Burunche’s Blog

Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

“Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer,
to You all flesh will come.

Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.

Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.

By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas; Who established the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.

They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice. You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth.

You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.”

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.” David dedicates many of his psalms to “the Chief Musician.” But to whom is David referring? While there was at least one leader of the musicians in the temple, personally, I like to believe that David is referring to God, who gives birds their songs, who causes oceans to roar, who causes mountains to tremble, and who gives the wind its voice.

“Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.” God’s people are already praising Him and waiting for Him to manifest His glory. Fulfilling a vow to God is one of the highest forms of praise. God’s creation longs to come to Him, but people are sometimes very foolish and separate themselves from God by rejecting Him.

“Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.” Our own sins are more dangerous than any attack from someone else. Only God can provide complete atonement for these sins.

“Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.” We can only approach God because God allows us. If God hides Himself, we are powerless to find Him. When God’s Holy Spirit abides in a place, we can feel the goodness and the righteousness in a way that satisfies our souls, calming us and fulfilling us like nothing else.

“By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas; Who established the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.” We see natural wonders and take them for granted, little realizing that it is the righteousness of God that brings all these things to pass. What some unbelievers choose to call natural law is actually God’s righteousness at work.

“They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice. You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.”

The rest of the psalm describes God’s righteousness at work. As a shepherd, David keenly observed as dry deserts blossomed during the rains. Now David is singing a hymn of praise for all the goodness he has witnessed. David also claims that the land itself is singing and shouting for joy.

APPLICATION: This psalm is one of the favorites read in churches during harvest season in farming areas. Anyone working the land has witnessed the miracles described here on an annual basis. Isaiah 35 mentions “the desert will blossom as a rose,” a real phenomenon in dry places that suddenly receive much-needed rain. Right now, we are entering the dry season in northern Ghana. Our teak trees are beginning to drop their huge leaves and our grass is withering. Only the mango trees leaves remain glossy and green.

We are entering a lean season and praying for the harvest. This year has not been a good year for farming, and we are seeing increasing numbers of children requiring transfusions. We worry that the next few months we will see an increase in malnourished children; only yesterday one severely anemic four year old girl weighing 6 kg (13.2 lb) was admitted.

People who regard land as inanimate are completely wrong. The earth knows when someone who loves it is caring for it and it will respond. What we term natural disasters frequently occur because someone mishandles the land. The catastrophic dust storms of the 1930’s in the high plains part of America came because of over-grazing and poor farming practices. Now the land has recovered in many places because good conservation methods have been set in place. But not everything we call progress brings positive results. When American farms were smaller, there were many fences and hedge rows with vegetation growing up around them. Not only did these areas shelter wildlife and birds, but they also reduced the effect of winds, leading to less soil erosion and less blockage of highways from snow in the wintertime. Now that these fences and hedge rows are gone, there is more wind  erosion and state highway crews are coping with more snow drifts in the winter.

Today, why not thank God for His goodness, His mercy, and His love! Remember that if we don’t praise Him, the very rocks will cry out.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and help us to praise You for Your goodness, Your mercy, and Your love. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

“Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the blameless; suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter; they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, “Who will see them?” They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”

Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly they shall be wounded. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; all who see them shall flee away.

All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.”

“Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the blameless; suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.” Fear! Fears can paralyze us, rendering us unable to do anything. Fears can haunt us for years. Fear can even affect our bodies, giving us stomach ulcers, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and possibly even cancer. But here David is begging God to preserve his life from FEAR of the enemy. Here is a prayer for all of us.

“Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked.” Ever notice how some people are natural conspirators; they are never happier than when they are plotting someone else’s downfall. If those same people would put half as much energy into doing their work well, they would become flaming successes and have no need for plotting against others.  

“They encourage themselves in an evil matter; they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, “Who will see them?” They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” The more evil people become, the prouder they become as well. Truly evil people are convinced that they are far superior spiritually and that they are above the law, even the Law of God.

“Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly they shall be wounded. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; all who see them shall flee away.” Truly evil people are convinced that God is blind and that they can get away with anything without fear of retribution. But all this time, God is watching and waiting, giving them time to repent if they will. But at some point, God WILL deal with the wicked. We wish God would deal with them right now, but God even loves the wicked and longs for them to repent. For anyone who fails to repent will wind up separated from the Love of God forever.

