Delivered!

Delivered!

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalms 34:4 KJV

We see David, a young man who was found faithful by God to lead the people of Israel after king Saul. David was anointed by Samuel, but it would take another 20 years or so for David to actually ascend to the throne. God's Word cannot be broken, as long as I do not break my own covenant with God to walk upright before Him. David's life is a study in how God walks with a man who is willing to walk with God. Is there a promise you are sure God gave you? Hold on to it; the creator of time knows how to make time work for my good. 

David's experiences also show that both the good and the not-so-good form the package of God's dealings with man. How does God know what is in me if He does not test it? How does He know how I will handle comfort and confusion if He does not bring both my way? We see David here having to go to the territory of the enemy, the Philistines, because king Saul was looking for him to kill him. The enemy recognised him and would have exposed him to Achish the king of Gath, but David had the presence of mind to pretend to be mad, so he could escape. Whatever the reasons we could give for what David did, he escaped. Oh, situations will arise that will test your faith in and stand with God. Things will happen that will shake the foundation of all you think you know. For a season, it will appear that the enemy is gaining ground on you, but as long as you are connected to God, it will always end in praise.

It was this experience that birthed the words of today's extract. David sought the Lord. It means that God needs to be my utmost priority. He is available to all, but He reveals Himself to all who truly seek Him. It's like a gift; remains unwrapped and unappreciated unless and until some one opens it up. And the promise by God, to which David and several other people in the Bible testified is that God will be found by ALL who truly seek Him. Why do I seek Him: is it about seeking solutions to my own needs alone, not concerned about what He wants to do with my life? Do I seek after God's purpose for my life or am I seeking validation for my own plans alone?

Now, this is where knowing God is a daily walk and work. David called to God here, but his problems were not solved overnight or brought to an end immediately. God would still take David through a process to teach him how to depend on God totally. Saul didn't stop chasing David, and David would still learn both pleasant and painful lessons on what God desires for all who seek to walk with and work for Him. However, one thing was sure: David came to know God intimately, so much so that God called him a man after his own heart. It wasn't that David was such a model citizen in behaviour, but he was a man who loved God and would not hide it. Can the same be said of me?

And it was this personal experience of God that would take David through the years of his kingship and beyond, to the point where the lineage of Jesus is tied to David. When I cry to God and He appears to be 'silent', would I still trust Him? I note that God delivered David from his fears, not his experiences. Those experiences were needed to prepare David for where God was taking Him to, and for the man God chooses to use, He will not shortchange the process. As I look forward to a new phase, I ask that God will keep my eyes fixed on Him, not on the ever-changing landscape. Nothing I see now is permanent; only God is. I ask God to deal with fear in my heart, so that I can look forward to the challenges ahead. The journey will be worth it. The end will justify the means. Eternity with God will make all the pain and pleasure worth it. His time of favour is here.