Tuesday, December 3
Read Psalm 55-56
Think About It:
Psalm 55
We can look within our own feelings (verses 1-5a). David opened with a plea to the Lord that He would not hide His face from his supplication. He felt like everything was falling apart and there was no hope.
We can look beyond for a safe refuge (v 6-8). When we find ourselves in the midst of trouble, our first thought is, “How can I get out of this?” But we should be thinking “What can I get out of this?”
We can look around at the circumstances (verses 9-15, 20-21), David wasn’t living in denial; he knew what was going on around him, and he directed operations in a masterful manner, worthy of his reputation.
We can look up to God and trust Him (16-19, 22-23). While it is normal for us to hope for a quick way of escape, and important for us to understand our feelings and circumstances, it is far more important to look up to God and ask for his help.
Stand in confidence and trust in the Lord that he hears you and will bring you refuge.
Psalm 56
This psalm reveals that David’s life was in great danger, and history tells us that he had to pretend to be insane in order to escape (1 Samuel 27-30).
Deliver me from death (verses 1-4). All day long David was harassed by the Philistines, who remembered that Israel sang his praises as a great military leader. They pursued him like a hungry panting animal, and David cried out for mercy.
Deliver me from stumbling (verses 5-11). In verses 8-9, David reminded the Lord of the sufferings he had endured in exile, and then suggested that these sufferings qualified him to have his prayers answered and his enemies defeated.
What I love too about this psalm is that David tells us that God listed his tears on His scroll or put them in a bottle. The point is simply that God is aware of what we feel and how we suffer, and His records are accurate.
Deliver me so I can praise you (verses 12-13). David’s greatest desire was to glorify the Lord, and this is why he wrote this psalm. He had vowed to serve the Lord and he meant to keep his vow. He had also vowed to present thank offerings to the Lord when his days of wandering were ended.
He is your deliver. Ensure that you properly thank Him for all that He has done for you. What might that look like?
Family Time:
- In Psalm 55:12-14, David is describing the main source of his pain—a betrayal of someone close to him. Yet he still calls upon God and trusts Him for help. Do you trust God to “redeem [your] soul in peace from the battle” when someone close to you hurts you?
- Commit Psalm 56:3 to memory. Ask the Holy Spirit for help to make it true for you.
- Like David, are you able to stir up your spirit/soul to declare the truth about God even when you are having problems?