“All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.” But if the wicked refuse to repent, why does this verse say, “All men shall fear and shall declare the work of God”? God will receive praise one way or the other. Either we will praise Him here and now or we will acknowledge His greatness on the way to hell. The choice is ours; God doesn’t send people to hell; people choose to go there by turning away from God. As soon as we turn our hearts toward God, He helps us grow in His righteousness so that we can be glad and trust in Him and glory in Him.  

APPLICATION: Through the years, we have weathered a great deal of criticism, not to mention outright lies. When we blocked unscrupulous men from stealing hospital equipment and otherwise profiting from our first project, they carried lies about us back to our first mission group. Sadly, the mission group believed the lies, refusing to even give us a hearing. Some of those leading that group even spread more lies, claiming that we “lacked a can-do attitude.” Hmm. Our next assignment from God in Ghana was to turn a small health center with eleven workers into a small bush hospital in the middle of a tribal war with no electricity or running water. Obviously, God’s view of us differed greatly from those lies.

When we first came to our current station, the national leadership failed to introduce us to the Regional Health Directorate properly, leaving us vulnerable to further lies and criticism. All those lies died away as the hospital grew and succeeded under extremely trying circumstances. But repeatedly through the years, those bent on unrighteous gain have persisted in their lies.

How can one survive under such circumstances? When Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, the enemies of the Jews were attempting to scare him by reporting threats. One Jew who was a secret informer even tried to get Nehemiah to hide in the temple. Nehemiah answered, ““Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me. My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.” (Nehemiah 6:11-14)  Ironically, God has remembered these traitors, and we can still read all their names in Nehemiah’s accounts.

Are you trying to fulfill God’s calling on your life but meeting opposition? Hold on! God is still on the throne! Don’t give way to fear-don’t even begin to fear. As soon as you feel fear rising, remind yourself that God is the One who has called you and therefore He is responsible for results. Soak your mind and your heart with scriptures of hope and encouragement. Refuse to obsess about your problems!

Read the 4^th Chapter of Philippians. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 says,“ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Find Scriptures that encourage you and write them on cards or post-it notes and place them where you can see them readily. Psalm 64 says, “All the upright in heart shall glory.” It does NOT say “all the upright in heart who have no problems.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are worried and fearful and with good reason. We are facing big problems and we feel overwhelmed. Please speak to the hearts of all who read these words so that they will take their courage from You, the only true Source of Light and Life. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Thirsting for God (2 Samuel 15:30-37)

A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.

“O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.

So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory. Because Your loving devotion is better than life, my lips will glorify You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift my hands.

My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You. When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night. For You are my help; I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.

My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life to destroy it will go into the depths of the earth. They will fall to the power of the sword; they will become a portion for foxes. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by Him will exult, for the mouths of liars will be shut.”

“O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.” David is fed up! King Saul has been chasing David all over Israel and now David and his men are hiding in the Wilderness of Judah not far from the Dead Sea. The sun is broiling hot and heat waves are shimmering off the hills. The only way to stay cool is to hide in caves, coming out in the evening to hunt. Drinking water is at a premium and David and his men are rationing their water as they search for new sources to replace the water they are consuming. Little wonder then if David refers to thirsting for God in a dry and weary land. As David gazes out on the glaring noonday heat, he is remembering the good times when he was able to worship with other believers without fear of being annihilated…and probably when he had all the water he could drink.

“So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory. Because Your loving devotion is better than life, my lips will glorify You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift my hands.” What has David seen while in the sanctuary? We don’t know, but clearly God has manifested Himself to David in some special manner so that David can confidently speak of God’s power and glory. Now as a fugitive, David is reminding himself of God’s loving devotion that is more important than anything else. David plans to keep on praising the Lord and blessing Him, no matter what.

 “My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You. When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night. For You are my help; I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.” While David and his men are lucky to get sufficient bread and water to survive, David continues to glory in God’s goodness and mercy. Countless times as a shepherd, David has watched birds sheltering their fledglings beneath their wings to protect them. That image of the sheltering wings runs throughout many of David’s psalms. But God’s wings are not made of flesh; they are eternal, fireproof, and bomb-proof. David knows that as long as God is protecting him, no evil can touch him unless it comes through God first.

