January 4th, 2011
Tuesday
My Daily Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 20:14-22:20; Acts 1: Psalms 110; Proverbs 15:8-10
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 22:3; 2 Samuel 22:17
"...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 savior"(2 Samuel 22:3)
"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters."
(2 Samuel 22:17)
OBSERVATION: These two passages of Scripture are taken from David's song of praise for his many victories over his enemies throughout the course of his running from Saul and other enemies before and during his reign over Israel. While the metaphor comparing God to a Rock, a refuge, a shield, etc, is continually used throughout Psalms, as well as, the rest of the Bible, it carried a little more meaning for me this morning. My Bible's end notes mentioned that David often hid among the rocks in order to escape his captors and whoever pursued him. He sought refuge in those rocks. So, when David mentions that God is his rock in whom he takes refuge, I see an image of a man hiding from the dangers of the world behind his God, depending entirely on God to protect him.
Another image that spoke to me concerned David's protrayal of God as the "horn of my salvation." While I may be guilty of misinterpretation here, the image that immediately comes to mind when I think of a "horn of salvation" is of a saddle horn that one might cling to as they attempt to keep astride of an angry bull. Letting go of such a horn may lead to being trampled, gored, or worse. In such an instance, that saddle "horn" is all that stands between a man's success and glory or failure and shame - not to mention personal injury. In other words, God, as the "horn of salvation" is all that stands between a man's success and failure to cope with the never-ending pressures of daily living.
Finally, David's reference to God reaching down from above to pull him from deep water portrays a God willing and able to intervene by interacting with us and pulling us to safety. In other words, it goes beyond the idea that God is simply someone or something to hide behind or cling to, similar to an inanimate object, but also that God is able to save us from ourselves. He is able to grab hold of us when we have lost the ability or the know-how to grab hold of Him. Not only does God have this ability, but He also has a desire to actively save us from ourselves.
APPLICATION: While I make no claim of being pursued by an enemy, hell-bent on my destruction, outside of the Spiritual World, I feel I can appreciate God being portrayed as both a Rock of Refuge to hide behind, as well as, a horn of salvation to cling to.
For one thing, if I were to sit down and make a list of everything that I need to do for HOSA, for athletic training, for teaching, for my Masters Program, for home, etc, I would easily become overwhelmed by the enormous task ahead of me. While I do need to make such a list in order to take the first steps towards accomplishing all that is set before me, I can definitely relate to this picture of God being a Rock of Refuge to hide behind when the tasks that lie before me appear too great for me to accomplish. Many times I have found it necessary and refreshing to simply let go and to seek shelter with my Rock of Refuge.
For another, this idea of making a list of all that has to be done usually involves an ever-changing cycle. In other words, as soon as one thing is accomplished, another thing pops up to take its place. All too often, new items that demand my immediate attention are thrown at me in such a rapid succession that I become overly caught up with trying to complete the new tasks while the old tasks are forgotten or put on hold. Each day seems to bring with it new tasks to pile on top the old, unfinished ones from the day before. Before long, I am left with a large mound of unfinished tasks, unfulfilled dreams, and unrealized goals. Such inability to finish and accomplish tasks, when reflected upon, only seem to create feelings of shame, regret, and guilt.
I see this rapidly changing cycle of tasks to be the equivalent of the rapidly changing positions of a bull as he tries desperately to toss his mount from off his back. In such moments, all I can do is to desperately cling to the "horn of my salvation" in an attempt to stay on top of "the beast" that is my life. However, what eventually occurs is that I fail to hold on to the "horn" for a variety of reasons. The most significant reason that I can point to is my tendency to grab for other "things" which are not adequate to keep me upright. In other words, despite the "Horn of my Salvation" and the "Rock of Refuge" being available to me, my human shortcomings cause me to look to my own abilities and my own selfish ways to attempt to pull me through.
The more I lean on my own strength and abilities, the further I sink under the pressures and the mounting list of tasks yet to be finished. This image of a sinking man leads perfectly into the last portion of the Scripture. Too often this tendency to look in all directions but His to help me cope with outside pressures, eventually leads me into "deep waters" of stress and anxiety. I slowly become consumed by all the pressures and expectations from the outside world. In such moments, I do indeed feel like I am drowning, as I try desperately to keep my head above water.
2 Samuel 22:17 provides a very refreshing and encouraging truth that I can draw upon during these periods of crisis in my life. That He is not only able, but willing, to reach down from on high and take hold of me, drawing me out of deep waters, reminds me that my God is capable of saving me when my own abilities are not enough. While the analogy comparing God to a "Rock of Refuge" or a "Horn of my Salvation" are very useful and applicable to me today, such comparisons are to inanimate objects. That is, they are tools to be used by individual. However, what happens when the individual is not skilled enough, or is not capable of using these tools appropriately? That is why it is very comforting to me to also have this picture of an animate God that is actively seeking me out and drawing me to safety despite my best efforts to throw myself into situations that are sure to overwhelm and drown me.
PRAYER: Abba Father, this morning I want to thank You for granting me this insight into 2 Samuel 22. While it might fail to deliver in some more scholarly interpretations of Scripture, it provided me with insight that I can apply directly to my own life. I thank You that You truly are my Rock of Refuge that I can hide behind and the Horn of my Salvation that I can cling to. However, perhaps more important than that, I am thankful that when my own failings and shortcomings threaten to drown me, You are able and willing to pull me up out of the deep waters and into safety. I love You, Father, and look to You today to be someone I can hide behind, cling to, and depend upon to keep me safe and dry in the midst of the Ocean of Pressures that currently surround me.
