September 19

Psalm 118:5 says something that is at once comforting and disconcerting. Here David says, “Out of my distress I called upon the Lord; and the Lord answered me and set me free.” Deliverance is something for which we all long. When trouble assails, we want the Lord to rescue us from it, but how did we get into trouble in the first place?

David knew a lot about being rescued. As a shepherd boy, the mighty God he served empowered him to overcome great beasts and to defeat a godless army by felling its champion. When he became king, his conquests were renowned and his army was always victorious. Yet, the one foe that caused him great distress was himself.

David yearned to be all that God desired him to be. He knew he was a man after God’s own heart and he wanted to live up to God’s expectations, but he continually fell short. Because of his adultery, his family was plagued by intrigue—his daughters were not safe from the lust of their own half-brothers and David’s throne was not secure from the political aspirations of his sons. David’s life is a picture of self-induced turmoil—much as our own often are.

We know that Christ has given us power to live righteously, and when we do, we are unconquerable; but we often find ourselves falling far short of His provision. When we succumb to our flesh, we miss our spiritual potential. We wish we knew how to walk in victory and are distressed when we don’t. But, like David, we can be set free from our foibles if we will call upon the One who died to liberate our lives and our spirits from the snares of the enemy of our souls.