 “My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life to destroy it will go into the depths of the earth. They will fall to the power of the sword; they will become a portion for foxes. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by Him will exult, for the mouths of liars will be shut.” By himself, David has little means of protection. Wherever David has fled, even the people whose lives he and his men have saved have turned traitors in hopes of currying favor with King Saul. More then once, David has had the chance to kill Saul, but he has refused, leaving Saul’s fate to God. Samuel has already anointed David to be the next king of Israel, and David is trusting that God will bring that kingship to pass. God Himself will shut the mouths of David’s critics.

APPLICATION: No bush hospital should have fewer than two doctors, and three doctors are even better; I know, for I have manned (womanned?) two different mission hospitals as the only doctor for several long years. At one point, I even served as the Medical Superintendent/Acting Administrator. (I had to buy books on Health Service Administration and read them quickly just to do a barely adequate job.) In such situations, sleep deprivation is a constant problem and decision-making is very difficult; meanwhile, my well-rested critics have persisted in assailing me. Many times the criticism has had nothing to do with my performance and everything to do with the fact that I am an honest woman working for Jesus and I refuse to countenance corruption and favoritism. Having grown up on a farm having to handle animals far bigger than I am, I refuse to be bullied.

When we are reading these psalms, we should remember that David has also had to overcome daunting challenges. Here is a man who has walked or run long miles over rocky terrain, subsisting on bread and water, sleeping in caves, and fearing for his life. David has suffered, and yet his faith has even grown under these circumstances. One of the laws of the Kingdom of God is that faith that has not been tried is not really faith but a wistful belief.  

Dr. Jeanette M. Troup was working at the ELWA Hospital in Jos, Nigeria in 1970 when a Lassa Fever outbreak took place. While performing an autopsy on one of her nurses, Jeanette accidentally cut herself. As Jeanette was developing the Lassa Fever from which she herself eventually died, she told a missionary friend that “Nothing can come to me except through my Father’s hand.” Little was known about Lassa Fever before this outbreak. The autopsies that Jeanette performed before her death helped advance the knowledge of this disease and make it possible to develop a vaccine. (Lassa can still kill; a few years ago, a colleague in a hospital in Togo died from Lassa.)

Jeanette Troup’s faith was an inspiration to all who knew her because that faith was forged in the fire of suffering. We treasure David’s psalms today for the same reason. No matter what you are going through, God’s strong right hand is still there to hold you securely. Trust Him to keep you, even in the middle of your struggles.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are facing severe trials, things too terrible to speak about to others. But You know us better than we know ourselves and You know all the pain. Lord, speak to the hearts of all who read these words so that they will put their trust in You and never quit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

“Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed on the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor.

Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O  Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work.”

“Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. “ We aren’t certain when in David’s long career this psalm was written; however, David is obviously facing stiff opposition and criticism. Steve Jobs once said, “If you want to make people happy, don’t be a leader, sell ice cream.”  Being a leader makes you a target for people’s complaints, their criticisms, their schemes, and their desire to depose you so that they might take over, as evidenced by the next few verses.

“How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah” If a leader is truly righteous, anytime someone begins to attack that leader, he or she is on a very shaky foundation that will likely collapse at any moment. Unfortunately, that fact fails to prevent people from nosing around to find any dirt possible or even to manufacture lies. And sometimes those who praise you the most and say the most comforting things are simply trying to worm their way into your affections so that they will have more material for criticism.

 “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” People may fail us but God will never fail us. When we rely on God, we can be confident that He will give us His best. God is the One who can defend us from all threats, including schemes about which we know nothing.

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed on the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor.” No matter how important and powerful our friends are, they can die at any moment. If we rely on the poor, they may be bought. If we rely on the rich, they may sell us to the highest bidder. Compared to God, all people are nothing but a weightless vapor floating in the air.

“Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O  Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work.” Those who trust in oppression or robbery are likely to find themselves oppressed and robbed. Money can evaporate; just ask anyone unfortunate enough to have lost their life savings in a Ponzi scheme or the collapse of a savings and loan.

APPLICATION: Once more, we are considering a psalm for the embattled. During the years when I headed mission hospitals, this psalm was one of my favorites and it was underlined, highlighted, and commented upon in several of my Bibles. Now that I use an e-reader, I still paste comments, and it is fascinating to read those remarks and remember how we were suffering at the time I wrote them.

