RTW April 16

How To Live Until

I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.
Psalm 57:1b

 

 

My Takeaways

Something Old

Until I

  • Come up with a better plan.
  • Seek my friend’s advice.
  • Get tired of waiting.
  • Seek revenge myself.

Or

Do I hang tight and lay low until the disaster has passed?

How did David handle his times of until?

In every until, David:

Kept his heart close to God

  • Be honest with God about your feelings.
  • Seek God for protection and help.
  • Believe He will fulfill His purpose for your life.
  • Tell the enemy “He will”.
  • Exalt and praise.

Something New

David did nothing to build his following and his platform. He only obeyed and trusted God, and respected the office of the king.

Something to Do

 

 

 

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11 Comments

  1. What a wonderful and perfectly timed lesson this morning – thanks, Wendy! I was focused on Psalm 57 this morning as well – and just how much David TRUSTS God – even as he sits in a cave as Saul hunts him down. Boy, it must have looked so bleak to him – but he didn’t have his eyes focused on what was happening, but on God. He knew God would fulfill his purpose, he knew God would send help from heaven, he had experienced and knew God’s unfailing love & faithfulness – so when things go bad, he exalts God, praises God – because he KNOWS God! When his very life is at risk – he praises God! Oh wow – my “until” is not life threatening, and yet I struggle with trusting God to bring me out of the job I am in and into a new one (or accept the fact that maybe He wants me to stay where I am so that He can fulfill His purpose for my life!!??). I struggle with being honest with God about my feelings.

    Something New: David sent his parents to stay with the Moabite king for safety

    Even though David is running from Saul – he stops and goes to battle against the Philistines,. Why? Because he consulted the Lord, who told him to do this. He trusted God. So, in my search for a new job, I have not honored God in my current job – I basically had checked out mentally. This is not God-honoring and I am praying for a new attitude while I wait for my “until”

    1. I did something I didn’t think I would ever do–quit a job without a new one to go to. I took things into my own hands. I was miserable and I just did it without confirmation from God. I’ve now been without a job for almost 4 months. Living off savings. Now my question is: Does God have another job for me or am I to retire? I’ll be 65 in September so it is a possibility. I had planned on working to 70 if my health allowed, but was that God’s plan? Does He have something else for me to do at this point. Today’s lesson helped me to see what I need to be doing “until”. Be honest with God, seek Him, believe Him, exalt and praise Him. I haven’t been the best at that lately. I will also have a change of attitude that is based on trusting Him.

      1. Yes! Nice left a few jobs without another to go to. I felt like it was part of my training to trust in God to provide (even though my leaving these jobs was not done prayerfully as David did). Right now I am waiting on the Lord. Part of me feels like He May want me to stay where I am – as much as I hate it there – but He is less concerned with my happiness than He is with my holiness. And I can see lots of refining being done even now!

  2. I have searched and searched for help in my life with struggles, issues or problems only to be brought right back to my loving Father. He is my help, my place of safety and comfort and truly all I really want in life. He fulfills my every need and teaches me all I need to know. He is my help.

    “For your God is the one who helps you.”
    1 Chronicles 12:18 (confirmation)

    “David asked the Lord” 1 Samuel 23:2
    “So David asked the Lord again” 23:4
    “ask the Lord what we should do” 23:9
    “then David prayed” 23:10
    “Again David asked” 23:12

    This whole section shows David’s absolute dependence on God to lead and direct his steps. He asked and prayed about every move before he made it and asked God what to do.
    And God answered Him each time.
    This really shows David’s heart for God and his trust in Him. I want to have a heart like this and my prayer is to keep my heart close to God in this same way…connected to God and in step with his spirit.

  3. One last thought…
    I have posted this song “Confidence” before but the lyrics came to mind again as I was writing…

    “Give me a heart like David’s, Lord by my defense, so I candace my giants with confidence.”

    https://youtu.be/DuZPOVFcFJ4

    I can’t help but think that David, being a musician, wouldn’t love this song written about him and how it encourages people all these thousands of years later. I’m sure he is smiling down from Heaven each time we sing it. ❤️

    1. Love this song. Had it in my brain all day yesterday. Faith (Daniel), Hope (Moses), Love (David). None of these people were perfect except in their reliance on God. Thank you for posting this!!

  4. Hear my cry for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors. Ps 142:6

    At first I thought I didn’t have any persecutors, but I do. They are loneliness, self pity, unthankfulness, irritability, lack of faith, my negative self talk; Attacks from Satan using all of the above and more. Thank you Wendy for the reminder that Satan can’t hear my thoughts and I need to rebuke him out loud, while relying on God to rescue me from my persecutors.

    1. Wow! I can so relate to this. I never thought of these we my persecutors! Thank you so much!

      And I too loved Wendy’s reminder to speak out loud against the enemy. I tend to not do that.

  5. What great insights ladies! I enjoyed reading all your comments and how today’s reading related to your current trials. It’s neat to see how God speaks to each of us!

    My takeaway was from Psalm 57:7 “My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises.” I often have wondered how David could praise God even in such dark and fearfulntimes. This verse is the answer. His heart is confident in the God he is trusting. I to can be confident in God. His past faithfulness propels me forward into continually confident and trust in Him.

  6. Something New: David’s protection of his parents.

    Something To Do:
    —Go To God when I am afraid or need help.
    —Praise Him in the midst of trials and recount His attributes.
    —Use the Psalms to help me express myself to God.

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