Sleeping With the Enemy
Written by Tim Eagle
Saturday, 16 February 2002 19:00
Good morning and welcome to Gateway Community Church. I'm Tim Eagle and I'm glad you're here this morning. Ed and Diane are out of town for a few days so let's keep them in our prayers for safe travel.
When I was up here last July, I heard from a good brother afterwards who said he enjoyed what I had to say but (and you know there's always a 'but' after that, right?) but, if there was one constructive remark he had for me it was that he wished I had talked slower. He said I talked too fast during the sermon. Well, not that I didn't trust him or anything of course, but just to confirm that gentle encouragement, I listened to the tape. And, he was absolutely right. I was so caught-up in what I was saying that morning and in my own nervousness, I was talking at hyper-speed. So, if I start talking too fast this morning, give me a signal or someone in the back wave their hands at me to slow down. OK?
Let's pray:
Good morning Father. I thank you for such a wonderful day and for this opportunity to come before you to worship you and to study your word. I pray I will get out of your way this morning so your message for us can be heard. Open our hearts to receive your word. I pray we will feel your powerful movement in our midst today. Amen.
Has there ever been a time, or times, in your life when you felt pursued, trapped, not knowing how, or understanding why, you were going through a difficult situation? Maybe you were crying out to the Lord to make it stop. Asking Him to lift the heavy burden you were carrying. Wanting Him to reveal why you were going through it so it all makes better sense. And, to just somehow make it all go away.
Maybe the situation was being able to cope with a difficult coworker or boss. Or a nosy neighbor. Or an irritating friend. Or dealing with rambunctious kids. Or a difficult marriage. Maybe the situation was deciding which bills to pay this month for lack of money. Or which school to send your child to. Or dealing with peer pressure. Maybe you're dealing with the strongholds of needing to control everything around you. Your 'control freakism' as someone put it. Or with insecurity. Or pride. Or a judgmental attitude. Or anger. Or maybe it's dealing with daily physical pain.
You might be going through, or struggling with, something like this, this very moment.
Well, this morning we're going to take a look at a couple of prayers from the life of one of the great heroes of the OT. Some argue he is the most influential person in the OT. Certainly, there is more written about him, and his stories, than anyone else in the Bible besides Jesus. What we can learn from these prayers can have as much impact on our own lives today as it had on his nearly 3,000 years ago. This man's name is David. One of the chapters in his life is timeless.
Because, by studying David's response to difficulties during a trying time in his life, we can learn how we should respond when WE face difficult life circumstances. David shows us four things we need to be aware of when we go through our own difficult life trials.
The two prayers we'll be looking at today are Psalm 142 and Psalm 57. These are prayers recorded while David was in the cave of Adullum at the start of an early chapter in his life when he was wandering throughout the mountains and deserts of Israel, hiding and eluding his pursuer, King Saul.
Now, I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Picture in your mind that you're in some far off cave in the mountains. You've just traveled weeks trying to escape the king and his army. You're tired, hungry, angry, confused.
Psalm 142 says: A maskil of David. [As an aside, a maskil is a term used in many psalms which is probably a literary or musical term] When he was in the cave. A prayer.
With your eyes still closed, listen to David:
Psalm 142
"(1) I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
(2) I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.
(3) When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
Men have hidden a snare for me.
(4) Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
No one cares for my life.
(5) I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, "You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living."
(6) Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
(7) Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
Because of your goodness to me."
Now, keep your eyes closed. Isn't that maskil of David powerful? Does this give you an idea of how he felt? Think about it for a moment. You can open your eyes now. David is clearly not on some weekend camping trip with the boys all sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows and singing Kum-ba-yah. He is crying aloud to the Lord. He is in desperate need. He's being pursued by his enemies. He's feeling like they are so close to him that he's sleeping with them.
Now, as is our custom here at Gateway, let's stand to hear David's other prayer to God.
Psalm 57 says: Of David. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.
Psalm 57
"(1) Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
Until the disaster has passed.
(2) I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purpose, for me.
(3) He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
God sends his love and his faithfulness.
