Scripture
O LORD, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.
~Psalm 17:1, NLT
Quote
Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God and a scourge for Satan.
~John Bunyan
This is one of five Psalms that is given the title “A Prayer,” and David wrote four of them. This pray came while David was being hunted by Saul. David’s life is threatened, he is under attack and the odds are not in his favor. David is shrewd, he had a bright military mind but even so he realizes that if God does not intervene, he will not survive.
There are two things in this Psalm that I want to point out: first the contrast between David and Saul. Although Saul had been chosen and anointed by Samuel, his fear, his lack of faith and his disobedience had caused him to be a dismal failure. Samuel gave up on Saul and sought out David and anointed him to be Israel’s king. There was one major problem: Saul would not resign. Saul and most of his supporters began a slander campaign to discredit David in the eyes of all of Israel. Saul also put a price on David’s head and forced David to became a fugitive, a wanted man. Although David knew that God intended for him to be the next king, he refused to take Saul’s life. He also refused to speak evil of God’s anointed leader. Saul on the other hand became a ravenous beast. Saul was like a hungry lion, eager to tear David apart— like a lion hiding in ambush, he intended to destroy David. David on the other hand had the heart of a shepherd. David’s enemies are dishonest, insensitive, worldly and ruthless [ incapable of showing compassion]. While they are plotting, David is praying.
The second point that I wish to make is our reaction to such adversity. What do we do when we come under attack by the world system and those who want to discredit our testimony? David sets us a good example to follow:
- Pray–ask God for His help and divine intervention. There is nothing wrong with admitting that we need God’s help.
- Examine your own heart–this is a natural response for me. My first thought is, “What have I done now.” It is gut-check time. We must make sure we are right with the LORD.
- Look forward–things will get better. David was having a hard time but he looked forward to better days.
- Leave the vindication to the LORD.
- I love SMALL GROUPS…If I had my way, we would do them every Sunday night but that would make it hard on the host and hostess and doubly hard on the baby-sitters. I’m sure our baby-sitters would quick cold turkey if we had them every Sunday night. Our SG will be praying for the BLOCK PARTY and Sav-A-Life.
- Marla Marshall got to come home I think but she is still very sick. The LORD did answer one prayer for sure and we are thankful.
- I heard two good deer hunting stories yesterday. Curly T. put his teeth in a cup of water and the water froze solid during the night. He had to come home to thaw his teeth out. Anthony had a deer walk right in front of him, he said, “No more than 6 feet away,” and he missed the deer. It looks like I’m going have go out there and show them how to do it but I am waiting on warmer weather and I want to go the night they grill steaks, beef steaks.