I don’t think it is possible to read through this psalm without being struck by David’s deep and abiding confidence in God. We do not have to read past the first several verses to deduce that David was not writing this particular song during a calm and trouble free time in his life.
Put yourself in his shoes for a moment: how would you be feeling if you had “evil men” advancing against you, “enemies and foes” attacking you, “an army” besieging you, and a “war” breaking out against you? Would any of that rock your world a bit? Might these circumstances cause you more than a little anxiety and fear?
In the face of all of this, David maintains steadfast confidence in the character and goodness of God. In verse one, David tells us that he experiences God as being his light and salvation, the stronghold of my life, and as a result of that, he concludes with, “of whom shall I be afraid?”
Again, with all H-E-double hockey sticks breaking loose around him, David asserts in verse 13: “I am still confident in this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” What explains this kind of trust? How could David hold tightly to his trust in God and his goodness when all of his circumstances could have easily convinced him that he was on his own?
I think the key to his confidence is found for us in verse 4 (one of the most wonderful verses in all of the Old Testament in my humble opinion). David knew his God – he did not just know about him – he knew him personally. In fact, you could say that he was obsessed with him. David’s deepest desire was to keep company with God, come what may in his life. And he did. His deep awareness of God’s presence with him fueled his confidence that his circumstances did not have the last word in his life – God did.
And that is still true for you and me as well. Does your faith need a confidence boost? Follow David’s lead and keep company with God. Who else would we rather go to when life seems too much to handle?
Ken Jackson
Ken Jackson
I often need to refer to a commentary to really understand the Psalms. I can never remember who wrote it, when and why. It really helps me personally to get the backstory first to better understand the writer’s frame of mind. In a nutshell, it appears that some think David wrote this at different times and some think he wrote it all at once. I really don’t know.
ReplyDeleteOne thing is clear though, he seems to be going through a dark time. Spurgeon claims that his situation fits into the timeframe when Doeg, the Edomite, spoke against him to Saul. In the end it doesn’t really matter but what strikes me is what Ken said about how strong (rooted) David’s trust in the Lord really was. David has such an amazing heart. He can not only slay ten thousand but he is so gentle and aware of how much he needs the Lord. I imagine those days where Saul was hunting him were terrifying but he never lost his cool or became irrational. When he was at his wits end he would open his heart to God and spill about how he really felt. In verses 7-12 he sort of gets it all out when he talks to God and then resolves by saying , “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
There is so much to glean from this. The Psalm itself, David’s heart, how he relates to the Lord and the backstory that led to this Psalm. If anything it reminds me of how much I need to turn to the Lord in times of weakness. Lord, please build my faith in you and remind me to allow you to lead my life.
Thank you, Ken, for you words. This one hit me today in a fresh way.
The book of psalm helps me during my difficult time in my life. My wife and I saw the show of Joseph on Thursday. I still remember very clear of how Joseph kept his fath to the Lord even though many of the people surounded him in prison make fun of him. There is so much to learn from this verse especially during my difficult time at work or my life. Thank you Ken and David for your thought.
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