Today my reading included 1 Samuel 18–20. In this section King Saul is yet again after David, determined to destroy him. In particular in 19:11:
Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death!”
Saul was obsessed with killing David. More insight about this particular event can be found in Psalm 59, where David speaks of this time in his life. How was David reacting when Saul was yet again trying to kill him? Psalm 59:4 reads:
For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me. Stir Yourself to help me, and see!
David had done nothing wrong to deserve this. That’s not saying he was totally sinless against the Lord. It is to say that he had not sinned against Saul. He was innocent as to offending Saul. Yet here he is under attack.
It must have seemed like God wasn’t really paying attention. Where was God during this attack? Is he even paying attention?
19th century preacher O. Prescott Hiller wrote of verse 4 (based on the King James Version):
Awake to help me, literally, Awake to meet me. In time of temptation the Lord seems to be absent from us, and not to observe our distress — to be, as it were, as Jesus, in the storm, is described as having been “asleep in the hinder part of the ship.” Mr 4:38. But it is only an appearance; the Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps 121:4); he is always ready to come to our help when we call upon him.
Note to self: God “is always ready to come to our help when we call upon him.”
Is God where I immediately turn when I’m in distress? When I’m being wronged, especially when I didn’t do anything to provoke it?
David ends Psalm 59 the way we all should treat our distresses:
But as for me, I will sing of Your strength;
Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the morning,
For You have been my refuge
And a place of refuge on the day of my distress.
My strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my refuge, the God who shows me favor.