(4) I am in the midst of lions;
I lie among ravenous beasts -
Men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
Whose tongues are sharp swords.
(5) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
(6) They spread a net for my feet -
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path -
But they have fallen into it themselves.
(7) My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
(8) Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
(9) I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
(10) For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
(11) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth."
You may be seated.
In verse 8 of this Psalm, David says, "Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn." David talks about his joy in getting through another night of safety from his enemies stalking him to awaken to the dawn of God's deliverance. His physical refuge from his enemies was that cave of darkness, that stronghold. He seemingly had no other place to hide. Hidden snares awaited him. He didn't know where to turn. He was in desperate need. Thus, David cried out to the Lord for direction, for protection, for help, for rescue.
Now, let me recap the early history of David's life leading to this:
David was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. He was a shepherd who was anointed future king of Israel at an early age by Samuel, Israel's last judge. He entered King Saul's service soon thereafter based on his already spreading reputation as a musician, poet, warrior, and his God-fearing ways.
David began as one of the king's seasonal court musician's. He was so skilled at playing the harp, he was able to relieve King Saul's tortured soul when evil spirits descended upon him.
David, as a brash outspoken teen, defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath when the entire Israelite army was too afraid to face him. David was only armed with a slingshot and defiantly cloaked himself in his strong faith of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel. David's brave act rallied the Israelite army to defeat the Philistines that day.
This began David's rise through the ranks of King Saul's army. Every mission he was sent on, he was victorious. Every task he performed, he did so successfully. Every decision he made, he made wisely.
1 Samuel 18:14
"(14) In everything he did he had great success, [WHY?] because the Lord was with him."
The people of Israel sang songs about David's victories. He was known and loved throughout the land. He had a very special relationship with God and with His people.
David had a fairy tale marriage to King Saul's daughter, Michal. He had a deep, covenant bond with King Saul's son, Jonathan. One that was very unique and special. They were truly spiritual brothers who deeply loved one another based on their unconditional commitment to God and unconditional love for each other.
In summary, David was a brilliant warrior, a revered leader, and a gifted musician and poet. There was nothing David could not do.
By this time, to say David was well known in the land of Israel, and feared beyond it, would be a vast understatement. He was a hero, a celebrity. He was a superstar. If there had been TV, cable, and satellite reception back then, he would be featured on CNN, CNBC, and all the major channels 24X7. He was the Eisenhower, Lincoln, and Billy Joel, all rolled in one, of his day.
But, as David's victories, skills, and faith increased, King Saul became increasingly jealous, fearful, and agitated towards David. His wife, Michal, helped him narrowly escape from being captured by King Saul's men and then lied about the circumstances to her father, the King! Jonathan tried to protect David from his father's wild tirades, accusations, and death attempts. But, it was no use. David knew he needed to leave everything he had and loved in order to stay alive.
His faith in the Lord was so strong, David would not even take revenge or kill the one whom the Lord appointed king. As he fled, David met Jonathan one last time. 1Sa 20:41 tells us, "After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together - but David wept the most." Can you see this scene? Two grown men standing out from town so they wouldn't be noticed. Their arms probably entwined, propping each other up for comfort and solace. Potential enemies who had a sworn, covenant friendship based on the love of the Lord, but who were pried from each other due to the circumstances. "but David wept the most." This was a terribly difficult, stressful time for David.
So, David fled for his life. With little possessions and no plan, deceiving those he met along the way as to his mission to protect them from harm, he pushed on. And, he ended up at the cave of Adullum as his first stop in his long journey of escape. This cave is also referred to as a stronghold which is defined as a geographical area in which it was easy to hide, a normally inaccessible place in which to hide.
And, he stayed there in the dark cave for some time. So long in fact, that family and friends found out. And they came to be with him. And then other men found out he was there and they wanted to be with him as well. Isn't it interesting the kind of men we are told in 1Sa 22:1-2 who came to be with him and call him their leader? Those in distress or in debt or discontented. It reminds me of another very famous person in the NT, one who was in David's lineage, who also attracted those who were society's down and out.
