Praise the Lord! The Lord has been good to us throughout the past week. When we say that the Lord has been good to us, it is not just some exaggerated words in any sense, rather it is the truth that He has not only created us but He also cares for us as the sustainer and redeemer of our lives. This means, the Lord whom we trust, adore, worship, and serve is not an ordinary God but He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and worthy of all our praise and worship and adoration. He created us in the image and likeness of His self and care for us in righteousness and justice and with wisdom, power, and love. Therefore, let us be grateful to Him for everything He does for us and live our life thanking Him, as the Psalmist states: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations (Psalm 100:4-5).

The Lord has blessed us with a trustworthy Scripture passage for our SftW meditation this week, which is taken from 2 Samuel 22:31-32 (mentioned above). Although the book is named after prophet Samuel son of Elkanah and Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-20), one of the most acclaimed priests (1 Samuel 1:24-25; 2:18; 3:1), judges (1 Samuel 7:13-17; Acts 13:20), and prophets (1 Samuel 3:20; Acts 13:20) in Israel, it is unclear whether the books of Samuel were written by him. This is because the author’s name is not mentioned in the book itself nor is there any clear evidence to prove the authorship of the books of Samuel, the authorship of the book remains anonymous. Yet, some Jewish traditions credit its authorship to certain faithful prophets who served the God of Israel, this includes Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (1 Samuel 10:25; 1 Chronicles 29:29). The book of Second Samuel mainly talks about king David who reigned in Israel after the death of king Saul (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 1:1; 2:4; 5:3; 1 Chronicles 11:3; 29:29). After the death of Samuel, the very last Judge in Israel (1 Samuel 25:1; 28:3; Acts 13:20); and Saul, the very first person to be anointed as king in Israel, David reigned in Israel for the next forty years (2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Kings 2:11; 1 Chronicles 29:27). David was credited with the title of being a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). David was one of the most powerful kings who ever ruled in Israel [if not the most powerful king in the history of the nation of Israel]. As a person, David was faithful and acted righteously in his dealings with himself, his family, his community and country people, and, above all else, before the Lord his God – the God of Israel. As a servant of God, he served the Lord his God faithfully and, as a king, he cared for his peoples’ welfare, as it is mentioned: For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite (1 Kings 15:5; also refer to 2 Samuel 12:9). Although, God punished David for the sin he committed in the sight of God [the God of Israel] and the crime he carried out against Uriah the Hittite [one of the mighty warriors in his army / 2 Samuel 11:3; 23:39] with wars, David’s sons’ death, betrayal and calamity out of his own household, disloyalty and rebelliousness from inside and outside, nationwide disorder and confusion, and so on (2 Samuel 12:9-11, 14; 13:28-29; 15: 31; 18:14-15; 20:1-2), the Lord his God forgave him as he repented of the mistake he committed and cried out to the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51:1-19) and He blessed him, his family, his community, and the nation of Israel itself. In addition, God established a covenant with him and his descendants after him that He will establish his house and his kingdom forever before God and will make his throne firm through generations (2 Samuel 7:8-16; Psalm 89:3-4).

When we browse through his life-story, we can understand that despite being one of the most powerful kings in Israel, David faced a lot troubles in his life ever since he was chosen by God to rule over His people Israel (1 Samuel 16:1b-3, 11-13) and anointed by prophet Samuel to succeed king Saul as king in Israel (1 Samuel 13:13-14; 16:1-13). The first and, perhaps, the most noteworthy challenge [other than fleeing from his own son Absalom / 2 Samuel 15:13-14) he faced in life could be facing Goliath the Philistine champion of war from Gath whom he confronted as just a young boy [in his teenage years] at that time (21 Samuel 17:1-54). Despite being a skillful warrior and successful commanding officer in Saul’s army serving the country (1 Samuel 18:5-7, 13-16, 30; 19:8), David faced constant troubles from king Saul [his father-in-law] who made several attempts to kill him (1 Samuel 18:10-11; 19:1, 9-10, 11-12; 23:19-23; 24:1-3). David also faced life threatening opposition from the enemies of the Israelites and the nations around the nation of Israel like Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria, and so on (1 Samuel 19:8; 30:1-31; 2 Samuel 8:1-14; 1 Chronicles 22:8). Even in the midst of all such unfavorable situations, David served the Lord his God faithfully and cared for his people Israel. The plus point in his life was that he trusted the Lord his God wholeheartedly and without an iota of doubt in his heart, and God honored him for such an attitude that his house and his kingdom will endure forever before God, which would take place through Jesus the Messiah the God incarnate in the line of Abraham and David (2 Samuel 7:8-16; Psalm 89:3-4; Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32-33; 3:21-38).

The Scripture passage we chose for our meditation (2 Samuel 22:31-32) is part of the thanksgiving praise and prayer he offered before the Lord his God for delivering him from the hand of Saul and delivering the nation of Israel from the hand of all their enemies, as David himself testified about it, saying: 

All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation (Psalm 118:10-14; also refer to 2 Samuel 22:1-51).

