The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears. (Psalm 18:4-6)
In the previous devotion we highlighted the fact that David, often faced with conflict and trouble, expressed complete confidence in God’s deliverance. In these verses, David reminds us of just how desperate his plight had been at times. Here he likens his troubles to the travail a woman experiences at childbirth, albeit in this situation, David is not able to push, so to speak, and deliver the baby — the timing of deliverance is completely in the Hands of God. In the meantime, wave after wave of trouble sweeps in as ungodly men (literally, “those lacking a yoke”) seek his demise. To David it seemed that Death had set up camps all around him, just waiting for the opportune moment to swoop in and wield the fatal blow.
David also knew that, while he was required to behave in a certain manner as a servant of the Most High, the wicked are not restrained by conscience or morality — they have no yoke to limit their behavior. God’s people, on the other hand, often feel as if they are fighting with both hands tied behind their back and their mouths gagged lest they lash out in unrighteous anger. So then let’s consider that it was David’s intention to amplify his desperate situation so that we might better appreciate the confidence he placed in the LORD. In his distress, he lifted his hands to heaven and cried out to the LORD.
Even though the Almighty is seated upon His Heavenly Throne, the cries of His people reach His ears. Not only does He hear but He responds, and that is David’s point. Though Death and Hell circle around us waiting for the moment to pounce, the Almighty hears the plea of the righteous and comes to rescue them. There is a song that has been popular of late which says, “It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You.” It does not matter how many enemy camps encircle us because no enemy will be able to separate us from God’s love and protection. So when it seems that we are surrounded by Hell and confronted by Death, remember that the LORD is the horn of our salvation. When the enemy starts to move in for the kill, be assured that there are more with you than those that are with them.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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