My experiences as a leader have taught me several truths, many of which David has captured in this brief psalm. Repeatedly, those in authority to whom I am to answer have proven to be “vapors,” nothing more than smoke that floats away in the first high wind. Rich and powerful people can change their minds without notice, leaving institutions depending on them struggling to survive. National considerations and tribal ones may lead to a withdrawal of support. And then there is the impact of international events.

In the wake of September 11, 2001, many charitable organizations witnessed a precipitous downslide in charitable giving. Groups that had supported mission hospitals for large sums of money were forced to curtail their support or to withdraw altogether. The recent COVID outbreak hurt as well when businesses that had been flourishing were forced into bankruptcy. The Ebola scare of 2014 caused many groups to focus their attentions on Latin America or India or the Far East, further damaging support for African institutions.

I am not saying all these things to whine but to point out that God is the only One who has not changed throughout all these crises. God is our only dependable Source. If God has called you to a work, God will protect and sustain you. Trust Him and Him alone. He is faithful!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us have never known a father’s care because our fathers were absent in some fashion. Lord, help all of us to trust You and to expect You to guide and provide for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection

To the Chief Musician. On a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.

“Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king’s life, his years as many generations.
He shall abide before God forever.

Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.”

“Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah”

 Rocks! People have been hiding in rocks and caves as long as humans have existed. Rocks are strong, solid, and can protect us in ways that no man-made structure can. David is fully aware of all this. While Israel once had forests, the rocks are even more abundant. Many of those rocks mark boundaries or sites of famous battles. During the long years when David was fleeing from Saul, he and his men took full advantage of those rocks and caves as they dodged Saul’s armies and escaped to fight somewhere else.

“…when my heart is overwhelmed…” We read the Bible knowing everything that will eventually happen, that David will become a highly successful and popular king and that his reign will be glorious. But at the time David is writing this psalm, he is a fugitive, continually seeking new hiding places and wondering how he will care for his troops. We know that when David fled to the Cave of Adullam, 400 men joined him; however, we don’t know how many people are now with David at the time of this psalm. Little wonder then, if David feels overwhelmed.

“I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.” What could be better than an absolutely safe place, a place where one might stay forever? Here David is comparing God to a mother bird sheltering her fledglings under her wings, protecting them with her own body. But mother birds can be killed while God abides forever. When we find God’s protection, we can be at complete rest for He is faithful and true.

“For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king’s life, his years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever.” Nothing is better than the eternal heritage that God alone can give. Abiding before God means that we routinely seek His presence, worshiping Him, calling on His Name and rejoicing in His Word. You might think that this is impossible; however, you are actually doing all those things right now. You are reading this psalm and meditating on it, something far more important than any number of wild gyrations to worship music.

It is highly significant that the promise implied in these verses has been fulfilled. Jerusalem is still referred to as “the city of David.” The Messiah is referred to as “the Son of David.” Even though David died thousands of years ago, God has preserved his memory and has honored his faithfulness.  

“Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.”  David began life as a shepherd and he knows sheep must be fed and watered daily. In the same way, David continues to praise God daily so that he will have the courage, the stamina, and the endurance to perform his vows to God.

APPLICATION: We all make promises; however, keeping those promises can become quite tedious. The late Eugene Peterson wrote an excellent book about the pilgrim psalms entitled A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Daily obedience, daily consistency, these are the things that help us continue to perform our vows to God regularly. Anybody can make promises in the heat of the moment, but fulfilling those promises daily is a whole different matter.

While growing up on a Midwestern farm, I learned the value of daily consistency and obedience. Ours was an “Old McDonald” type of farm with beef cattle, dairy cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep. That livestock needed to be fed and watered twice a day, and without pipe-borne water, we had to either pump water into water tanks using a small electric pump and haul them out to the hogs in the field or carry water in buckets. Although the beef cattle were allowed to graze, we still had to supplement with ground feed we carried and poured into feed bunks-long narrow flat troughs from which the cattle could eat. (A full 5-gallon bucket weighs 25 pounds; I used to carry one in each hand down the center of the feed bunk.) We also chopped green corn for silage, storing it in a pit silo; few things are less attractive than having to chop frozen silage out of a pit silo on a frosty winter morning with the wind whipping over the prairie. You know it’s really cold when the condensation from your breath forms frost on the muffler you have tied around your neck.

