When the world seems against you: Wisdom from the Psalms

“Everyone is against me!”

Sometimes things seem that way to us, even if it’s not strictly true.  David must have felt that way at times.

The Ziphites, who didn’t even know David, offered to help Saul find and capture David.  As a result, David was in desperate straits, with him racing around one side of a mountain and Saul closing in from the other side.

Then just when it seemed all was lost, a messenger came running to Saul saying “The Philistines are attacking.  You need to come back and defend our cities.”

And so Saul had to break off his pursuit, with David and his men just about in sight, if not in sight.

After this, David wrote Psalm 54.  He sang,

Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.

Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.

Strangers are attacking me;
ruthless men seek my life—
men without regard for God. (Psalm 54:1-3)

In other words, “God help me!  The world is against me.  Even people I don’t know are trying to kill me.”

But then he wrote,

Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me. (4)

I can’t help but think he wrote this thinking about how close he came to being captured that day.  And he realized, “Even though the world seems against me, God isn’t.  He is for me, and hasn’t left me alone.”

And so he sang,

I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good.
For he has delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. (6-7)

Do you feel like the world is against you today?  Don’t panic.  Don’t fret.  Rather, look to the Lord.  He is your help.  He is the one who sustains you.

And as you see him deliver you, (and he will), then remember to praise his name, as David did.  Don’t forget the things God has done for you.

Because the God who has delivered you before will deliver you again.