"and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me" - Psalm 50:15 (NIV).
Anyone of us might have faced a day of trouble. This could be a crisis of a certain nature. Sometimes it could be the unexpected loss of income, as happened for many at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, with yet a mountain of bills to clear. One could have found a dear mortgaged property going. When you're falsely accused and all but you believe in the smear, it is a day of trouble that leaves you desperately in need of a friend to lift you up!
King David knew many days of trouble. Hunted by King Saul once, to ward off his pursuers, "he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard" (I Samuel 21:31). In later years he would be overthrown from the throne and, as he fled, one Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!” (2 Samuel 16:7-8). How hurtful that was!
A day of trouble can leave you so despondent. It is certainly not made any easier when you run into a Shimei, who delights with a certain glee at your misfortune. While we may not determine if we will ever face that "day of trouble", when and of what nature, we can choose to be like David. Cursed by Shemei, instead of striking back he said, "it may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today" (vv 12). And in good time David would regain his throne back.
So, let the day of trouble not terrify you, but look up to the Lord and He will deliver you, and then you will honour Him!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, faced with the "day of trouble" I am not terrified for I look up to you to take away my misery with your blessings, this I pray in Jesus's name.