The one thing all these experiences taught me was to be dutiful. Dictionaries tell us that: Dutiful means performing the duties expected or required of one, and characterized by doing one’s duty. It can also mean required by duty or proceeding from or expressive of a sense of duty. A dutiful person is obedient and respectful. Thousands of patients over the years have reason to be grateful for those chores that taught me to be dutiful as a child. But our attention to duty, no matter how strong, pales by comparison with God’s.

In this psalm David is avowing that God will protect him better than any rocky fortress. At the same time, David is hoping he is right. When we are stressed out, it’s difficult to trust God; however, we can still hope that He is there and that He remains rock-solid, dependable, and everlasting. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us, “Casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” So many times we come to God clutching our worries tightly to us, hoping that God is really there and that He does care. But we are just as likely to finish praying and then walk away, still clutching those worries. What has saved David during all his trials is that David calls on the Lord and then hands his worries over to the Lord, leaving David free to move forward. Today, why not cast ALL your cares on God? Tell Him your hopes, your dreams, and your fears. And then watch and see what God can do. David was right; God really is the rock of our salvation!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us to trust You with those worries and fears, knowing that You can handle them far better than we can. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Urgent Prayer for the Restored Favor of God

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

“O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us down; You have been displeased; Oh, restore us again! You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; heal its breaches, for it is shaking. You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.

You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.

God has spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver. Moab is My washpot; over Edom I will cast My shoe; Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”

Who will bring me to the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”

 “O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us down; You have been displeased; Oh, restore us again! You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; heal its breaches, for it is shaking. You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.”

David and his men have embarked on a military campaign believing that they are doing God’s will. But they’ve had some setbacks and now David isn’t sure about anything anymore. Things are not going as well as expected. It is unclear just which campaign this is, but it seems to be near the start of David’s reign as king. Things are going so badly that David is asking both himself and God what has gone wrong? Normally, David and his leaders are skilled at military strategy; yet, gambits that have proved so successful in the past are proving useless. Now David is afraid and confused.

“You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.”  David is reminding God that he has tried to serve God throughout his life. Now is the time for deliverance! Why is God delaying? David’s cry is simple: “God, we need help and we need it NOW!”

“God has spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver. Moab is My washpot; over Edom I will cast My shoe; Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.” David is reminding both God and himself of God’s promises of victory. We can feel David’s confusion; God has made all these promises, so why isn’t He acting instantly?

“Who will bring me to the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” The strong city referred to here might be Petra, the city carved out of rock, although the Edomites undoubtedly had several other strongholds. But David is worried; he’s been begging God for assistance, and so far God has refused to answer. David fully realizes that unless God is helping, all the efforts of his men and him will fail miserably. David is also reminding God that God is the One who gives victories and they are waiting on Him.

APPLICATION: One of the wonderful things about the psalms is that we see the writers warts and all. When someone is angry at God or confused, they say so bluntly. How many of us have prayed for years, praying prayers we think are in the perfect Will of God, and yet, we are still waiting for results?

One important lesson of the Kingdom of God is that “Delay is not denial.” We always want instant answers. “God, give me patience and give it to me right now!” But God sees things far differently than we do, and He continues to arrange events to benefit the maximum number of people, not just us.

We must remember that it is God who has subjected the whole creation to futility just so human beings would come to know Him and trust Him. Romans 8:20-22 says, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” God’s purposes are far higher than we can possibly imagine.

When we came to the village of Saboba thirty years ago, there was only a small health center with 11 workers, no electricity, no running water. One year after we arrived, a tribal war broke out and suddenly we were the only safe facility for 100,000 members of the dominant local tribe. We had to cram a small OR, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and men’s, women’s, and children’s wards with a total of 37 beds into that health center building. It was the impetus of that crisis that helped expand the facility into a true hospital. Today we have a well-functioning district hospital with more than 100 beds, an active laboratory and OR, a dental unit, an eye unit, and a public health unit. We continue to expand our services. Only God could bring all this progress about.

