It’s Hard to See Good from a Bad Vantage Point!

Posted on 05. Feb, 2010 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Psalm 54

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. It was written) after the Ziphites came to Saul and said, “David is hiding in our midst.”

¹ God, save me by your name

And defend[1] me by your power.

² Hear my prayer God.

Listen to what I’m[2] saying.

³ Foreigners have risen up against me.

Ruthless people want (to take) my life.

They have not appointed God (to go) before them.

[Stop and think about that!][3]

⁴ See! God is my help.

The Owner and Master supports my life.

⁵ He will pay back evil to my enemies.

You are faithful! Put an end to them!

⁶ I will want to kill (an animal to) sacrifice to you.

I will thank your name Lord, (because) it’s good.

⁷ He has rescued me from all distress.

My eye has looked with delight on my enemies.

[1] “judge/justify/please legal case” [2] “mouth” [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

When I’m in trouble there’s no better place to go than to God himself. I need to realise that he is indeed the judge of the whole world, that he cares for me and that he intends good for those who serve him. Sometimes it’s hard to see the good from my vantage point, but God looks at the whole picture and not just little snippets.

David shows his honesty with God. He holds nothing back. He doesn’t just praise him but is very vocal with his call for help. God might see my situation but it’s up to me to call on him. There’s something in my calling and my faith that inspires God to action, as hard to imagine as that may be. However, God is definitely for those people who trust in him and call on him. Scripture also says he is against those who don’t appoint him to go before them.

I need to have God as my lead and my guide. He will be my help and he will support my life. He will repay my enemies for what they do to me and I will rejoice in his goodness and faithfulness to me.

In anticipation I can say confidently that he has rescued me from all my trouble, distress and anguish. Therefore I have nothing, nothing at all, to worry about.

Prayer

Father, thank you that you see my position and fight for me. Thank you that you have placed me in this position of such favour and I ask that you might take me and use me to bring your message to those who you want to hear it. I pray for boldness and certainty in my mind so that I walk forward into all you have for me, doing what you want and not what I what. Please don’t let me shrink back from a single thing that’s of you and please warn me and shut the doors on those things that are not in my best interests. Fill me Holy Spirit and enable me to walk in your power, the power that raised Christ from the dead.

IJN Amen

Jim Peters

It’s Hard to See Good from a Bad Vantage Point!

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