Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.
2 Samuel 21:15 (NASB)
David? Weary? Hard to believe that a wealthy and powerful king could become weary, but it happened. The Philistines were at war with Israel again, and David grew weary. Their taunts had plagued Israel for as long as he could remember. The death of the giant by young David’s sling and stone only frightened the Philistines temporarily. Once he became king, the Philistines threatened and tormented David again and again.
Are you experiencing exhaustion from a constant battle? Maybe you’re not at war with physical giants, but conflicts meet you at every turn. It seems as though gray skies and clouds reign over your life. Dismal days forecast a gloomy outlook. Hope fades and weariness prevails. What do you do? What did David do?
David inquired of the Lord. That’s right. David took time to stop and ask God what to do. David listened and obeyed the Lord. And God answered him with might by defeating his enemies.
Now it wasn’t all that easy and David wasn’t always perfect. In fact, there were times he acted without conferring with God (like when he lusted after a married woman, got her pregnant, and had her husband killed). Whoa. Who does that and how can that be forgiven?
Yes, King David committed those heinous acts (2 Samuel 11). But when confronted by a man of God, shame filled David’s soul. Remorse brought him to his knees and he repented before God. David’s Deliverer rescued him with loving forgiveness. Because David continually repented and yielded to God, God called him “a man after His own heart.”
David peered through the clouds of conflicts in his life and recognized his faithful Lord. This man after God’s heart penned many expressions of thanksgiving to His mighty Rescuer. He declared his deliverance by God’s hand from all his enemies. His soul delighted with songs of gratitude to his Savior.
Scripture tells us:
And David spoke the words of this song to the Lord in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said,
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
2 Samuel 22:1-4 (NASB)
In his weariness, David called out to God and God heard him:
“In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
(verse 7)
David realized that his Savior wasn’t hidden when clouds of conflict surrounded him, but that He was there in the midst of all his trouble.
“He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
“And He rode on a cherub and flew;
And He appeared on the wings of the wind.
“And He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
“From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
“The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
(verses 10-14)
And David declared who his Deliverer was:
“He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
“They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
(verses 18-19)
The Lord strengthened him and lit his way:
“For You are my lamp, O Lord;
And the Lord illumines my darkness.
“For by You I can run upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
(verses 29-30)
The Lord was his Protector:
“As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is tested;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
(verse 31)
David cried out to God in the midst of trouble. God heard his cry and delivered him from his enemies. David offered songs of thanksgiving to his Lord and Savior. And David’s strength was renewed.
Are you weary from continuous clouds of conflict? Take time to be still and ask God what to do. Read David’s words in 2 Samuel 22 (similar words in Psalm 18). Allow those inspired words to penetrate your soul and renew your strength. Recognize your Rescuer and give Him praise.
Lord, how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me.
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The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull. All I need to do is cry to him—oh, praise the Lord—and I am saved from all my enemies!
Psalm 18:1-3 (TLB)