Dealing With Adversity Like David
Do you want to know the heart of the man whose heart was like the heart of God? Read the book of Psalms, for they give such great insight into the heart of David. Look at the opening verses of Psalm 16. “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.” Think about the humility of one who says that apart from God there was no goodness within him. Then, sense the faith of David as he openly affirms that his trust was in God.
How do you deal with adversity?
Study the life of David in first and second Samuel. It was filled with adversity. Shortly after David killed Goliath, King Saul turned against him and on two occasions sought to take the life of this godly young man with a javelin. When this was unsuccessful, David fled into the wilderness, and Saul’s army sought to find him to kill him. David was then forced to flee from Judah but found trouble in the nations where he sought refuge.
How did David deal with this? Perhaps the words of Psalm 16 will help us. He looked toward heaven and prayed that God would preserve him. He showed his total commitment to the Lord when he said, “For in You I have put my trust.” Other translations render the word preserve as “protect me” or “keep me safe.” The marginal reading in the NKJV is “watch over me.” He was confident of God’s presence and found comfort in knowing the nature of God.
After David became king, adversity came again in his life as the consequence of his sin with Bathsheba. Think of how you would have felt if your own son led a rebellion against you, seeking your life and your kingdom. Think of how you would have felt if four of your children died. Think of how you would have felt if one of your sons raped your daughter. How did David handle all of this? Look at those opening verses in Psalm 16. He looked upward and begged for God to preserve him, to protect him, to keep him safe and to watch over him.
Read those words again to see the difference in saying, “I trust You” and saying, “In You I have put my trust.” Is it possible that one might say they trusted another and that trust be shallow in depth? However, those words “For in You I have put my trust” demand a deeper level of trust. They show a complete investment in God. This is the kind of heart David had.
So, the next time troubles come into your life, look upward and let David’s words be part of your prayer. Ask God to preserve you, to protect you, to keep you safe and to watch over you. Trust Him but not on a shallow level. Do not just put your trust toward God, put your trust in God. Remember that God does not change. He will preserve you like He did David.