When I was a kid in elementary school, the dismissal bell at 3:00 filled me with dread. I was a nerdy kid who loved to read, loved art, was fat, not good at sports, wore braces and I was an easy punching bag. When the bell would ring and I walked outside unto the school playground, I never knew if I could make it home without getting beat up!
Lately, in my spiritual life, that’s kind of how I feel. I’ve had a spiritual plan in place but, I still wasn’t really prepared for what happened! It caught me off guard. Just like when you’re on the school playground and the bully comes at you (even though you’ve prepared yourself) when that first punch comes, you go flying in the air, sprawling on your back, nose bloody, fat lip and trying to figure out how to get to safety. Well, that has been me lately. I have been sprawled out on the ground, nursing my wounds and trying to get to safety.
In 2 Samuel 15:30, King David is enduring a revolt that is being led by his own son Absalom. Absalom is trying to take his father’s throne by force. David’s state is described in this way, “And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went.” Absalom was David’s beloved son but, he was an ongoing problem. The revolt that Absalom was staging was one of many problems that David had dealt with. This revolt couldn’t have been a total surprise, as Absalom had been making moves to usurp King David’s authority. In 2 Samuel 15:6 it says; “so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.” Even though King David knew he had a problem with Absalom, he still has been punched out and is sprawled out on the floor.
There is a quote by Mike Tyson that says, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” The spiritual plan that you have in place may work well for you when everything is going well but, when that unexpected spiritual punch comes, what can do you do? How does David get off the floor? How do we get off the floor?
King David offers us a great example that will help us as we get off of the floor and stand up. In Psalm 62:1-8, we see the verses that David wrote speaking of the experience that he was going through. There are keys in these verses for us to emulate when we get punched in the face!
- God is our provider- In verse 1 it says; “My soul waits in silence for God alone; From Him comes my salvation.” This is an extremely important point! David knew that he was in major trouble. He knew that not only was his son seeking to take him down from his throne but, David had people close to him that were siding with Absalom and seeking to kill him. David doesn’t take swift action against them. David knows that God will be his salvation. God was working out His will in his life and David was certain that the Lord would provide his deliverance. He probably had no idea how it would come but, he knew that God would do it!
- God is our protector- In verse 2 it says; “He alone is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken.” David knows that there is nothing that can save him but God. He trusted that God would protect him in the midst of this attack. We need to hide out in God who is our refuge, our stronghold, and our high tower. When we’re in the midst of an attack, we need to remind ourselves that He is with us, and that we are just waiting for Him to act.
- God is faithful- In verses 3-4 it says; “How long will you attack a man, that you may murder him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? They have planned only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse. Selah” These men see David as a weak wall or a falling down fence. They see the opportunity to overthrow him and they relish the chance. Notice also that “they delight in falsehood” and “bless with their mouths but inwardly they curse”. David is struggling to trust anyone because they are all lying or pretending to be faithful. No matter how many have betrayed him, David knows God is faithful.
- God is my hope- In verse 5 it says; “My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my hope is from Him.” David has lost his throne, his servants and his followers have abandoned him and he was fleeing Jerusalem, yet he still had God. Everything was gone but God.
- God is my praise- In verses 6-8 it says; “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my refuge; I will not be shaken. My salvation and my glory rest on God; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us.” This is what I love about King David. He is worshipping God with abandon and encouraging us to “pour out your hearts before Him”. It is always difficult to worship God when we’re in the valley but, here David is saying come on, worship Him with me. “Trust in Him” and He will do it.
Next time you get punched out, remember these keys that King David gave us. Stand up, plant your feet and say to yourself what King David said, “I will not be shaken”.