Trusting God in Difficult Times: Lessons from David

One of the challenges David faced when Saul decided to kill him was keeping his focus on the right thing. Being under attack is never a pleasant experience. There is a danger that we can go down the path of this should not be happening to me. I have been faithful to the Lord, so I should not be experiencing this difficulty. I have been down that path a couple of times. And when you go down that path, it only makes the situation worse. We must never forget that the Bible teaches that the Lord sends the rain on the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:45). Over my lifetime, this has been one of the hardest lessons to learn. To be content in all circumstances of life. It is so easy to praise the Lord when everything is going all right, but when we are under pressure, we can feel differently.

This has been my greatest challenge in recent years, and allowing my body to recover after major surgery. It is so good to have a strong foundation that has been built over many years. It is  interesting that you do not know how strong you are until you have been tested. Verse 9 says:

 It is interesting to look at David’s attitude toward his God. What we do when the unexpected happens declares the depth of our relationship with the Lord. When David was attacked and threatened to be killed, he did not try to defend himself through his natural ability, although he was very capable of fighting.   He declared that God was the source of his defence; these are very wonderful words to say but hard to put into practice. In this verse, David makes such a profound statement. He says: “ I will wait for you”. This declared the depth of his trust in his God.

Today we live in such a fast-paced world, and because of this, there is a danger that we can forget to wait on the Lord and His timing.  Personally, I have found waiting very difficult and at times, it takes all my willpower to wait for something. However, this is not an excuse to disobey God. It means that I have to be careful with my actions and learn to trust in the Lord more and more. Proverbs 3:5 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding”.  This is something that David learned as a teenager while looking after the sheep as a teenager.  This is a choice that we make even when it is not easy to make.    However, it is very rewarding to make.

Verse 10 says:

Again, we see David’s unshakeable trust in his God. There is great reward in being totally committed to Him. From experience, I have found that doubt only brings unhappiness, which is not pleasant.It is surprising at times how we choose not to trust the Lord and wonder why  we feel miserable. This is why we need to continually check our attitude toward our God, because if we don’t, we will find that the pressures of daily living will impact our lives. I am so glad we have the encouragement of David to reflect on. Choosing to trust the Lord fully is very rewarding, and this should be what we experience every day.