Psalm 4: Plans, Shmans ...

Last week when we caught up with David we learned he was fleeing for his life from his son, Absalom, who was trying to de-thrown David and start a coup (see 2 Kings 15 and 16). Yet in this time of distress, King David cried out to God and trusted that God would deliver him. Not much has changed in this Psalm. David is still in under great deal of stress and he continues to cry out to God (and even tries to offer his "enemies" some seriously good advice in this Psalm). We know from his story in 2 Kings that people were trying to ruin David's name and reputation! So, insert yourself into the Psalm here ... when have you been so desperate for God to intervene in your life? Have you ever felt like God wasn't listening to you, not hearing or answering your prayers in the way and time you want them answered? Were you being made fun of? Was someone gossiping about you? Did you feel like your parents were being unreasonable about something? Was some you knew sick and/or dying and not getting better? Who or what has tried to steal your joy? In this piece of Scripture, King David seems to be begging God to listen to him. Most of us can identify and know just how David is feeling – he is completely desperate for God to intervene and make it all better! But instead of complaining about his un-joyous situation, David then does something that is a good lesson for us to remember when we feel God isn't hearing us! He gets humble! First, David affirms that he knows God is in charge and that there is a plan! This example can be hard for us to swallow when we are sure God isn’t working fast enough or answering in ways we want! Nevertheless, it would do us good to always acknowledge and remember that God DOES have a plan and while it might not be how we would do it, the plan ultimately rocks! It can be as simple as saying in our prayers – God here is what I want or hope for but you are in charge and I’ll go with your plan! Or – God I just don’t get what you are doing in my life and I just need Your help to understand Your plan! Second, David makes a commitment that most of us don’t regularly consider. King David decides not to sin by letting his hurt and anger toward his enemies and a God who seems not to care get to him. It is really easy for us not to make that commitment. But then our hurt and anger take over. You see, the hurt and anger we store up inside will eventually consume us and take over our lives, completely separating us from God, if we don’t do something about it and if we don’t admit we aren’t in control! The bottom line? King David sets a great example for us all to remain joyful even when our situations aren’t full of joy! King David sends us a great reminder that God is in control and it’s not our about our timeline or way or doing things, but God’s! Amen?!

Psalm 3: Enemies, enemies, enemies!

EYC Weekly Devotion Psalm 3: 1-2God,! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, Mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: "Hah! No help for him from God!" 3-4 But you, God, shield me on all sides;You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.5-6 I stretch myself out. I sleep. Then I’m up again—rested, tall and steady, Fearless before the enemy mobs Coming at me from all sides. 7 Up, God! My God, help me! Slap their faces, First this cheek, then the other, Your fist hard in their teeth! 8 Real help comes from God. Your blessing clothes your people! Have you ever been stressed? Have you ever felt like negative thing after negative thing after negative thing was happening in your world? Heard the expression "when it rains it pours!"? Had a bad day or two or three? Have you ever wanted to just give up? Well at the time David wrote this Psalm, he was having a pretty bad day ( life, actually ...)! His own son, Absalom, was attempting a coup to de-thrown David as King of Israel! David was forced to flee for his life from his kingdom and home (see the full story in 2 Kings 15 and 16). We know from verses 1 and 2 of this Psalm that things were pretty bad for David. Things were so bad that he was probably feeling like he was about to die at the hands of his enemies! I don't know about you, but I've certainly had days where I thought I was going to "die" at the hands of my "enemies." You know, our "enemies" don't necessarily have to be people running after us trying to snatch our crown! Our "enemies" can be more metaphorical ... but still VERY real. For teens today, some of these "enemies" may include: *the failing of a test or struggling through a class. *judgement from our peers about our clothes, lives, and abilities (or perceived lack of abilities). *gossip, hatred, or jealousy and struggling to find where and how we fit in adults in our lives who just don't understand or have expectations that are too high and we feel are overly harsh, strict, and critical. *being challenged for time for ourselves and God because of schedules that are too full. *money (too much or lack thereof). *peer pressure to do things one may or may not want to do and explore. Regardless of what your "enemy" might be, the bottom line is we all have these fleeing moments of struggle, just like David. No one is exempt! At this point, I think David knew has two choices: he could give up and let his enemies win or he could persevere with God's help. And let's be honest, we all know what David was likely to choose ... SUCCESS!! After all, he clearly had the secret for being successful! How else could one slay a giant and wild animals, become king, and handle extreme adversity? David's secret to success was simply that he trusted God. David knew, without a shadow of a doubt that God is in charge and that God can "knock the teeth out" of our enemies! To close, I think it is pretty easy to insert ourselves into this Psalm of David! It teaches us two brilliant lessons! First, we are reminded that bad things do happen to good, strong people! Life is not always easy and there will be times of pain and suffering. Second, it's okay to have and feel negative emotions. But we also have to remember they are indicators of what is taking place in our inner world! This is much like the dashboard of our car indicating to us a problem in the engine. After seeing the light on, what would we do? Of course, we would tell our parents and take the car to a mechanic and fix the issue! So, in life, why not go to The Mechanic of our Hearts (a.k.a. God) with our negative emotions and struggles?! That is the example David sets for us in this Psalms. Further, being able to go to God is part of trusting God! After all, there is something very therapeutic about just talking about our "enemies," even if it is just crying our in prayer as David does in Psalm 3! So ... try it! Next time you feel overwhelmed, follow the example of David and cry out to God!