Good morning,
David
knew what he was talking about when he wrote “We put our hope in the
Lord.” David’s life was filled with tension and challenge from start to
finish. His country was in constant danger from the powerful people
groups that surrounded them, and the new leadership that was in control
when he was a boy was led by a man who seemed to be better at farming
then he was at defending the people he had been called to lead. The
longer the king led, the more he lost track of reality. Even though
David was anointed by Samuel as the next king, his skill as a fighter
and a spirit empowered leader made him a target of an increasingly self
centered and hateful king, who was now also his father in law. After
years of running, the Lord finally gave David his rightful place, and a
whole new set of challenges. Even after years of effective leadership
against his enemies, David faced a whole new set of challenges that came
up from his own family in rebellion against him. How did he keep going
in the face of these constant threats to his life and his leadership?
David
kept going because he had learned that he had to put his hope in the
Lord and not in anyone or anything else. David knew from years of
experience that he was king because his God was always with him, helping
him and shielding him as he faced each new challenge at each stage of his
life. God gave David lots and lots of true stories that showed that the
God he was trusting had always come through for him no matter whether
he was facing a lion, a giant, a crazy king or rebellious kids. David
went through life singing instead of whining about all the challenges
that God built into his life. David had a living hope in a living,
powerful God who always surrounded him with his unfailing love. That
didn’t mean that David didn’t have his battles with discouragement and
failure. Part of what David wrote and sang about had to do with the
deep feelings of fear and discouragement that he struggled with at each
stage of his growth and development. David had a lot of ups and downs
in his life, but through them all he never lost hope in his ever
faithful God. Dear Lord, help us like David to put our hopes in you
alone so that we will keep on serving you faithfully. Lord, please help
us to never give up.
Psalm 33:20 We put our hope in
the LORD. He is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your unfailing love surround us,
LORD, for our hope is in you alone.
Roy Wisner