Perhaps you have been praying earnestly for years and are beginning to get tired. Why pray any longer? But let’s learn from the example of George Mueller. George Mueller was a man of great faith who founded orphanages in Bristol, England that catered for 10,000 orphans. Mueller also preached internationally and supported a number of missions, both domestic and foreign. Lacking resources, himself, Mueller trusted God to bring in funds. If anybody could pray effectively, George Mueller was that man, and yet….. one of Mueller’s friends had a son who hated God and who emigrated to Canada to escape his father’s influence. Communications were far poorer in those days. Mueller promised his friend to continue to pray for that son. It was when Mueller died that the son learned of Mueller’s death, came under conviction, and turned his life over to God completely. Mueller never saw the fruits of his prayers; the fulfillment came after his death.

Are the answers to your prayers delaying? Remember, delay is not denial. If your requests are in God’s Will, He will certainly fulfill them. But fulfillment will come on God’s schedule and not on yours.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are sitting with unfulfilled prayer requests. We praise you that delay is not denial and that You are already sending answers but on Your time schedule and not ours. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Assured Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloodthirsty men. For look, they lie in wait for my life; the mighty gather against me, not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord. They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me, and behold! You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations; do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

At evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city. Indeed, they belch with their mouth; swords are in their lips; for they say, “Who hears?” But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.

I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense. My God of mercy shall come to meet me;
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies. Do not slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for the cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be; and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah

And at evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city. They wander up and down for food, and howl if they are not satisfied. But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy.”

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloodthirsty men.”  What’s the basis for this psalm? The story is told in 1 Samuel 19:11-17. David has married Saul’s daughter Michal, who loves him. Now Saul has guards surrounding David’s house in hopes of catching and killing him if he leaves. But Michal cleverly lets David down through a window on a rope and then creates a dummy in the bed that looks enough like a sleeping man that Saul’s soldiers think David is sick. Saul’s soldiers really don’t want to have to send David to Saul. When Saul forces the soldiers to return to bring David to him, they find David has escaped. When Saul reproves his daughter, she lies, saying that David has threatened to kill her if she informs Saul. But don’t blame Michal too much; she also fears that her father might kill her.

 “At evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city. Indeed, they belch with their mouth; swords are in their lips; for they say, “Who hears?” But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.”  David is under surveillance 24/7. Even if David is in his house, he can still hear Saul’s men roaming through the streets and shouting threats periodically. It’s nerve-wracking!

“I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense. My God of mercy shall come to meet me;
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies. Do not slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield.”  David realizes that if God simply wipes out his enemies, it will have little effect on people. Far better then for God to scatter and disgrace David’s enemies in such a way that people will remember for generations.

“For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for the cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be; and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah” It’s quite possible that Saul’s men have been taunting David in the street, saying, “David, where is your God now? If your God is so great, let Him save you!”

“And at evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city. They wander up and down for food, and howl if they are not satisfied. But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy.” David has made up his mind to praise God, no matter the circumstances. Praise brings us closer to God and to His protection.

APPLICATION: Reading the story of David in the light of a modern perspective, you might wonder if David will battle PTSD for the rest of his life. Look at what David has suffered: Early rejection by his father, manipulation by King Saul, who only wanted David to play background music but not to succeed on the battle field, years of persecution by King Saul, and repeated betrayals by those he has saved and protected. How has David survived? Throughout all of David’s trials, he has persisted in praising God extravagantly.

Now if you or a loved one have suffered or are suffering from PTSD or depression, please do not misconstrue this statement. I am not trying to imply that all your problems will simply melt away if you will praise God enough. I am also not blaming you for whatever problems are assailing you; my husband and I have been through too much to be that foolish.

Nearly three decades ago, we went through a small tribal war. We routinely woke up to gunfire and then had to listen and decide whether it was a traditional funeral, the military shooting off a few rounds to remind us that we were still under occupation, or if we were under attack and needed to grab the backpack with our money and passports and rush to the River Oti so we could cross into Togo. We survived all this while running a bush hospital without electricity or running water. During these problems, one of our supporting churches pulled out, proclaiming that we “no longer fit into their missions program.” (We later learned that they wanted a nice location to which they could send short term groups, and no, our remote location and the danger would not be conducive to mission tourism.)

