What is Abide? | Listen to this Episode 

This week’s Abide episode comes from the passage in the Our Daily Bread devotional from Monday the 19th of August, which is 2 Samuel 22:1-7, 29-30.

Life is full of ups and downs. We are faced with a range of different situations on a regular basis. It was no different for David, who wrote the words in this passage. He’s worshipping God for how He rescued him from the hands of Saul who was out to kill him. David’s song of praise is an example of how we can look back at past experiences of how the Lord has delivered us, and use that to find hope in the present.

Turn with me if you have your Bibles to 2 Samuel 22, and let’s read verses 1 – 7,  and verses 29 – 30. If you are interested, the parallel passage is Psalm 18 if you would like some further reading on David’s song of praise. But for now, we’ll focus on 2 Samuel 22.

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour—
from violent people you save me.

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

“In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.

Verse 29 – 30:

You, Lord, are my lamp;
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

King David lived through dark times, but he did not let those times overtake him. God is a refuge and place of safety in times of trouble.

Sometimes when we are facing problems, we want the Lord to deliver us from the situation itself. He does do that… sometimes. But other times He doesn’t change the situation at all, but gives us the courage and strength we need to face it. He reassures us that He is with us and is our rescuer.

Take a moment and focus on verses 2-3.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour—
from violent people you save me.

Let’s begin by looking to the past. Can you recall a difficult situation where you felt the Lord’s reassurance as your rock and fortress? Can you remember a time when He helped you through? Perhaps He sustained you through prayer, reading His Word or help through people at church. Let’s think about this moment.

Perhaps make a note of it; write it down somewhere. Praise Him for how He was a refuge for you.

Now let’s look to the present. Are you facing a troubling situation today? Perhaps you can’t see a way out.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.

David needed reminders of this throughout his life – the Psalms show this well. When he needed help in the present, he often looked back to past ways that God rescued and comforted him. As you go about your day, whatever situations you might be facing, why not repeat these words to yourself: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer”. Keep these words close to your heart. For they are true, even if you have yet to believe them.