David had troubles. There was a revolt in the family. His son, Absalom, was trying to kill him and take over the kingdom. It got so bad that he had to leave the safety of Jerusalem and flee across the Jordan River. He didn’t know who would be loyal to him or who would side with his son. His entire world was turning upside down.
When I read that, it puts some of my problems in perspective. It could be worse, and for many people, it is has been worse. Yet all of us can be undone by trouble, pain and suffering in our lives. Many times we feel like David, who was being assailed from all sides.
We need to learn the same habit David did. He prayed and turned matters over to God:
But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
I call out to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear though tens of thousands
assail me on every side. (Psalm 3:3-6)
Did you catch that? He cries out to God with a belief that God will answer, then he lies down to sleep because the Lord sustains him. In his most desperate moments of despair, David was steadfast in his belief that God would be his protector and deliverer.
Whatever your battle today, the Lord is a shield about you. Cry out to him. Cast your anxiety on him. Leave it with him while you sleep. It’s not easy to learn to do this, but it’s important that we practice. We can seldom deal well with everything we face. Our strength and hope comes from trusting God with all our troubles.