Once we reached New Orleans, where I was enrolled in a Master’s degree program in public health, a false positive result on a blood test left us in limbo for months, wondering if I was suffering from some chronic disease. Thankfully, I was later given a clean bill of health. Your problems might make anything we have endured pale by comparison, but I say all this so you will realize I am speaking from experience and not from theory. (At one point, I told one of my friends that I didn’t want to hear any advice from someone who had not earned a Ph.D. in suffering. The friend, who had overcome agoraphobia triggered by sexual abuse as a child, agreed whole-heartedly! )

There is no such thing as a “One size fits all” solution for problems; however, when we praise God in the midst of our struggles, we remove our focus from ourselves and our problems and put it on God instead. We may be powerless to help ourselves; however, God has unlimited power. Notice that while David is praising God, he continues to remind God of the mess he’s in and to beg for deliverance. We don’t have to LIKE our trials, but we do have to endure them. Praise makes it possible to endure trials while waiting for God’s deliverance.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please help all those who read these words to realize how much You love them and how much You want for them to be healthy and whole. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Just Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.

“Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? No, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully.

Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them flow away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow, let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath.

The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

“Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? No, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.” All over the world, there are those who scheme secretly to do wickedness and create mayhem. Although we may first think of terrorist groups such as Hamas, others are sitting behind computer screens, creating viruses and malware to disrupt the lives of people they will never meet. Others create pornography or mastermind human trafficking rings.

“The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully.”  We might wonder if those committing hate crimes ever enjoyed a period of innocence or if they were always vicious.

“Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them flow away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow, let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath.” When writers of psalms want to curse someone, they don’t mince words. But we can also use these same verses as prayers against the wicked. Want peace in the Middle East? Pray these verses! Want human trafficking to cease? Pray these verses!

“The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.” Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers tells us: “It is an allusion to a great conqueror, who, upon “returning with a complete victory from the slaughter of his enemies, dips his feet in their blood as he passes over their carcasses.”

APPLICATION: In the book Black Friday Coming Down, David J. Hunter describes the distraught family of two horrible young men. While Hunter was working as a police officer in Tennessee, he helped arrest two young men who were among the most evil felons he had ever met. When the mother of these young men reported to the police station, Hunter expected that she would be equally wicked, only to meet a sweet genuinely good woman grieving over the crimes her sons had committed. When this lady described all the efforts her husband and she had made to raise these men, it became obvious that they had truly “gone astray as soon as they were born.” This mother advised Hunter to lock her sons up, for as soon as they were free, they would commit even worse crimes.

Whether or not we choose to believe it, we stand before God every day. God sees everything we do and knows all our thoughts and the intents of our hearts. One of the fundamental laws of the Kingdom of God is this: the measure you give out is the measure you will receive, or “What goes around, comes around.” In an earlier day when many people lived on farms, people commonly said, “Be sure your chickens will come home to roost.” This saying refers to the fact that as free-range chickens will always return to the chicken house at night time, our actions have consequences and those consequences will catch up with us. My late mother was fond of adding, “and when they come back, they will have become turkey buzzards!” Sometimes we minimize the evil we have done, never realizing that evil doesn’t diminish; it continues to multiply like a virus.

While it is tempting to point fingers at others and criticize, one question for each of us is this: Are people better off or worse for being in our company? We have seen seemingly good people corrupted by a single evil leader. As soon as the influence of that leader has been removed, those same people revert to goodness. Are we building people up or tearing them down? Are we pointing them toward God or are we discouraging them? May God help us so that we will always influence people for righteousness and not for wickedness!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that we live and move and have our being in You and that You know us better than we know ourselves. Let us always point people toward You and not toward Satan. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

 To the Chief Musician. Set to  “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.

I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.

They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.”

“A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.” David is on the run again. The story is told in 1 Samuel 22:1-2 “David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.” Notice something: David enters the cave alone, but before it is over, 400 men join him.

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.” David is desperate for shelter and protection. The image here is of a mother bird sheltering her fledglings under her wings to protect them from marauders. All the fledglings must do is to remain silent and trust their protector.

“I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.” God is the One who can truly settle all scores. Our knowledge is imperfect and we might jump to wrong conclusions; however, God knows the hearts and intents of the evil ones and He can intervene, sending the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to change hearts and minds.

“My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.”  What can you do if you find yourself trapped amid a pride of lions? STAY STILL! If you move, you might become a lion hors d’ouvre. Only God can save you from danger.

