When no one else cares...

When my spirit faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
(Psalm 142:3-4 ESV)
David, despite those who had gathered around him in support of his cause, often felt all alone.  The only ones he could see were those out to get him.  He could not see his way through to safety.  He was surrounded.  But he knew One who could see the way, who would be his safe place.  When there is no one else, He is there, faithful and true, and will see you through.

Echoing prayer...

With my voice I cry out to the LORD;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.
I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
(Psalm 142:1-2 ESV)
David is in a cave... hiding from Saul. As he cries out to the Lord for safety, strength, and comfort, his pleas echo throughout the cave.  We hear that here in the poetic parallelism of this Psalm.  His voice is heard echoing his cry for mercy and telling his troubles to God.  Sometimes it seems like our voice is just bouncing back. We hear ourselves and wonder if only our ears hear.  But He does. He hears with both ears.  Keep on crying out and pouring out. David did. And the LORD heard his cry.  He will hear yours too.

An Awakened Heart

My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
(Psalm 57:7-11 ESV)
A great awakening... that's what we need.  One where we are grateful for all the Lord has given to us and done for us.  Where we can sense His love and mercy, and see His faithfulness. We need such an awareness of God that we cannot help but have a song of praise in our heart to start the day.  This is no fluffy thing. David wrote this while hiding scared in a cave, on the run for his very life. There was barely any sunlight, let alone bright glory.  But he could see it. Can you?

Praise from the pit!

My soul is in the midst of lions;

I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
(Psalm 57:4-6 ESV)
Many of us recognize the verse above... we find ourselves singing it. But notice where it is sandwiched in:  David is under attack... verbally and literally, by the tongue and the sword.  He has been baited by Saul: "do good and I'll catch you!" But it is Saul who walked in the cave, fell into the trap.  So, in the midst of the accusations and lies and downright evil intentions of the enemy, David praised. It's not about me and my suffering and my feelings. It's about God's glory.
From what little I saw of the debate last night, I don't think either one gets this. But was as followers of Christ sure should.  We can look back on David, Daniel, Joseph, and Christ Himself who endured such lying attacks and vicious plots, and say at the end of the day: "Be Exalted, O God! Let you Glory rule my life!"

Till the storms pass by...

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
(Psalm 57:1-3 ESV)
David's life was one storm after another.  Between Saul and the Philistines, all the people who gathered around him, depending on him to help them with their problems, and worrying about his aging parents, David couldn't get a break. At this point Saul was in hot pursuit, and there seemed like no way of escape. So he did what he did best: he cried out to God for mercy, realizing that God had a purpose for him that HE was going to fulfill.  It was not David living up to God's expectations; it was God carrying out His plan and purpose for and through David.  As the instruments would play their interlude to let us reflect on this truth, it's as if David cannot hold himself back, as he chants: GOD WILL SEND OUT HIS STEADFAST LOVE AND HIS FAITHFULNESS! God is like that. We can depend on Him.  Let's call out to Him, and watch the storm pass by.

True Confessions...

As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. Swear to me therefore by the LORD that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house.” And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
(1 Samuel 24:16-22 ESV)l
Did you ever start to think that you were not doing the right thing? Even when deep down in your relationship with God He kept telling you that you were? We see David second guessing himself, then humbly opening himself up to review. The result is found here: Saul admits he has done wrong and David has not; David deserves to be king and he does not; David will be king , and he will not. He tells the truth, then asks for mercy - for David to treat his descendants in a way undeserving of the way he has treated David. It is his way of saying: "Will you forgive me?"  David does.  But he realizes the truthfulness of Saul's words does not indicate the trustworthiness of Saul's character, so he goes his own way. What confessions do I (you) need to make today? Things that truth be revealed, I will look bad, and others be justified.  Where I stop claiming myself as a victim, and lift up others as worthy. Where I am willing to ask forgiveness and for mercy

Total Vulnerability

Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.’ See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! May the LORD therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.” (1 Samuel 24:8-15 ESV)
Was David nuts? Saul has been pursuing David in order to kill him. David has just surrendered his golden opportunity to return the favor. Now David gives up his cover, bows before his pursuer, and opens up his heart for criticism and his life for potential slaughter. Why would he do that? Because he truly believed in God as the ultimate judge. He believed that honesty and humility were more than a slogan - they are THE way of life. He begins the conversation by confessing what he had done wrong, making himself vulnerable, even though it was clear for all to see that Saul had much more he needed to confess to. What are you and I willing to do to "bring things out into the open? Are we willing to be vulnerable? To trust in God to "plead my cause and deliver me?" What important relationship are you having trouble doing that with? Follow David's example: humble honesty and total trust.