When Everything Fails

“Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy” (Psalm 64:1 KJV). David speaks for all the godly but especially for Israel in the future time of Jacob’s Trouble in Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Daniel 9:24). It is then, when everything familiar seems out of place and our desperate attempt to resolve the situation is failure. Pray and trust God to do as He always has done — deliver His people. “But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded” (64:7). He is the Immutable and Unchanging God Worthy of Our Trust. “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory” (64:10). Hallelujah! 

Blessed Sleep

Who doesn’t want to get a good night’s sleep? Before we can get that sleep, of course, God must give it. “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2 KJV). Too much caffeine, excessive liquids, too hot, too cold, too much noise, inconsistent sleep patterns are only a few things that may prevent that sleep. David’s first contact with Saul was to play a harp to help the king feel better, when he was troubled by an evil spirit allowed by God to harass and disturb the king (1Samuel 16:15). We may initially not be theologically receptive that God would give the enemy permission to harass us, but Paul’s “thorn in the flesh, the messenger [Greek, aggelos, angel] of Satan [Greek, Satân, adversary] to buffet me” (2Corinthians 12:7) was just that. Certainly, we should petition for sleep and “glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (12:9), if the LORD does not give that sleep. But, we just may be benefitted by playing not-too-loud,  soothing, calming, rejoicing, uplifting, overcoming, faith-filled Christian music without a driving beat as we sleep (through in-ear, wireless bluetooth earbuds connected to a smartphone music app) to gain the benefit that God allowed David to give Saul. “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1Samuel 16:23). 

Cure for Fear

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3 KJV). Better than whistling a happy tune, because the One we trust is greater than anything that can harm us. David didn’t stop there, but went on. “In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (56:4). In God We Trust may only sound like an advertising slogan minted on coins, but true confidence in God is deceptively powerful. Faith is so effective an antidote for fear, the enemy mocks and trivializes it in hope the godly will be lulled into a false sense of “maybe this is too simple to work.” Exactly. Because it is not about us, but about whom we are trusting. Almighty God. “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14). 

Names of God: God Who Keeps Me From Falling Asleep Behind the Steering Wheel on the Freeway

“Unto Him that is able to keep you from falling” (Jude 1:24 KJV). Far from trivializing God, we personalize God with an infinite number of names to express His relationship to us. It may mean little to another, but arriving safely home without harming anyone meant a lot to me. Faith looks for ways to exalt God. David called his God Jehovah Rohi or “The LORD is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). Gideon identified God as Jehovah Shalom for the angel of the LORD had just granted him peace and promised success in delivering Israel. So “Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom [Jehovah is peace]” (Judges 6:24 KJV). What is your name for God? Or, perhaps as an elderly person, God Who Keeps Me From Losing My Balance And Falling.

David Beats Goliath

David beating Goliath has become an expression for an underdog beating a much stronger opponent. How did David beat the Nephilim Goliath? He won because the LORD fought his battle. “And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you [Goliath] into our hands” (1Samuel 17:47 KJV).