 “They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah” Proverbs 26:27 warns “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.” While we might not know of all the traps our enemies are setting, God sees all, knows all, and can deal with all.

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.” When God delivers us, we should be so grateful that our shouts of praise would practically make the sun rise.

APPLICATION: Make no mistake, the dangers David is describing in this psalm are very real. David has spent long years running from King Saul. Just after David leaves the Cave of Adullam where he has been hiding, he sends his parents to stay with the king of Moab to prevent them from being taken hostage or even being killed. It’s truly tragic that David has to turn to a foreign king for help because the king of Israel is a madman; on the other hand, God is allowing David to forge alliances that will be very helpful in the future. Sending one’s family to someone for protection implies an enormous degree of trust in that person.

One of the laws of the Kingdom of God is that the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. Try being crafty and you might be hoist with your own petard. (The meaning of hoist on(or with or by) one’s own petard is to be harmed or defeated by one’s own plan or device that was meant to hurt someone else. The phrase comes from a speech in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, where a petard was a small bomb used to blow up gates or walls. The phrase implies an ironic reversal or poetic justice.) Eventually, King Saul’s craftiness becomes his undoing.

Once more, David has penned a psalm for all of us under relentless pressure. Even when we have no words of our own, we can borrow those of David. If you are familiar with David’s story, you know that eventually things worked out for him; God is still a Redeemer and He can redeem things for us as well.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust when we cannot see and to continue to look for Your redemption. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Prayer for Relief from Tormentors

To the Chief Musician. Set to  “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.

“Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting all day he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. what can flesh do to me?

All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God! You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?

When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), in the Lord (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”

“A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.”  Right after David and his men received the show bread from the priests at Nob, David fled to the Philistine city of Gath. The story is told in 1 Samuel 21:10-15 10 ”Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” Whether or not David should have made such a drastic move, it failed. Before criticizing David, ask yourself what you would have done in a similar life-threatening situation. David had to be desperate to feign madness, so desperate that he forgot that God was still protecting him.

“Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting all day he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. what can flesh do to me?” Why didn’t David trust God rather than running off to Gath? David was probably in panic mode and was too stressed to think clearly.

“All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God! You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” David realizes that he is being stalked by Saul’s spies and that only God can save him. This is not paranoia; this is being realistic.

“When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), in the Lord (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Here David is making a wonderful affirmation of faith. Perhaps David has written this after being kicked out of Gath and is now realizing that God is his only hope.

“Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” Now David realizes that God is the only Source of his help and that God is the One who has preserved him.

APPLICATION: While it’s unlikely that any of us will go to the extreme lengths to hide as David has done during his flight to Gath, many of us may have been tempted to run from our problems. This psalm depicts David’s despair as well as his repentance from trying to take a quick way out.

I love white water canoeing and kayaking, but there’s one lesson I have had to learn repeatedly: Don’t look at the rocks; look at the river. If I focus on the rocks, I will wind up wrecking on the rocks. The only safe way is to focus on the path the water takes around the rocks and to follow that stream. The same thing holds true for mountain biking or for downhill skiing: you must focus on the path you want to take, not on the obstacles on either side. The second you remove your attention from your goal, you are likely to fall and hurt yourself.

We cannot obsess over our problems and praise God at the same time. When we praise God and lift our attention to Him, He can guide us safely through an obstacle-strewn course. We have had years during which our hospital has gone through financial crises, strikes by workers, theft by workers, and shortages of materials. Despite all these obstacles, God has continued to guide and provide. My only means of escape from these problems has been to continue to focus on caring for the patients. Watching children and their families happily leave the hospital for home buoys my spirits.

When we first came to our small town to visit the facility, we had NO intention of working here! At that time, there was only a health center with 11 workers, no electricity, and no running water. I am a fully-trained general and pediatric surgeon. But when we stepped out of the vehicle, the Holy Spirit descended and suddenly we KNEW we must come. Those first years were very difficult as we weathered a small tribal war and other daunting obstacles. But God has been faithful throughout our struggles. Today we have a district hospital with full surgical coverage, a lab, an eye unit, a dental unit, and other services. Truly, we can say along with David, ““Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to focus on You and not on our problems, for when we do that, You can save and deliver us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.