Where is Deliverance?

May 20, 2009

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 15-16 and Psalm 18

I believe there is a line in Independence Day that says: “isn’t it amazing how quickly they turn against you”. The president in that movie was talking about how he went to being a popular president to an unpopular one, practically overnight. Then the aliens show up all hell breaks loose after that.

I would imagine this is how David felt. One day Saul is after him, and then later on he is King. Then his son Absalom stages a coup, and then he is on the run again.

Today’s reading in Psalms talk about David after he had escaped the clutches from his enemies and Saul. I have no idea at what point in David’s life this was, because I believe David was pretty sad when he learned that Saul had died.

However, if you read Psalm 18, there are some very positive things in there. The idea that “with God, you can scale a wall”, or “I can bend a bow of bronze” is pretty kickin’.

I wonder if David remembered this Psalm he wrote when he was on the run from Absalom. I’m sure it was pretty tough to remember that when Absalom was after him. I wonder what was worse for David, being chased by Saul or Absalom? After all, David had very little to lose under Saul, but he lost the whole kingdom with Absalom.

He also had problems with his friends. Some of them supported him, secretly or publicly, when Absalom came into power, but some others betrayed him. I’ll bet that hurt.

The truth is that we all have times in our life where we feel that the world is against us. I remember times in my life where I felt that problems were heaping upon me, but I honestly don’t think I have ever known a time where the government was after me. Maybe I should become paranoid just so I know what it feels like.

Okay, that was seriously bad advice. The truth is that I have always feared a time would come when, say, Anti-Christian government rises to power. Christians are always good at putting the fear of God by making certain man is feared.

I have discovered that even if I live to see a time where zombies or giant frickin’ robots attack, then I need to trust in the divine providence of God. Should that day ever happen, I am going to trust in the goodness of God rather than the badness of man.