5/18/03 E-4 INI Psalm 55:5-8,22

Dear Fellow Redeemed by the blood of God's Son,

What terrible experiences King David had in his life! For example, the betrayal he suffered at the hands of Absalom must have been very hard to endure. We read in 2 Samuel of how Absalom tried to take the kingdom away from his father. He would rise early in the morning and intercept those who appeared before the king for a judgment of their lawsuits. Absalom would say to them, "Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice."

And so it was, "whenever anyone came near him to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. In this way Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." He carried on like this behind the back of his father David for four years, until he had enough men to attack his father and drive him from Jerusalem.

We know that David was a mighty king and inspired prophet of God. But He was also an ordinary man with feelings like ours. With a broken heart, David cries out in this Psalm, grieving over the terrible things his own son had done to him.

We can feel the pain as we read, "My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me." All seemed lost for David. Why even try to keep his kingdom, when it would mean the death of his son whom he still loved? Why go through the struggle of regaining his rule over his people, when it seemed clear that they preferred the rule of his traitorous son?

We sympathize with David as he cries out, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then I would flyaway and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest." He did not desire the wings of a hawk to fly strongly upon his enemies; but the wings of a dove that he might fly swiftly AWAY from them! He would prefer to get away even into the wilderness, away from the city and the people, and the family that was causing him so much grief! The faster he could get away from the storm and the contrary winds, the better! All he wanted was to live in quietness and untroubled peace.

With far less reason, there are times that we also want to escape from our cares and responsibilities. We are good at finding ways of escape even from the little pressures and cares of our lives. We get involved in the fantasies lived by others in the books we read or the television we watch. We may take winged flight to the refrigerator when we are particularly anxious about something. We may be tempted to run to the department store or even to the cupboard for some drink or drug to help us fly away!

High school and college students are especially feeling the urge to escape as the end of the year approaches. How would some of you like to fly away from the papers and the book reports that are due! How would you like to wander in the wilderness, far away from your final exams! You may think: "I sure wish I were an adult and out of school, so that I could do as I please!

But if the problems of youth sometimes get you down, don't be in such a hurry to become an adult. Every working adult is faced with problems in the place where he works. Sometimes the pressures become so great that there is an overwhelming desire to run away from it all. Last week we treated our mothers in some special way. But during the rest of the year I know there are times when even some faithful moms would like to fly away!

I suppose that I've even had times when I would have liked to "hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest" of this wonderful ministry in which I serve.

And what about marriage? The daily sins of our spouses, financial burdens, problems raising children, and so on, place a great burden upon us, so that even the Christian may be tempted to desire some way of escape. So, it turns out, that adults have sometimes spoken those words to you that you find hard to believe. They say to you: "Oh, I wish I were a child again!"

You see, the very place to which we may want to fly like a dove for rest may turn out to be a place of even greater trouble and pressure. Remember there are also great dangers for doves in the wilderness. People fly to wilderness and woods on weekends to "get closer to God," and end up further than ever from him!

Think of the prophet Jonah, who thought it too much trouble to preach the gospel to the people of Nineveh. So he escaped on a ship and found himself drowning in the depths of the sea! Think of how many people you know who have sought an escape from various burdens and trials in the church and the home, only to end up worse off than before!

David was wrong. And you and I are wrong, and all are wrong whose concern in life is to take the easy road and escape FROM something. David, by inspiration, recognized the error of his thinking and corrected it in this Psalm. After recording his thoughts of escape, he concludes in v. 22: "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

When the Jewish Council threatened Peter, John and the early Christians, because they were proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ, did they flee from Jerusalem? No, they cast their burden on the Lord. Read their prayer in Acts 4: "Lord, You are God, Who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them. . . .Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your Word, . . . ."

We are to escape, NOT FROM, BUT TO GOD. As young people, we are to take our pressures, our griefs, our work to our God in prayer. As adults, we are to do the same. We are not to come to him LESS just because we have "grown up," but MORE, because our problems and responsibilities have also grown! Our heavenly Father truly has the solution to all our cares and pressures.

When we are overwhelmed with our various burdens we often do not see clearly. The promise here is that when you cast your burden upon the Lord, "He will sustain YOU" -- hold YOU together, hold YOU up! You see? It's not our burden that is really the great, troubling thing, in the mind of our Lord and Savior. It's WE OURSELVES. It's OUR faith, OUR life, OUR love, OUR final salvation that is uppermost in His mind. And everything, even our greatest cares and burdens He promises to take care of so that His believing children may be "sustained -- held up, held together." Never forget how He has already taken upon Himself our greatest burden when He took up the cross for our sins. Remember: He did this when we did not seek Him! Shall He not hold us up and hold us together NOW? Without question! Therefore the Apostle Peter also writes to us: "Cast ALL your care upon Him, for HE CARES FOR YOU." (I Peter 5:7)

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." For as long as His believing children come to Him, repenting of their sins, and seeking refuge in the blood of His son, our faithful Lord will be there to hold us up and hold us together. Oh, He may permit us to sway like the limbs of a tree in a storm, but He will not permit us to be torn up by our roots. And we shall be made the stronger for it! May we then receive grace so that we do not choose to escape FROM the burdens and trials that godly love places upon us, but TO our Savior God. Then we shall stand firmly to His great glory, and find yet another reason to sing from our hearts: "The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever!" Amen.