God, Help Me!
There are times in our life as Christians where we feel like we are flying out of control, crying to God for help, yet the battle or running seems to be ever continuing ...
As I sat down this afternoon with my family, we recommitted ourselves to spending more time in Scripture together as a group. Thus we continued our reading where we left off: 1 Samuel 23
David was being pursued, hunted, and threatened. Saul was unrelenting in his mission to seek and destroy the one that challenged him, and his throne (even though it was already taken away from him by God). After all, Saul wasn't in rebellion with David, he was in rebellion with God. We don't have to imagine David's emotions during this time, as many of them have been penned down in the Psalms. Where are you God? Help me God? Why are you silent while my enemies pursue me?
Yet he remained trusting and faithful ...
So the hunt continued, and the enemy drew closer ...
And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them,I can only imagine the fear, pain, hurt, frustration - all of what David felt - as he knew the time was drawing near. An encounter with Saul was eminent; God, where are you? God, help me!
And just then ... in perfect timing ...
a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.Perfect timing you doubt?!
Perhaps you feel better timing would have been for this to be avoided all together; the pain, fear, running, hiding, agony, anxiety ...
Though I wonder; who would David be without all of this?
There was only One that was pursuing David more than Saul
and that was God
His protection in our chaos may seem confusing, and perhaps even non-existent. Though things are far more than they seem. We cannot live in rebellion to God and survive, so perhaps your battles are because you are on the wrong side of the fight. Although perhaps your battles are simply results of this broken, prideful, and idolatrous world - and while you are being pursued by darkness, just rest in the fact that when God needs to act, He will. A messenger will come, and lay His hand of protection where it needs ... and only God knows when ... but He does know ...
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,His,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
~Matthew
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