This morning included some balcony time.
The weather was just cool enough with an occasional breeze to be able to enjoy while simply being.
Balcony time is precious to me.
Whether shared with my husband, canine(s), others, or just the Lord it is a therapeutic place for me.
At times the just me and the Lord time on the balcony is critically needed.
It is a time of solitude and isolation from all the pressures I face throughout a day, week, month, year and so on.
In other words, a place to hideout and be refreshed by the Lord.
Kind David in the Old Testament expresses in his many psalms a need to have an audience with the Lord.
Today we will look specifically at Psalm 54.
David was hiding from Saul according to the superscription added to Psalm 54 by an editor at a later date:
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”
This is a reference to 1 Samuel 23:15-29 when David is living in the wilderness on the run from Saul who is wanting to kill David.
In response to narrowly escaping Saul, David pours out his heart to the Lord while still in hiding:
ESV Psalm 54:1-7 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?” O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah
4 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
David faced life and blood enemies in Saul and the Ziphites who betrayed his location to Saul.
Physically battling Saul and the Ziphites is one choice David could have made at this time.
Instead, David prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel while continuing to flee and hide in the wilderness.
The same Lord, God of Israel that Saul was supposed to serve but instead repeatedly disobeyed.
The passage from Samuel reveals that just when Saul was about to overcome David, a message was received for Saul to hurry back to defend the land from an attack from the Philistines.
The Lord, the God of Israel, heard David’s prayer:
ESV Psalm 54:2 O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.
The Lord, the God of Israel, protected David exactly as prayed for:
ESV Psalm 54:4 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
David gives thanks to the Lord, the God of Israel, (v. 6) and requests that these enemies be held accountable, not because they pursued David, but because they were disobedient to the Lord, the God of Israel:
ESV Psalm 54:3 For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves.
David seeks for the evil, the disregard of the Lord, to be dealt with appropriately by the Lord, the God of Israel:
ESV Psalm 54:5 He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.
Keep in mind, that David is not seeking revenge personally, but is asking the Lord to make things right as the ultimate judge of mankind in all things.
It is David’s way of stating that he trusts the Lord’s ways over mankind’s ways.
David finishes this Psalm of prayer claiming deliverance by the Lord, the God of Israel from every trouble and claiming he will see the victory the Lord will have over all evil in this world.
ESV Psalm 54:7 For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies
Reflection Questions:
- What experiences have you had in life that caused you to seek a refuge place?
- Were the enemies you faced physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual?
- Are you or someone you know currently in need of a place of refuge?
- How can you model your own prayer to the Lord, the God of Israel after David in Psalm 54 for the situation you or someone you know is facing?
- Have you taken time to ask the Lord to hear your concerns ?
- Have you taken time to listen in turn to the Lord about your concerns?
- How has the Lord rescued you in the past?
- Can you state with the same confidence as Psalm 54 that the Lord, the God of Israel will indeed set all things right in this world? Why or why not?
- Have you considered praying over the news stories you hear in a similar manner as David does in this Psalm?
- Do you believe the Lord, the God of Israel will hear the words of your mouth?
Balcony Time Postlude:
I am fortunate to have my balcony time refuge place.
It is a frequent location for me to spend alone time with my Lord, the God of Israel.
I am confident He hears my prayers.
I desire deeply to hear Him in return.
Studying today’s Psalm helps me realize that when I’m troubled by any difficulty, small or large, my greatest need is to share my needs with my Lord and claim His victory.
There will be a day when all that is wrong now will be set right.
ESV Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Blessings,
Barbara Lynn