Psalms In My Palms - Book 4 - Lament

Delivered from Caves of Heartache

Psalms 54:1-7; 56:1-13

        Since human nature is morally bad, we may expect to be treated badly as Christians though we have adopted the heavenly nature. Since being wrongfully treated by others is certain to happen, we can expect to feel like retaliating. Since retaliation toward misuse is possible, we must strongly deny the humanity in us which desires to seek revenge. Since we are a child of God and represent Him, we must pray about it and let God have control.

You may feel like you are in a CAVE OF HEARTACHE, but GOD is there with you! Without further ado, we will begin David's Psalm when he had taken refuge in the Ziphite camp to avoid Saul's onslaught. David was betrayed by the Ziphites who told Saul where David was. (Read 1 Samuel 23:19-29; 26:1-3- here we find twice David was betrayed.).

In Psalm 54:1-3 we find David crying out for God's help. (NKJV)-he said:

1. "Save me, O God, by YOUR NAME,"

2. "And vindicate me by YOUR STRENGTH."

3. "HEAR MY PRAYER, O God; "

4. "GIVE EAR to the words of my mouth."

5. "For Strangers have risen up against me."

6. "And oppressors have sought after my life,"

7. "They have not set God before them."

David knew his God would not fail him, but he was still in the CAVE OF HEARTACHE.

Note the words: Save me; Vindicate me; Hear Me; Give Ear; Oppressors; and they are Ungodly men. In the midst of this David said,-(TEV)-"I KNOW THAT GOD IS MY HELPER, THAT THE LORD IS MY DEFENDER! MAY GOD PUNISH MY ENEMIES WITH THEIR OWN EVIL! HE WILL DESTROY THEM BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL." David declares God as his HELPER, DEFENDER, JUSTICE, DESTROYER, AND FAITHFUL ONE. NOW that's a full package of extreme power! He is all that to all of us, if we cry out to Him when we are confused or troubled.

Notice David never acted out any revenge personally in this chapter. He left that up to God. We can only LAMENT and praise God but He carries out JUSTICE. (Psalm 59:10)

Then David also found out in 1 Samuel 26:1-3 that God brings deliverance from the CAVE OF HEARTACHE. Psalm 54:6-7-(CEB)-He said:

1. "I will sacrifice to You freely;"

2. "I will give thanks to YOUR NAME, LORD, because it is so GOOD". (Proverbs 22:1)

3. "And because God has DELIVERED me from every distress."

4. "My eyes have seen my enemies DEFEAT."

Step out of your CAVE OF HEARTACHE and deal honestly with your adversaries. You may not change those who are hurting you, but you can cast your burden on the Lord for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7- "Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.") David did this and found it true to form.

We will continue into Psalm 56 for the next LAMENT chapter. Just as the CAVE OF HEARTACHE was answered by God's Mercy, so we find David perusing God's Mercy again, where David was a captive of the Philistines in Gath. Saul had taken the crutches out of David's hands; The crutches represent what he and we all cling to; His position, his friends, his family and his reputation. If he hadn't run for his life, that would have been taken also. (In 1 Samuel 20:3 David had told Jonathan, Saul's son, "There is hardly a step between me and death.")

In Psalm 56:1-2-(NKJV)- we read, "Be merciful to me, O God,":

1. "For men would swallow me up;" (1 Samuel 21:10-15 where David pretends to be insane to escape).

2. "Fighting all day oppresses me." (Psalm 57:1)

3. "My enemies would hound me all day for there are many who fight against me, O Most High." (David was a fugitive in a foreign land; Psalm 57:3)

In Psalm 56:3-4 David reveals his faith in God. He said, -(TEV)-"when I am afraid, O Most High, I PUT MY TRUST IN YOU." (Psalm 13:5; 118:6). "I TRUST IN GOD AND PRAISE HIS PROMISE; IN HIM I TRUST, AND I WILL NOT BE AFRAID, WHAT CAN MERE MAN DO TO ME?" (Romans 8:31-this was Paul's testimony.).

David explains why he is so on edge though he trusts God. Constant personal physical and emotional problems still startle us, as they did David, and panic is our first reaction. Psalm 56:5-7-(TLB)-:

1. "They are always twisting what I say."

2. "All their thoughts are how to harm me."

3. "They meet together to perfect their plans;" (Psalm 12:2,8)

4. "They hide beside the trail, listening for my steps, waiting to kill me."

5. "They expect to get away with it."

6. Don't let them, Lord. In anger cast them to the ground."

The fear of all this is more than David can deal with alone so he pleads with God to pour out His vengeance on the ungodly scoundrels. He sees danger but he sees his source of help!

David told God how all this affected him. He knew God cared about how he felt. Psalm 56:8-11-(CEB)-"YOU, YOURSELF HAVE KEPT TRACK OF MY MISERY."

He pleads for mercy:

1. "Put my tears into YOUR bottle-" (Isaiah 25:8; Acts 20:19; Hebrews 5:7)

2. "Aren't they on a YOUR scroll already?" (Malachi 3:16)

"Then my enemies will retreat when I cry out. I know this because":

1. " I know this because GOD IS MINE"

2. "God: whose Word I PRAISE."

3. "The Lord: whose Word I PRAISE"

4. "I TRUST IN GOD;"

5. "I WON'T BE AFRAID" (Isaiah 41:10)

6. "WHAT CAN ANYONE DO TO ME?" (Romans 8:31; Psalm 118:6-7)

David had made a strong vow to God with perfect intent to fulfill it.

Psalm 56:12-13-(TEV)-"GOD, I WILL OFFER YOU WHAT I HAVE PROMISED; I WILL GIVE YOU MY OFFERING OF PRAISE, BECAUSE YOU KEPT ME FROM DEFEAT. AND SO I WALK IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. IN THE LIGHT THAT SHINES ON THE LIVING." Hallelujah! David had overcome the tangible crutches of earthly support and he was leaning on God for all his needs. GOD WAS HIS STRENGTH! Physically and Emotionally!

Psalm 118:8-9-"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust God than to put confidence in princes."

Job 33:29-30-"Behold, God works all these things, twice , in fact, three times with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit( to keep him from death and the grave). THAT HE MAY BE ENLIGHTENED WITH THE LIGHT OF LIFE!"

David was victorious because he have his LAMENT to God; who can change all circumstances, "TWICE, IN FACT, THREE TIMES" TO SAVE US FROM DESTRUCTION AND USE US FOR HIS GLORY AS HE IS "THE LIGHT OF OUR LIFE!"

Next time...