We can understand that David trusted the Lord for his entire life. For instance, while he was still a young boy, he trusted the Lord his God and the Lord saved him from all life-threatening situations – even from the power of the wild animals. He, as a shepherd, with the help of God, even killed a lion and a bear while protecting his family’s sheep in the pastureland (1 Samuel 16:11; 17:36-37). Another time, when he confronted Goliath the Philistine war champion, he went to fight with him one-on-one in the name of the Lord Almighty whom he trusted and believed, as it is stated: David said to the Philistine, You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands … (1 Samuel 17:45-46a). All such narrations unveil the fact that David trusted the Lord his God wholeheartedly and followed Him faithfully despite all the trials and troubles he faced. Perhaps, David learned to trust in the Lord more and more through his own life experiences, as he testified: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes (Psalm 118:8-9). Prophet Jeremiah also included similar teachings in his prophetic writings, which states:

Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8; also refer to Psalm 1:1-3).

Again, we can see similar concept recorded in the writings of king Solomon [who succeeded as king in Israel after his father king David], who was known for his great wisdom and power and wealth and honor as God bestowed on him all such abilities and resources as he trusted God wholeheartedly. In fact, God blessed him with everything he asked for [such as wisdom and knowledge and understanding and discerning power, and so on], and things which he did not ask God directly [such as wealth and power and honor and other resources], so that he can be an effective and resourceful king. He urged his hearers/readers to trust in the Lord with all their heart, saying: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6; also refer to 1 Kings 3:13; 4:29-34; 2 Chronicles 1:1, 11-12). It is widely known fact that the righteous people who fear God, shun evil, and live a godly life may face very many trials and troubles in their life but the Lord will deliver them from all such troublesome situations, as the Scripture states, The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all (Psalm 34:19).

Despite all the hardships and troubles David went through in his life, he trusted the Lord his God with all his heart and stayed closer to Him and depended on Him more and more in his life. David took every opportunity to worship and praise His holy name as the Lord his God kept him safe and secure until the end of his life. The Scripture states that he died at a good old age, full of years, as it is stated: He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king (1 Chronicles 29:28; also refer to 1 Kings 2:10; 3:14). David’s last words quoted below as a testimony for everyone who trust the Lord God for their spiritual benefits:

These are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs: The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’ If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire. But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie” (2 Samuel 23:1-7).

God not only comforted and blessed just David who trusted Him with all his heart but God did the same with everyone who trusted Him wholeheartedly. In fact, David went through some real tough times in his life [including a homeless and resourceless situations] between his anointing by prophet Samuel as king in Israel and his coronation as king in Israel. He was hiding in caves and running for his life and running out of survival resources time and time again. However, He trusted the Lord his God more and more as more and more trials and troubles and struggles increased in his life. Similarly, several others also trusted the same Lord God who comforted and blessed David when disaster struck their lives and experienced similar kind of comfort and blessings in the later part of their lives. For instance: Job trusted the Lord God all the when he lost everything in life (Job 1:13-19; 2:7-8) as part of his trust in God tested very severely (1:6-12; 2:1-6). However, even in the midst of such terrible loss and severe pain, Job neither blamed God nor anyone else nor sinned against the Lord God through his word or deed rather he worshipped God, as it is stated:

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing (Job 1:20-22).

And, of course, the Lord God blessed the latter part of his life more than the former part of his life, as it is mentioned: The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part … and so Job died, an old man and full of years (Job 42:12-17).

Another example is Apostle Paul who went through a lot of trials and troubles and struggles and sufferings in his life for the sake of testifying the good news of God’s grace and preaching the gospel of Christ to anyone and everyone who had not come to the saving knowledge of Christ, as he testified, saying: I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace (Acts 20:24). He continued, saying:

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:8-11).

And, he testified at the end of his life that I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

King David and other godly people personally knew who God is and learned to trust in Him all the more in all situations – that is, in times of troubles as well as in times of peace and comfort. They neither trusted in themselves nor in others nor followed their own ways but they wholly trusted in the ability of the Lord God and followed His ways wholeheartedly. David declared: As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God (2 Samuel 22:31-32). Let us read and analyze and study the passage again as we meditate it for our spiritual benefit …

• • God is eternal and He never changes (22:31a)
  • God’s way is perfect (22:31b)
  • God’s word is flawless (22:31c)
  • God shields all who take refuge in Him (22:31d)
  • There is no God besides the Lord (22:32a)
  • There is no one like Him (22:32b)
  • There is no Rock except our God (22:32c).

Dear friends in the Lord, as we conclude our this week’s SftW meditation, let us try to understand the fact that trusting God in times of trouble is more profitable than trusting in others or ourselves and using our own abilities and resources to get out of the trouble that entangles us. We must trust and praise and worship and serve the Lord God whom David and Job and Apostle Paul and untold number of righteous and godly people did and He is able to deliver us from all kinds of trials and troubles and hardships we go through in life today. Therefore, without losing heart, let us trust the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength (refer to Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27) because He is able to deliver us from all kinds of unfavorable situations we face in life. Pr Pappy encouraged his fellow ministers in God’s vineyard, saying: Hello fellow ministers in God’s vineyard, our mission and ministry ought to focus chiefly on bringing changes in the lives of people assisting them to lead a righteous life and lead them to Christ Jesus and help them to grow in their relationship with Him.

David stated: How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears (2 Samuel 7:22). There is no doubt that our God is an awesome God, as the songwriter and singer late Rich Mullins wrote and sang in 1988: Our God is an awesome God He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love our God is an awesome God! Yes, our God is an awesome God and there is no one like Him! May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!