June 23 - “Who”?

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth” – Psalm 19:1-6.

It began as a normal day but was to end with a mind-blowing event for this young country lad. He'd spent his life avoiding the crowded city streets, working for his father in the quiet rugged hills. Content, he wanted nothing more from life than the freedom of the great outdoors and nature. As he cared for the sheep he had time and space to compose songs. He was inspired by everything he saw. The nights he spent in the hills perhaps impressed this young lad more than any other time. Beyond his family he was hardly known in the neighbourhood. When asked if they knew him, the familiar response came back, “Who?”

Then suddenly, one day, he became the most famous young man in the country....his name a household name – he was the original skyrocket success story. Should have swept him off his feet, made him proud and boastful, big-headed and conceited, but not this lad. He couldn't wait to retreat back to the hills – back to where he loved to be, where he belonged, away from the limelight. There in the hills he could sleep content with his sheep surrounding him.

Little did David know of the hellish nightmare he was to encounter....scenes of battle in the vslley....the intimidating roar of giant Goliath....the stones, and the thud as a stone met it's target. Then King Saul. God, in the future, was to lead David through darker valleys than he ever knew existed, as King Saul, the man whose life he had saved, was so driven by David's increasing popularity, that his one haunting passion was David's death.

King Saul, driven by suspicion and jealousy, literally went mad.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, David was in a jam, sandwiched between public applause and the private horror of King Saul's spear. For more than twelve years, David became a fugitive, adversity his constant companion. Throughout, David conducted himself with humility, loyalty and integrity.

Charles Swindoll writes: 'It is easy to forget that two magnificent and lasting benefits were born out of the womb of woe: first, the deepening of much of David's character and, second, the composing of many of David;s psalms. The traits we remember and admire were shaped, honed, and polished while David lived like a hunted animal in the wilderness. Great character, like massive roots, grows deep when water is sparse and winds are strong. And the psalms we now turn to for comfort most often emerged from David's broken heart while tears wouldn't stop and questions went unanswered. Great music, like massive rivers, must come from torrential rains in order to keep flowing, leading to the splendour and vastness of ocean-like depths.'

And where does this leave you and me today? Has there been a recent breakdown? A trust no longer there? A friend no longer there? Fears where there was once laughter and compassion – a future no longer bright? Misunderstanding now where once there was support, affirmation, and admiration? May be your employment situation....a Saul stalking your steps, sharpening his spear,..just waiting for the right moment....?

Your lot, and mine, like David's, may defy logic, but don't despair, God can, and often does, his best work in these situations. Our best traits and contributions will emerge from this incredibly painful period of our lives. I'm counting on it!

Today's music is one of Bryn's selection “The Unseen Hand” LIVE Marty Stuart, His Fabulous Superlatives.