WATCHWORD:
1 David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. 2 He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; 3my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. 4 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. 5 “The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me. 6 The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. 7 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears. 2 Samuel 22:1-7
Meditation:
Flee to God
It’s been said that there are no atheists in foxholes. That is probably true, but only to a certain extent. A friend of mine and I have shared a common experience: At different times and different places, we both have been taken to a hospital by ambulance after heart attacks. We both have the same story: throughout the trip we recited the Lord’s prayer over and over again. As I said, a shared common experience.
Twenty-five years ago, I was on a ferry from Dover to Calais, Belgium, part of a Paul Borg tour group from my church to Martin Luther sites in Germany. I was sitting on the forward deck of the ferry, when someone, I did not know, approached me and asked if I felt all right. I assured her that I felt fine. To which she responded, “Take very good care of yourself.”
I was puzzled by her question and her statement, but, five hours later, I was in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Brussels with my first of two heart attacks, that day. Obviously that woman saw something in my demeanor, or my face that caused concern on her part. My wife, my friends and I went from being a tour group to being a prayer group.
You and I may have regular times that we set aside for meditation and prayer, but often our circumstances, not our schedule, drive us into the arms of the Lord. Maybe it is a heart attack, an awful diagnosis, our own or a loved one’s. Perhaps a lost child, or any number of things where we have no control over the outcome. We need help, from our Lord.
Scripture presents a time when King David experienced a great fear. He was being pursued by enemies and in his desperation, he called on the Lord. Once he was delivered to safety, he became a grateful man and sang the song of praise about God’s help. He called his Lord his Rock, his Fortress and his Deliverer.
Anyone who has been brought to the brink of desperation knows the feeling of great relief, that washes over us when health and/or safety are restored. We have called on our Lord and He has delivered us and we know that He alone provides the shelter we needed. It’s just a fact of our faith. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Thank you, Creator God, for You are my rock and my fortress. You carry me through the mountains and the valleys, the wilderness and desert places. You build a wall of fire round and about me when my enemies come to devour me. You raise up a flaming standard — Your Word of truth — at my defense. You never leave me or forsake me in times of trouble. Father God, hide me in the secret place of Your tabernacle, lift me from the pit of the evil one and his accusations, plant me upon the Rock — our Lord Jesus Christ, for in His name I pray. Amen.
