faith and trust is solidly placed in God.
Psalm 56 is one of both pleading prayer
and declaration. David goes back and forth between pleading with God for help,
crying out about the enemies who pursue him and then firmly declaring his trust
and confidence in God. It almost seems as if David is making a very determined
effort to remind himself, in the midst of the stress, that God will not abandon
him and he will not abandon God. He is making the choice to trust in God
and believe His Word. It’s evidently not based on his emotion, but as we see in
verse 12, it is his vow to God to keep trusting in Him and to bring Him sacrifices
of thanksgiving. We’ve seen David practice this before in previous psalms. He is
crying out to God from the depths of his pain, but at the same time not allowing
his heart or mind to believe anything other than the truth he knows: God is
trustworthy, faithful, my deliverer, and my hope.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Have you ever felt like running away
from it all (or flying away like David did)? Journal about a time you wanted to
run away from all the stress in your life. Ask the Lord to speak to you about
how He sustained you in that difficult time. If you are in that time this very
moment, ask God to make Psalm 55:22 very, real to you with words, thoughts,
pictures or a song. Thank Him for His faithfulness, even if like David, it’s
more of a declaration right now than an experience.
2. Have you ever been betrayed or
mistreated by someone close to you who should have been on your side? Ask the
Lord if there is any lingering effect from this broken relationship that causes
you to trust Him less. Confess any sin of unforgiveness toward that person if
there is any. Ask Him for healing in this area, and then a word, thought,
picture or song to confirm this for you. Pray a prayer of declaration of your
trust in Him even if this has not been an issue for you.
3. Ask God to bring to mind a time when
your emotions have not lined up with your belief or commitment to trust in the
Lord. Ask Him to speak to you about your commitment to Him (perhaps your prayer
of salvation, your covenant of baptism, your commitment to membership or
ministry, etc) and whether or not you have kept that commitment even if you haven’t
sees or felt the benefit, like David in Psalm 56. Ask God to give you 3-5
reminders now of how He has been faithful to you in hard times, then pray a
prayer declaring your commitment to trust Him. Consider writing these reminders
or your prayer of declaration on a 3x5 card or framing them on your wall to
keep these truths ever before you.
