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God is There

It was a cold day in Israel. Not because of the weather, but because of the state of the nation. Only a few short years ago Israel brought shame and disappointment upon God by asking for a king. Reluctantly, God gave them a king. Their first one was Saul.

You remember the story don’t you? Remember how David by the power of God defeated Goliath in the battle with the Philistines? Even as a boy, David knew that God was there for him. Saul loved David after the slaying of Goliath, but many times he had to deal with his pride and the popularity of young David until it finally became more than he could bear. This was even more complicated because his son, Jonathon and young David were the best of friends.

Because of Saul’s jealousy and pride, he began the first of several attempts to kill David, and this is where this story begins.

It was early one morning, long before the sun began to rise when the young, troubled David arose from his sleep in the cave. He and his companions were hiding from King Saul. They were not hiding so much because they feared for their lives as much as they feared for Saul’s. If and when it would come down to a final confrontation, David knew he would win.

I can see young David as he stepped to the entrance of the cave. His eyes strained to look into the distance, hoping that Saul had changed his mind and had forgotten about the pursuit. He had plenty of reason to worry. His life, reputation, and even his faith, were on the line. What a load for a young man to carry. Most of us would dwell so heavily on our problems that we would have seen an enemy behind every bush or a warrior’s spear sticking up from behind every rock.

Not David! As his eyes widened to adjust to the coming light, David focused on God. He knew that his focus should be on the Enabler, not the enemy. In an awesome burst of mental awareness, he thought, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork…” In the midst of all his trouble, David saw the working of God. He witnessed the newness of the day, a day that was once again delivered to the universe by the power and the hand of his protector. Instead of acknowledging his own fear and weakness, he acknowledged the power and majesty of God.

I sat this very morning and watched the same display of majesty and power in the same sky. Different struggles, a different picture, but the same God of majesty and power was in control of it all.

David pondered for a while about the universe and its vastness, even though he knew less about the reality of its magnitude than our children do. He studied the WORK of God and its newness that is repeated daily. Then he turned his attention inward and considered the WORD of God. He thought of how powerful it was as well as how pure. “It is my meditation night and day.” he thought.

Pondering the power and majesty of his great God got David through some terribly difficult situations in his life. He taught us that focusing on the Enabler of the universe is of much greater value than focusing on the problems at hand.

Where are our eyes?