UNDER PRESSURE
06th Jul 2017
King David was under severe pressure; his son Absalom was making a bid for the throne and he was escaping for his life. However, when he comes into God’s presence the whole perspective changes.
Psalm 3 in the Message begins, “God! Look! Enemies past counting!” sounds like a crisis to me. But he then continues, “But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.”
When everything around was shaking and problems were coming think and fast, David could say, “You ground my feet” and “you lift my head high”. The attacks of the enemy are intended to shake the ground under our feet and make our heads hang low in despair and discouragement.
David knows his help comes from God, in verse 5 he says, “I stretch myself out. I sleep. Then I’m up again—rested, tall and steady.” The Psalm closes with, “Real help comes from God. Your blessing clothes your people!”
I am also reminded of the words in Isaiah 43 the Message puts it like this, “When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end - Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Saviour.”
When we are facing trials and difficulties which are real and very hard, it is so easy to let fear take over and dominate our thoughts and feelings. At this moment we need to do what Asaph recommended in Psalm 73:16, “When I tried to understand all this it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God.”
We step aside and go into the presence of God, where we hear His voice and the perspective changes - feet grounded, head lifted high, no fear of drowning and no dead end. Let Him take the pressure and bring you through to peace and blessing.
by Charles Sibthorpe
