From Psalm 55
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. 13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, 14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers……..
16 As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. 17 Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. 18 He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. 19 God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God………
22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
As has been said, ‘Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it gets you nowhere.’ No one goes through life without facing problems, battles and causes for worry.
As well as the many blessings he enjoyed David also faced many difficulties in his life. Not only did he spend fourteen years on the run from King Saul at one point even his own son turned against him. In this psalm David speaks of one of the most painful battles of his life. His ‘close friend’ with whom he had ‘shared’ his ‘secrets’ has turned against him and joined the many who oppose him. David, of course, found this more difficult than if an enemy were insulting him as we all would.
As in any battle, we have a ‘choice’ about how we respond. Being the godly man that he was, David chose to turn to the Lord and cry out to him ‘evening, morning and noon’. This is by far the best strategy to employ whatever difficulties we are encountering. This is exactly what David did and as a result he experienced God’s peace. He wrote, ‘he has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me’.
From David’s own experience he is able to give this advice: ‘Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you’
As you face the worries, battles and disappointments of life, don’t allow them to overwhelm you. This is an important reminder to us at the moment, when the future looks so uncertain and when everything is being shaken. Like David, we need continue to turn to the Lord, cast your burdens on him and then say, ‘as for me, I trust in you.
Suggested songs for the 12 noon prayer times
Tuesday: Faithful one so unchanging
Wednesday: Through all the changing scenes of life.
Thursday: Jesus hope of the nations
Friday: Nothing shall separate us from the love of God
Saturday: All I once held dear
Monday: Give thanks to the Lord our God and king
David