Talk Tuesday-In The Midst of The Storm: A Journey With King David. Pt. 3

Last week we looked at the importance of small beginnings. This week we will explore how King David worshiped GOD through the storms of life. Did you know that approximately 74 of the 150 Psalms were written by David?

After he defeated Goliath, David's success in battle and his fame grew among the people of Israel. They sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands,” 1 Samuel 18:7. The Bible says that, “8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. 'They have credited David with tens of thousands,' he thought, 'but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?' 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David,” 1 Samuel 18:8-9. Saul's feelings eventually transformed into a murderous jealousy. Although Saul's son Jonathan was David's best friend, he realized quickly that only GOD could save him from the hand of Saul.

The book of 1 Samuel chapters 18 to 31 tells of all the trials David faced on the road to kingship; Psalms unveils his response. For example, Psalm 59, was written when Saul sent men to watch David's house in order to kill him (1 Samuel 19:11-18). Psalm 56 was written when David fled to the land of the Philistines, knowing that Saul would never pursue him in enemy territory, (1 Samuel 21:10-12). There, he feigns insanity, hoping that the Philistine King will spare his life. It is here that he writes Psalm 34. He begins with a declaration of praise, “I will extol the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips,” Psalm 34:1. He exhorts the reader to join him in worship, “3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together,” Psalm 34:3. He makes a bold statement of faith, “8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing,” Psalm 34:8-10. He acknowledges GOD's faithfulness and justice; “15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth,” Psalm 34:15-16. He notes His responsiveness and compassion; “17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit,” Psalm 34:17-18. He concludes with a tenacious statement of faith, “22 The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned,” Psalm 34:22.

David chose to praise GOD, to encourage others to worship Him, to declare his faith in Him, to acknowledge GOD's character and to stand firm in the promises of GOD in the midst of the storm. At the end of 1 Samuel 31, and the beginning of 2 Samuel, Saul is dead, David is anointed as King over Judah and Israel (1 Samuel 31 to 2 Samuel 5). God's promises NEVER fail. Take the opportunity to draw closer to GOD, praise Him in the storm and watch Him defeat your enemies, bring victory to your life and equip you with a powerful testimony and unshakeable faith!  

Talk Tuesday-A Lesson From Psalm 95: Thank Him In The Day of Your Trial

Last night I learned a very valuable lesson from Psalm 95. This was a Word GOD had given in the midst of a very dark and long trial. It begins with praise:

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hands are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:1-7

For those of you who don't know, I am a worship leader and a soloist at church. My heart's passion is to sing God's praises and to encourage others to join in unbridled praise to the LORD. I am happiest when I am worshiping with my brothers and sisters in Christ, with my family or by myself with my guitar in a room. I love meditating on His Word. I love to remember His great deeds, the many times He parted the 'Red Sea' in my own life, and to give Him the praise of thanksgiving.

Yet I will be the first to confess that it is much easier to praise and thank God when life is going well. It is hard to 'sing joyfully' when everything seems bleak and hopeless. When your situation seems to be getting worse instead of getting better, and when you cannot see the proverbial 'light at the end of the tunnel', the temptation to shut down spiritually is very great. The temptation to find alternate means of coping becomes even greater. I recently began to experience discouragement that was so great, I started slipping towards spiritual apathy- watching t.v. and reading fiction books so that I could block reality out. I started spending less time with God, and more time in pursuit of earthly pleasures. This lasted about two weeks. A few days ago, a very close friend of mine came to visit. Unbeknownst to her, God used her to snap me back into the reality of who He is. Then last night, as I sat down to meditate on Psalm 95, I realized that it is precisely at this time we MUST remember that GOD alone is our Refuge! Like the Israelites, who passed down through oral tradition, the many miraculous works that the LORD had done on their behalf, we MUST remind ourselves of who God is by thanking Him for the many answered prayers in our own lives. A posture of praise will keep us grounded in Christ.

“Today if you will hear His voice: 'Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw my work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know my ways. So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.'” Psalm 95:8-11

LORD, we pray for the grace, strength, courage and fortitude to remember who You are in the midst of the storm. Holy Spirit, bring to the forefront of our minds, the memories of the many things God has done on our behalf in the past. Help us to recall His wondrous works. Lord Jesus, You sit at the right hand of God the Father making constant intercession for us. Help us to be a people of praise and great faith, so that we would not harden our hearts in the days of our own trials, but declare through faith in You, that we are more than conquerors! We ask these things, in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.