This I know – that God is for me. That’s a great thought, but can it be enough to walk with confident faith when life gets hijacked with — just too much. Can it be real in the middle of a request and an answer?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. Psalm 56:9
We read many healing Psalms and may think it was easy for David to write these words back in the ancient day —–before all this! But if we look into his life in the book of Samuel, we see he had a few things going on, too. Psalms can be the peaceful place to camp, especially when we envision David the shepherd boy sitting beside still waters, singing a solo for the sheep, just watching time go by during his oh-so placid life. He didn’t stay a shepherd boy. It didn’t stay placid.
Life changes quickly. It did for David and it does for us. We need to know that we know that God is for us because one day you can be strumming a harp and the next day dodging spears. David had a maniacal-jealous King Saul chasing him down around the time he jotted down these words. He was trying to outrun the enemy, a little like life today. We’re surrounded.
In God whose word I praise. In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can mere man to do to me? :11
Intellectually, I know God is for me. It’s all over His Word and character. He calls us and keeps us. I also know that circumstances can have us second guess what we think we know until we don’t. The way to remain steadfast is to remain in His promises and preach it over ourselves until we have the faith to believe it. And keep believing it . . .
Can you say God is for you right here – right now, not just in your head but in your soul and rest in it?
Whether you feel hunted down by the enemy in this moment or remember when you were – I think we can relate to this rich portion of David’s “diary” when he could bring himself to the confident place and say — This I know. God is for me. He probably didn’t know how he would escape the situation, but he knew the most sacred truth to get untangled.
Don’t be tricked by the garden question – “God gave you a garden then tells you not to eat of it. Hmmm, how is He for you?” (my paraphrase). We can find this lying inquiry repeated in various forms throughout our lives, so we need to know the answer.
We can answer confidently like David ~ THIS I KNOW ~ God is for me.
Be gracious to me O God for my soul takes refuge in the shadow of Your wings until destruction passes by. I will cry to God Most High who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me. He reproaches him who tramples upon me. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. Psalm 57:1-3
Verna
Psalm 22:24…He has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but He has listened to their cries for help.
I love the psalms. So often we find our story right there with his. Different circumstances maybe, but the warfare in the midst of trials, sometimes feel like too much…until we remember, as David did, our trials come not to break us, but to teach us the faithfulness of God day in and day out. Someone says, the promises of God can become our pillow and His peace our rest.
Love you and miss you my friend.
Oh I love that, Glenda — His promises can become our pillow to rest in His peace. Thank you!