{"id":7549,"date":"2016-05-13T14:42:22","date_gmt":"2016-05-13T14:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=7549"},"modified":"2016-06-28T14:34:29","modified_gmt":"2016-06-28T14:34:29","slug":"in-the-face-of-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=7549","title":{"rendered":"In the face of disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2026Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.<\/em> 1 Samuel 23:26b<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t look good; in fact, it was going from bad to worse. David, through no fault of his own, had riled the head of the government. He was being targeted for termination. The reason? Jealousy, pure and simple.<\/p>\n

David had gotten some \u201cbreaks\u201d; he\u2019d made a lucky shot that brought down a giant; and now the entire nation was drawing to him. David\u2019s new \u201cprivileged\u201d status infuriated the king. David must die. Soon.<\/p>\n

Several attempts to snare the man hadn\u2019t succeeded. Even the king\u2019s own son favored David and gave him a head\u2019s up on the king\u2019s latest scheme to do him in. David packed his bag and went into hiding, from wilderness to wilderness.<\/p>\n

While bugging out in the hills of Ziph, the inhabitants ratted him out to the king. He escaped to the wilderness of Maon; the king found out; and soon David and his men were surrounded by government assassins. It didn\u2019t look good.<\/p>\n

In the middle of this mess, David turned to God. Psalm 54 was conceived in that tight place.<\/p>\n

\u201cSave me, O God, by Your name,<\/em> and vindicate me by Your power. Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen against me and violent men have sought my life; they have not set God before them<\/em>\u201d (verses 1-3).<\/p>\n

David went to the Source; he didn\u2019t embellish his need; he stated his case plainly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBehold, God is my helper;<\/em> the Lord is the sustainer of my soul. He will recompense the evil to my foes; destroy them <\/em>[silence them] in Your faithfulness<\/em>\u201d (verses 4-5).<\/p>\n

Instead of withering in fear, David proclaimed the Lord as his helper and sustainer. Instead of obsessing over the evil done against him, he looked in faith to the One who would silence those who\u00a0were seeking\u00a0to silence him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWillingly I will sacrifice to You;<\/em> I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me from all trouble, and my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies<\/em>\u201d (verses 6-7).<\/p>\n

David, surrounded by those who sought his death, stood firm on the unseen Bedrock he had grown to trust. In the face of certain doom, David proclaimed that his hope and future was in God: I will give thanks to Your name, O <\/em>Lord. <\/em><\/p>\n

He defiantly declared his end before it happened. He has delivered me from all trouble,<\/em> and my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies. <\/em>He chose to see salvation rather than defeat. I believe he would have uttered those words with his last breath, if need be.<\/p>\n

First Samuel 24:26 sets the scene for this Psalm: \u2026Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.<\/em><\/p>\n

And then, a seemingly unconnected interruption: But a messenger came to Saul, saying, \u201cHurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.\u201d<\/em> So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape <\/em>(verses 27-28).<\/p>\n

David was delivered\u2014not by a mighty sign or wonder; not by the power of his own bow or sling; not even by a spirit of confusion sent upon his enemies\u2014David was delivered by a distraction<\/em>!<\/p>\n