“I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.”
~ Psalm 17:6
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever wanted to get back at another kid for something that the kid did to you? Have you ever wanted to see another kid punished for something that the kid did to you? Have you ever done something to another kid to get back at the kid because of what he or she did to you? Have you ever had another kid do something to you that physically injured you, that emotionally hurt you and/or that damaged the relationship that you had with him or her? Have you ever done something to another kid that physically harmed him or her, that emotionally wounded him or her and/or that impaired the relationship that you had with him or her? What do you think that the response should be from a guy or gal who has been unjustly or unfairly treated – such as being unexpectedly taken off or fired from a job by a supervisor because the guy or gal is a challenge to the ego or self-importance that the guy or gal has, such as being discriminatorily or arbitrarily criticized or let go by a coach because he or she has perceived that the guy or gal is the reason that his or her team has lost a game or such as being irrationally or unreasonably lambasted by a stranger because he or she inadvertently got in his or her way? How do you think that the response should be from a kid – or a guy or gal, to a kid – or a guy or gal, who tries to hurt him or her? How did David handle Saul’s attempt to throw a spear through him – after David saved Saul from the ignominy of a loudmouth, gloating giant holding him hostage from being the kind of valiant, strong king that the Israelite people group guys and gals – God’s specially chosen guys and gals, were expecting Saul to be as their first anointed and positioned king? How did David handle Saul’s attempt to entrap him and his band of misfits – after David refused to stick a spear through Saul when he had the opportunity to do so? How did David handle Saul’s attempt to eradicate him from planet Earth after David was instrumental in helping to stop Saul’s enemies – the Philistine people group guys and gals, from messing with Saul’s life? What did David do when he felt like he was no more than food for a lion to his ungodly enemies and wicked adversaries? What did David do when he sensed a famished lion – such as a corrupt enemy or malicious adversary, ready to pounce on him to kill him? What did David do when he realized that his mortal enemies and merciless adversaries had completely surrounded him? What did David do when his callous enemies and arrogant adversaries tracked him down to murder him? What did David do in his most frustrating and desperate life moments?
David would pray to God. David scribed a prayer psalm song – Psalm 17, to God. David begins this prayer psalm song by asking God to hear his righteous plea, listen to his cry and pay attention to his prayer. David then asks God in this prayer psalm song to hurry and vindicate him from all the unmerited maltreatment that guys who were his enemies and adversaries were inflicting on him. David asks God in this prayer psalm song to do the right thing for him as he believed that he had done everything that he could do to do the right thing for Him. David asks God in this psalm song to make him the apple of His eye and to hide him under His wings. David knew in his heart that his only hope against the guys who wanted to destroy him – by killing him, was to first go to God in prayer and let God stand up for him against his deceitful enemies and devious adversaries. David says in verse 6, “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.”
Have you ever really called on God to step in to destroy a stronghold – such as a life-threatening illness that is keeping you from enjoying living, an unresolved disagreement that is keeping you from enjoying a relationship or an obsessive habit that is keeping you from enjoying life? If you could ask David right now about his failures, your grandpaa is quite sure that David would not hesitate to tell you about the times that he failed ethically and morally. David would ultimately confess his ethical and/or moral failure to God. David would invariably accept from God the consequential punishment for his ethical and/or moral failure. David would move on with his life thanking God for enabling him to move on from his ethical and/or moral life test failures. Do you accept fault for your part in not doing well in a sporting event, for your part in not doing well on a homework assignment and for your part in not doing well in respecting the space of other kids – and of guys and gals? Your grandpaa was punished one time for not coming home at noontime. Your grandpaa had gone fishing with a cousin – Dennis Delay, in Lake Goldsmith. Your grandpaa and Dennis fished from the bank that is next to the dam that is located on the northwest corner of Lake Goldsmith. When your grandpaa’s ma opened the garage door, your grandpaa would know that it was time to stop fishing and to head home for the noon meal. Because your grandpaa wanted to use up the few angleworms that were still left in a tin can in order to try to catch a few more bullheads, your grandpaa opted to . . . which resulted in your grandpaa being grounded for a time from going fishing. Pulling a David means always letting God and your dad and/or ma decide on an appropriate punishment or a fitting vindication. Your grandpaa has to admit that there have been times when he has been the guy who has instigated or aggravated a disagreement which . . . it is real easy for your grandpaa to justify himself for his actions by saying that the offended guy or gal has a thin skin but . . . your grandpaa knows that he still needs to learn a whole lot – that he needs to learn to always ask God for His help in whatever conflict or crisis that he is in and to do what God is divinely prompting and leading your grandpaa to do.
Psalm 17 (883)