In the midst of Difficulty

"2 Samuel 22:1-23:7

Rescued from deep waters

As David comes to the end of his life, he praises God for rescuing him again and again from his enemies and from death and destruction (chapter 22 – the song is also found in Psalm 18). God is his ‘rescuing knight’ (v.2, MSG).

‘A hostile world! I called to God,
   to my God I cried out.
From his palace he heard me call;
   my cry brought me right into his presence –
a private audience!’ (v.7, MSG).

Many times he called out to the Lord, and the Lord heard his voice. ‘He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters’ (v.17). ‘He rescued me from my powerful enemy …’ (v.18). ‘He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me’ (v.20). (See also v.49).

When God rescues you, he does not want you to stay as you are. ‘When I cleaned up my act, he gave me a fresh start ... God rewrote the text of my life’ (vv.21,25, MSG). He wants you to lead a blameless life and to keep yourself from sin (v.24). He wants you to be ‘faithful’ (v.26), pure (v.27) and humble (v.28).

With God’s help, you can ‘advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall’ (v.30). God arms you with strength (v.33) and enables you to stand on the heights (v.34). He broadens the path beneath you so that your ankles do not turn over (v.37).

Joyce Meyer writes, ‘By faith you can receive strength to stay in a difficult marriage, raise a difficult child, or stick with a difficult job in which you have a difficult boss. You can receive strength to do great things even though you may have a physical impairment yourself.’

David, in the evening of his life, summed up his experience of God and of life (chapter 23). God had rescued him. God had anointed him (23:1): ‘The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue’ (v.2).

David had a sense of the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet’. God had rescued him and saved him. Yet, there was more to come: ‘Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?’ (v.5). God’s rescue plan of salvation will one day be brought to fruition. On that day the rescue will be complete.

Lord, thank you that you have rescued us from all our enemies – from guilt, sin, addiction and death – through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Thank you that one day the rescue will be complete, when Jesus returns and we will be with him forever."

1. Thank You for defining the meaning of forever.

2. Thank You for difficult situations so that I may receive strength from You.

3. Thank You for Your guidance always.