Reading: II Samuel 21-22
And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Saviour; Thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies(II Sam. 22:2-4).
We live in an ever-changing world, ensconced in a society built by mankind on a foundation of shifting sand. Moral codes are fluid—formed from popular opinion and changing from generation to generation. Right and wrong are nebulous concepts with no clear definition, determined primarily by the wants and needs of those in control at any given time. This has been the way of the world since the very beginning when Eve first yielded to temptation and sin entered into God’s creation. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Gen. 3:4-6). With the first taste of the forbidden fruit, humanity traded its innocence for the illusion of independent self-reliance.
Now an old man, David had seen first-hand the destruction wrought by that illusion. He had witnessed the rise, fall, and ultimate ignoble death of Saul, a man whom he’d loved as a father and honored as God’s anointed king. He himself had abused the power of his kingship to indulge in adultery with another man’s wife, then turned to murder in an attempt to cover up his sin. He’d watched as his two oldest sons fell prey to their own lusts and ambitions, resulting in the rape of his daughter and the deaths of both sons. David understood better than most that independence was an illusion and self-reliance was just another word for self-destruction. But as he looked back over his life, he didn’t linger on the pain or the hard times. He didn’t bemoan the evilness of the world, waste time chastising himself for his missteps, or analyze what he could have done differently. Instead, he counted his blessings and gave thanks to God for His steadfast presence and boundless love.
David understood the greatest truth of all. When one is anchored to the solid foundation of God, the storms of the world lose their power. God is our rock, our deliverer, our refuge, and our Saviour. He will guide, correct, instruct, and mold us. He will shelter, carry, support, and deliver us. And He will save us—from our enemies, but most importantly, from ourselves.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it(Matt. 7:24-27).
Thought for Today: Mankind’s nature is self-destructive. We require the influence and guidance of God to thrive.
Christ Portrayed:As the One we call upon for salvation (II Sam. 22:4). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
Word Studies:21:5 coasts = boundaries, territories; 22:3 horn of my salvation = saving strength; 22:6 prevented = confronted; 22:19 stay = support; 22:27 froward = perverse; unsavoury = astute, cunning; 22:31 buckler = defender; 22:46 close places = strongholds.
Pray For Country:Latvia (2,178,443) Eastern coast of Baltic Sea in Northeastern Europe • Major Languages: Latvian, Russian • Religious Freedom • 19.6% Lutheran; 15.3% Orthodox; 1% Other Christian; 0.4% Other; 63.7% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Pray when you are afflicted and suffering (James 5:13).
Optional Reading:Acts 20