ODJ: escape
June 13, 2011
Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall (v.22).
READ: Psalm 55
The bold print in a local news story caught my eye: “Increase in suicide rates in Singapore, male suicides double that of female.” The report goes on to say, “According to some psychiatrists, the higher number of suicides among men is not an unusual trend. . . . When it comes to dealing with their problems, men don’t tend to seek help, thus pushing themselves into a deeper depressive spiral.”
David was once under tremendous pressure as he endured the relentless attacks of his enemies (Psalm 55:3-5, 9-11). But it wasn’t a nameless enemy who dealt him a critical, damaging attack. It was the betrayal of one whom he described as “my equal, my companion and close friend” (vv.12-14). The pain sharpened and overwhelmed him as he experienced the full brunt of the treachery (vv.20-21, 41:9).
David sought release from his terrible plight. His gut response was to escape. He wanted to run away! “How quickly I would escape—far from this wild storm of hatred” (55:6-8). One wonders if David contemplated the ultimate means of escape—suicide.
Thankfully, David chose a different way, for suicide is a permanent solution to what is often a temporary problem. He sought help from God, crying out, “Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help . . . for I am overwhelmed by my troubles!” (vv.1-2).
Are you oppressed and depressed by life’s pressures and pains? Do you wish that you had wings to fly to a place of quiet refuge and rest? (vv.6-7). It’s time to pray and to fly into the loving arms of God, who rescues you and keeps you safe (vv.16-18). Listen to David’s advice: “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (vv.22).
Escape into God’s loving arms. —K.T. Sim
What pressures or pains of life are you going through? How do the truths found in Psalm 55 help you cope with them?
Tweet This
Share on Facebook
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it-
RSS Feed
Related
ODJ: memory before birth
July 14, 2010 You must not murder (v.13). READ: Exodus 20:1-17 Got a good memory? Recent research conducted in the Netherlands and published in the medical journal Child Development reveals that babies can remember things quite well—even when they’re still in the womb! The sonogram-based study showed that at 30 weeks, babies in utero display [...]
ODJ: perhaps today
May 1, 2011 No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself. Only the Father knows (Mark 13:32). READ: Luke 21:5-38 When will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7). Over the [...]
ODJ: please excuse me
October 12, 2011 You must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you (v.7). READ: Jeremiah 1:1-10 At the library, I noticed an elderly woman browsing in the large-print book section. She shuffled down the aisles with a walker, stopping frequently to drop a book into her bulging tote bag. Despite less-than-perfect eyesight, [...]
ODJ: goldfields’ miracle
March 8, 2011 In fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died (v.20). READ: 1 Corinthians 15:12-53 Science’s discovery of nature’s laws makes an intervening God less believable. We surmise that lost limbs don’t grow back, and dead men don’t return [...]
Christian Courses
Day Of Discovery
Discover The Word
Discovery Series
Help For My Life
My Utmost For His Highest
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Journey
RBC Ministries
WarungSateKaMu
Manasociety
雅米