Day 153 – David & the Psalms

• Hello! There is no story today to explain – just a lovely bunch of poetry, but that doesn’t mean that we should switch off! In fact, I know some of you love the time we spend in poetry in the bible. Today is a chance of pace. Let’s think about this passage and the corresponding psalm. How long did it take you to realise that 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 are virtually identical?
• In 2 Samuel 22, or indeed Psalm 18 if you choose to look at that instead, David declares that “God is” several things, such as his Rock (verse 3) and his Refuge (verse 33). See which other descriptions of God you can find in the passage. Are they are same things that “God is” to you too?
• What did David do when he was overwhelmed? Remember that David wrote several psalms after the events of being chased around the country by King Saul. How can we learn to take our struggles to God in the way David did?
• There are many images given of God in this passage. When God is described in this poetic way (i.e. “smoke rises from his nostrils, dark clouds were under his feet” – 2 Samuel 22:9) what is David trying to say about God?
• Do you think about God in the way David’s thought about God? What’s your initial image of God when you think about Him? Is it in any way like David’s imagery?
• Notice what David says in 2 Samuel 22: 21-25. It looks like he is saying that God is rewarding him for his righteousness, and that perhaps he is bragging or boasting in his own actions. As Christians we know that God loves us not because of our own righteousness but because when He sees us He sees Jesus. It’s worth saying then, that it’s unlikely that David is boasting that he was perfect (of course he wasn’t, as we have read about!). He’s probably joyful that his desires are to serve and love God, and that he knows that this pleases God.
• Do you talk to God in the way that David talked to God? If not, why do you think not? Would you like to feel like you could talk to God in the way David did? How might you develop your relationship with God to know Him better?

When was the last time you set aside time – five minutes let’s say – to spend time in thankful prayer and private worship?

It can be very easy to limit our prayer life to times when we need God’s strength! But David’s prayer comes after a difficult time, when things were peaceful again. It’s not a fearful prayer of a man in trouble – it’s a prayer of wonder and praise at all that he can see that God is.

It’s so important to pray like this. If you don’t, think about why. It may be you just don’t think about it, or don’t prioritise it. Perhaps you don’t feel like praising God sometimes. Maybe you aren’t ready to say the sort of words David says because you don’t think you can, or that you don’t know God in that way.

If any of those things are true, then perhaps try considering these issues – perhaps things you’ve identified from these and other recent passages – as the focus for your prayers this week. When you feel ready, take a few verses from 2 Samuel 22 and use them as the basis for a time of thankful prayer to our almighty God.