Enduring FaithSample

David

Reading through many of the Psalms takes you through David’s personal highs and lows of life. There were times when he was in the messy mire of sin and asked God to help him. Stories when he shouted praises about how God helped him out of many dire situations. He wrote, "listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary," (Psalms 28:2). David wrote songs of lament at various times in his life when he was hiding from Saul, who wanted to kill him; or fleeing his own son, Absalom, who had started an uprising against him. This king was familiar with betrayal, sleepless nights, and crying out to God who sometimes seemed silent. His brutally honest prayers are a comfort to many Christians who are struggling with isolation and depression.

Comfort comes in the unfiltered psalms from David’s heart. David’s faith gave him courage to end so many of his laments with praise. A familiar verse is Psalms 42:5-6, Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again, my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged but I will remember you, even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, the Land of Mount Mizar. These specific places are used metaphorically to depict places of distress or hardship.

When David was in hiding, he was pursued by Saul’s great army. David felt isolated and far removed from God because it was believed God only dwelled in the temple in Jerusalem. The people of Israel lived in a visitational environment where places of worship were established to experience God’s presence. If you were far from Jerusalem, you felt isolated. In the end, God delivered David from Saul and Absalom, though at great personal cost and with much emotional pain. David’s laments show us how to choose joy and give thanksgiving to God regardless of our circumstances.

David’s spiritual experiences are significant in building our faith. Depressing thoughts will bring on the gut-wrenching laments but with an enduring faith, God lifts a soul out of cycles of depression. We can learn from David’s discouraging state of mind that God is near and is always found when we praise and thank Him for all He has done in our lives.