So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” (Psalm 55:6-8)
Betrayed and feeling forsaken by all, including friends and family, David expressed what many of us have felt in times of despair and desperation — “I want to run away and escape my circumstances!” As for David, at one time he was lauded and loved by the people even before he was made king. But when Ahithophel conspired with Absalom, and the people turned on David, his disappointment and angst convinced him it would be better to “fly away and be at rest … in the wilderness.”
There have been times in my life when I felt just like David. That is not to say that my experiences match his; but the inclination to escape his circumstances sounds familiar. At times, I have allowed situations and the emotions they produced to convince me it would be better to just go away and be alone, far removed from the circumstances. Truth be known, I would imagine most of us have felt that way at times — especially if and when we’ve experienced the bitter pain of betrayal by friends and family. Add to that a concerted effort to destroy us, and anyone might think that flight is better than fight. However, David came to realize that responsibility and calling would not allow him to simply disappear.
I can’t help but think of Messiah when discussing this topic. If anyone ever had a reason to remove Himself from a situation, it was Him. People who had hailed Him as King Messiah on one day, turned on a dime and shouted, “Crucify Him” on the next. One who had never done evil was treated as a common criminal. Then there’s the fact that He knew something that no one else did; He was destined to bear the guilt of sin for all men and for all time. No wonder He prayed, “If it were possible, let this cup pass from Me” — but He also prayed “Your Will be done.” In other words, though legions of angels could have delivered Him, He submitted to the responsibility given Him by the Father.
When we’re in distress, escape is a seductive temptation. But if we are called of God, then we must be willing to endure whatever God has allowed to touch our lives and trust that He will come to us in “the windy storm and tempest” to calm our fears and anxiety. He who bore the weight of our sin upon us has promised never to forsake us.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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