1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.”
___________
What struck me in this passage is the desire to fly away, to flee from the threats and slanders of the enemy. It struck me because I’ve had that feeling. How nice it would be to just fly away in times of intense stress, overwork, and pressure, and – yes – opposition. To fly away from COVID and all the other things in our world and in our lives that are frustrating and oppressing us! In normal times, I would wish to just catch a flight and be on a beach in Hawaii by the end of the day. Or hiking in the Sierras.
But the problem is that running away does nothing about the problem. It’s still there. For David, his enemies and accusers will still be waiting for him, and in fact will be at work against him while he is flying away. This is true for David. It’s true for my hypothetical flight to Hawaii. It’s true for those under stress who fly away to a wine bottle, for those facing challenges at home who fly back to work, for those facing deep frustrations who fly away to drugs. For those who are bored and so fly away into their computers or smartphones.
In fact, many of the ways that we may envision for flying away will only serve to make things worse and increase the pressure of that which we seek to fly away from.
Now, this is much more complex and nuanced than I can address adequately in a brief morning devotion. But suffice to say simply that there is one “flying away” that is appropriate, and that does truly enable us to “be at rest.” The Lord is our true refuge. He is our “place of shelter,” and resting in His grace and promises, we can find peace in the middle of the storm. Only in Him are the accusations of the enemy Satan silenced. In Him we have not only that peace, but also the strength to face the challenges that rise up against us.
So my prayer today is for those facing great challenges who are tempted to “fly away.” I’m praying for them to find their rest in Jesus, and the grace to face their challenges in His strength.
NOTE:
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