Where to go for help

When facing a trial, our first response should be prayer ()

Explanation: a probable setting for this Psalm of David is one of the occasions when he was running from Saul. David had not done anything wrong, but Saul was trying to kill him. David had to leave Jerusalem and hide out in the wilderness. At this time, and others, we observe David as a man of prayer. He begins this Psalm by coming before God and asking for His divine help. He uses the covenant Name as he seeks the ear of the Almighty

Illustration: Luke had colic as an infant. He could (and did) cry for hours. On a Wed night prayer meeting Ange asked for prayer because we had tried everything else we could think of. The pastor stressed (in a joking way) her emphasis that prayer was our last resort.

Argument: Prayer is our vital link with God and it is a precious privilege that is granted to believers. God does know what is going on in our lives at all times, and He cares for His children. Our priority should be in prayer, but many believers lack fluency in prayer due to infrequent contact

Application: Develop your prayer life. A good way to do this is to go deeper in your relationship with the Father. A believer’s prayer life is generally in correlation to his or her understanding of who God is and what He can do.

When facing a trial we should guard against temptations for shortcuts ()

Explanation: Trials and temptation often come hand in hand. Stress is a very real factor in a trial, and our natural response is to reduce stress and bring stability to our situation. (So good so far). The problem arises when we are tempted to take the shortcut, the quick fix, even if it is unethical or immoral.

Example: King David faced such a temptation on 2 occasions when Saul was chasing him. Twice David had opportunity to kill Saul, and he had his friends tell him to do just that.

Argument: The old proverb about the ends justifying the means is a conflict solution that has brought forth much misery. Police officers deal with this concept on a regular basis (entrapment); govt. officials (torture for terrorist info); youth with dating relationships (sexting or pix to get a guy’s attention); pastor’s (water down text to get members)

Application: The temptation to take the short cut will always appear. As believers, we are to be resolved to obey God regardless of the consequences

When facing a trial we should be open to constructive criticism from fellow believers ()

Explanation: Most people under stress are prone to making mistakes. It is possible to say and do things that offend others without being personally aware. David is stating this in the form of a prayer. He is asking God to give him the wisdom to accept positive criticism when it comes. David has an understanding that while the initial outcome might be pain or discomfort, the rebuke will in the end be like anointing oil that heals and protects.

Argument: When a brother or sister comes to us in love and tells us something we don’t want to hear, we should be gracious and not shoot the messenger. We are to listen with objectivity and actually take the criticism and mediate on what is said.

Argument: When a brother or sister comes to us in love and tells us something we don’t want to hear, we should be gracious and not shoot the messenger. We are to listen with objectivity and actually take the criticism and mediate on what is said.

Application: No one is right all the time and no of us have our act together in a perfect way. While we are not given license to tear other believers down, we are told to speak truth into another’s life () Remember, it is to be done in love with the purpose of building up, or it should not be done!

When a brother or sister comes to us in love and tells us something we don’t want to hear, we should be gracious and not shoot the messenger.

When facing a trial we should always remember that God is our Refuge ()

Explanation: On some occasions, our trial ends in seeming disaster, and things just don’t come to happy conclusions. Like David, we can know that even if no one else is with us at the end, our hope and ultimate refuge is our God. He is our strong tower, our rock of refuge, and He will never abandon any of His children. David did not know the outcome of his situation when he penned this Psalm, but his trust was in His God.

Argument: What a comfort to realize that the Omniscient God of the Universe has promised to be present for us. We always have a place to go, a rock of refuge in whom to take shelter from the storm. tells us to “cast our burden on the Lord, for He will sustain us, He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”