I Need to Learn to Call on God Whether things Are Bad or Not!

Posted on 06. Feb, 2010 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Psalm 55:1-13

Written by King David – For the Choir Director
A Maskil (which possibly has to do with understanding or pondering OR may be to do with performance.) For stringed instruments.

¹ God, listen to my prayer and

don’t hide from my request for favour and mercy.

² Hear and answer me.

I am restless (with) anxiety and shaken up

³ because of the enemy’s voice and

because[1] of the pressure of the wicked.

They drop trouble on me.

They’re angry (with) me and hate me.

⁴ I am twisted up in my inner being and

the terror of death has fallen in me.

⁵ I have started to fear and tremble[2].

Horror is covering me.

⁶ I said, “(If only) someone had given me wings like a dove

and I could fly away and settle down.”

⁷ See, I would run far away

and stay in the desert.

[Stop and think about that!][3]

⁸ I would hurry to my place of escape

from the fierce wind and the storm.

⁹ Lord, swallow them up.

Divide their language.

I have seen cruelty and fighting in the city.

¹⁰ They go around on (the city) walls

day and night

and wickedness and trouble are among them.

¹¹ Destruction is among them.

Oppression and lies don’t (ever) leave here streets.

¹² It’s not an enemy (who is trying) to disgrace me.

I could take that.

It’s not (someone who) hates me (who has) made himself great over me.

(Then) I could hide from him.

¹³ But it’s you, a person equal to me,

my friend (who) I know.

[1] “from before” [2] ‘fear trembling come” [3] The word used here is “Selah”. It is most probably a musical term indicating the end of a verse and can be translated as “Pause.” It is also a possibility that it could indicate for the reader to stop and think about what has just been read.

Application

I love the honesty in the psalms but I can’t help recognising what a privilege I have to live in a county with relative peace and safety. I can only imagine the trauma and pain that David was suffering as he wrote this psalm in fear of his life. I can only imagine the threat of death that he was under and the fact that it was from a close friend.

In this state, he calls out to God, possibly because he recognised there is no other hope when things are that bad. I need to learn to call out to God whether things are bad or not. When abundance flows, as it does in our society, it’s just too easy to fall into sin and away from God. Perhaps ours is the more dangerous place to be in after all.

Even David says he would rather live in the desert than to live in this fear and danger. I need to prefer the desert to the things that would endanger my life and lead me away from God.

Certainly I live in a city where the people go around entertaining every kind of wickedness. There is violence in some places and there is immorality everywhere. My city needs to be rescued from the lies and destruction that is coming on her and God has called me for this purpose. I need to remember this every day and not be so intent on living in my own safe house.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the safety and peace that you have given me. I am so grateful for the security that I live in. Father, you know the areas in which I am oppressed and have need and I call on you to bring victory in those areas of my life.

Please also stir up my heart so that wickedness and lies are overthrown in this city and wherever you take me. It’s such an immense task and I need you to lead me where you want me to be. Enable me to be persuasive in convincing others to join the fight against evil and against you enemies.

IJN Amen

Jim Peters

I Need to Learn to Call on God Whether things Are Bad or Not!

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