Today we continue our series entitled, “Back to the Bible,” with Part 51. We have been looking at Psalm 119. Let’s continue to walk through this amazing psalm.
David said:
The Passion Bible Translation
(v.170) Take my words to heart when I ask you, Lord; rescue me, just like you promised!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- God knows your hidden pain. David said, “Take my words to heart when I ask you, Lord; rescue me, just like you promised!” (Psalm 119:170 TPT). When I read those words the Lord started to speak to me about the life of David and what was hidden behind the words. When he was saying, “rescue me, just like you promised,” David was saying it because of the challenges he had. People don’t talk about it much, but David endured challenge after challenge in the 13 year span between the day he was anointed to be king (in his home, in front of his family) and the actual day he took the throne. David had the chance to kill Saul and expedite the process, but he would not do it. He waited until Saul was no longer in the picture. He patiently waited through tremendously challenging times. After 13 long years of living on the run, Saul was killed in battle. David took over as king over Judah. But that was not the promise from God. He was supposed to be king over all of Israel. Once again, David had to wait. He ruled over Judah for 7.5 years while Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth ruled Israel. While David ruled Judah he had 6 sons. After the 7.5 year span, David finally became the king of Israel. The promise he received in his father’s house, from God, through his prophet, took 20 years to come to pass. David ruled Israel from Jerusalem for 33 years. In Jerusalem he had at least 15 more sons and one daughter. He had over 22 children. People today complain about the challenges of raising one child. The challenges David had with his children were many. I don’t have time to highlight them all. I will just mention two. First, one of his sons raped his only daughter. Could you imagine that? The pain and turmoil something like that can cause is almost unthinkable. Second, David’s son Absalom wanted to be his successor. When it was obvious to him that he was not going to be, he gathered up men, started a small army, and launched an insurrection against his own father. So when David says, “Take my words to heart when I ask you, Lord; rescue me, just like you promised!”, he was saying, “Lord, I don’t need to explain my situation. You know all the pain I have gone through. You know how good I look on the outside and how my heart often hurts on the inside. Please rescue me, just like you promised!” If you can identify with David’s pain this morning, please pray the prayer he prayed. God will rescue you like He rescued David.
- People who are used mightily of God are not people who have not been through anything or people who have been exonerated from challenges. Most of the time they are people who have been through more challenges than most. The difference is, they kept going! Never let anything or anyone stop you!
- When you live your life as a man/woman of God, there will be times when your public face will be smiling and in your private place you will be crying. God will tell you to KEEP GOING through the pain. He will grace you to PUSH through the challenges. You will be ministering to others and helping them with their problems, while privately crying out to God for yours. This is what made David powerful and it is what will make you powerful as well. Push through the pain! God will rescue you, just like He promised!
- David prayed a public prayer and said, “Take my words to heart when I ask you, Lord; rescue me, just like you promised!” He was saying, “Consider my words Father. I don’t have to explain it. You know my pain. I am asking you to consider what I am NOT saying as I say what I say publicly. I am asking you to consider my heart and the pain that is in it, while I keep pressing publicly to do what You called me to do. Search my heart Father. Consider my pain. Hear what I am NOT saying. Hear what I sometimes cannot say. Hear me Daddy, and rescue me, just like you promised.” If you feel like David felt back then, pray like David prayed this morning.
- Everyone in the public wanted to be king like David, but no one in the public really knew what he went through. People see your glory, but they don’t know your story. You will never be raised and presented on the platform until you get processed through the fire so you can carry the weight of the anointing associated with the assignment.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. I expect to experience Your best. This does not mean I will not face challenges. I am often troubled on every side, but I keep going. I am persecuted, but I am not forsaken. I am cast down, but I am not destroyed. You have graced me to keep going. I do so with a smile on my face, even though I sometimes cry in my private place. So this morning Father, I ask You to consider my words and consider my heart. Consider what I am NOT saying. You know my pain. Help me to push through it to become the man/woman You called me to be. Rescue me, just like You promised! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
