Timely Worship

One of my favorite things about reading through a chronological Bible is getting to read through David's story in I and II Samuel while also reading his Psalms as they correspond to events in his life. I wrote last time about how many years of suffering David went through (primarily at the hand of Saul) before he was actually able to take the throne for which he had already been annointed years and years earlier. However, I never realized how many of David's famous Psalms were written during this time period. As David lived in hiding to escape the unjustified death sentence of a jealous king, he was constantly writing psalms of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. For example, when the Ziphites betray David and tell Saul where he is hiding (I Samuel 23:19), David writes Psalm 54 in response: "For strangers have risen up against me; ruthless men seek my life...Behold God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life...I will give thank to your name, O Lord, for it is good." Another example is David's response when he finds out that Saul ordered a whole group of priests to be killed, simply because they showed David hospitality earlier on. His response to this horrifying news is found in Psalm 52: "Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day... I trust in th steadfast love of God forever and ever." I find Psalm 34 the most startling. It's one of my favorite Psalms, "taste and see that the Lord is good!" (v. 8), but I didn't realize that David wrote it after he was forced to act like a mad man in order to save his own life. I Samuel 19 gives the account of when David must flee to the land of Gath. Knowing David is a great warrior, the people there fear his presence. Afraid the king will have him killed, the only thing David can think to do is to act as if he has gone crazy, literally mad. He pretends to be insane, to the point of having "spittle run down his beard" (I Sam. 19:13). His plan works, and the king perserves his life, but it shows the absolute desparation David has found himself in. Yet, Psalm 34 is his response. David had to act like an insane man to save his life, and he says: "I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my troubles" (v. 4). If I were forced to act insane and spit all over myself to save my life, I'm not sure I would have the same response.

I am so convicted by David's responses of praise and thanksgiving despite his wretched circumstances. He is literally facing death day after day, living in caves, separated from his family, and yet he trusts that the Lord is the upholder of his life. Evil men want him dead, but he knows that God is good and is worthy of his praise. My circumstances have never been as bad as David's were during  that period of many years, and yet my response in trial is hardly ever to worship. I ask that God would change my heart to worship him all the more when my circumstances are grim, because he is so good, so loving, and so worthy of my praise, and my steadfast help in times of suffering.