Shaky Days

In this psalm, King David feels assaulted and attacked from all sides. That wasn’t an unusual experience for him both before and after he became the king of Israel. If it wasn’t the hostility of nations surrounding the kingdom, it was enemies within. When he wrote this psalm, the pressures had left him feeling like a leaning wall or tottering fence, ready to fall at any moment if the attacks and pressures continued. Facing the lies and plots of his enemies, and desperately aware of his inability to stand in his own strength, David finds refuge in God, his rock and salvation. With his heart refocused on God as his fortress, he was then able to declare that he will never be shaken.

This psalm of David has been a blessing and encouragement to me many times, particularly over the last year, as I have sought to carry out my responsibilities as executor of my Mum’s will after her death last year. Recently, pressures from those responsibilities and other circumstances, along with the added pain of criticism from a family member, had been gradually building up over a period of time, until one morning I woke up and felt exactly like David’s tottering fence. I felt that even the slightest extra pressure would knock me over. As I went into the day even the smallest routine tasks felt like hurdles to be overcome.

When I came to pray, as Gemma and I sat down to do our morning reading, I emptied my heart out before the Lord. I told Him that even having my morning wash that morning was a struggle, that my heart was heavy and the day and days ahead seemed dark. I know that doesn’t sound like a very victorious prayer, but it was a real one.

When I finally finished praying, I realised that the heaviness had been lifted from my heart and replaced by peace and an assurance that the Lord had heard me. In so many ways that shouldn’t have been a surprise to me - further down in verse 8 of Psalm 62, David counsels his readers to trust in God at all times, to pour out their hearts to Him because He is their refuge. In Matthew’s Gospel we have Jesus’ own words to us:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

For me these words from the hymn, ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’ can often be true.

O what peace we often forfeit

O what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer

(Joseph Scriven)

I want to learn more and more to bring everything to God in prayer. Maybe for someone reading this Seed this morning, burdened with many things, it’s an invitation to find refuge in Him too.