So, here's David. Holed-up in some dark, damp, crowded cave with 400 other smelly guys. Who knows when they last had a shower. Needing to scrounge for what little food they could find for subsistence. Trying to keep warm during the cold, hilly nights. Torn away from his wife and comfortable surroundings. Responsible as the leader of all these men. Surrounded by enemies. Pursued by the King of Israel with thousands of men trying to kill him. We can only imagine the anguish he must have gone through during this time. What he must have felt like confronted with the kind of pressures at that point in going from front page news to the front page of the Post Office Most Wanted stack. How could David have fallen so far so fast?
You wonder if he, like, journaled his thoughts. If he ever wrote down what he was thinking and praying. Wouldn't it be interesting to be a fly on the cave wall? To see and hear what he was saying and praying? Well, it so happens, we do know what he was praying and thinking. We actually have a record of it. We just read them, Psalm 142 and Psalm 57. Which lead us back to David crying out to the Lord for direction, for protection, for help, for rescue during this difficult time in his life.
Have you ever felt like David during a difficult time in your life? .
I have. It happened a few years ago. Quite unexpectedly. I had an ongoing encounter with one of my customers that literally shook the foundation of my being. It started out routinely enough. I thought it was an isolated incident. A difference in how to handle an issue on a series of projects we were doing together. But, nothing I did for him or the project was ever good enough. The paperwork I would submit to him would always need to have multiple revisions because he would always find something wrong. None of my actions were ever fast enough to satisfy him. He would always tell me, "This has got to get better." And, "When will this project get on track?" He wouldn't let things go. He wouldn't go away.
At one point he even said to me, "Why are you doing this to me?"
He hounded me. He pursued me. He was mean to me. I felt like he was the devil incarnate on earth for me. This went on for months. And, the longer this went on, the more I got physically, mentally, and spiritually weaker. It got to the point that I would startle wide awake in the middle of the night, which is extremely rare for me anyway, literally soaked in sweat because of the nightmares I was having of this guy. I was carrying a huge burden of him every day and night. I felt like I was sleeping with him, the enemy, because he, not you Terri dear, haunted me day and night. I felt like David hiding in the cave of Adullum from my pursuing enemy crying out to the Lord for help. For direction. For rescue. For wisdom in how to handle the situation.Then, I realized, just as David retreated to his physical place of refuge, his stronghold, during this time of difficulty and trouble and being pursued by his enemy, you and I, also retreat to our emotional places of refuge, comfort, and inaccessible places. We retreat to OUR strongholds, during times of personal difficulties and feeling like we're being pursued by our enemies. Both physical and spiritual enemies.
During the course of this encounter with my 'enemy,' I came to realize and see that this conflict was not about him or what he was doing to me. It was about my own response to his actions. It was about how I would handle my reactions to the spears and daggers this person was throwing at me. And, beyond that, how my own character needed to change. How I needed to deal with a sinful pattern in my own life. A self-protection mechanism that was a stronghold in my life and I was hiding in it. My 'enemy' drove me to that stronghold at that point in my life. But, I took the steps fully into it and it was now up to me how to respond to that event. So, I saw myself in the cave of my stronghold, similar to David, struggling for answers. Wanting to know what was going on. Crying out to God for relief and for rescue from this enemy.
So the question becomes for all of us: once we are faced with difficult circumstances or when we are in that comfortable, safe place we call a stronghold, how do we respond to the situation or circumstances that put us there in the first place? Now, one way is to hunker down even more in our stronghold. Reinforce it. Retreat further into it. Further into the darkness so we don't see our true selves. Respond to the situation with increased sinful behavior.
The other way, the right response, is what David shows us to do.
And, what is that?
David shows us, that instead of sleeping with the enemy, to rest in God.
The one thing David demonstrates throughout his entire life is his great faith in and obedience to the Lord and his earnest desire in pursuing God's heart. He shows us what you do when confronted with difficult situations or sinful acts. Because David, as great and faithful a man as he was, not only was put in difficult circumstances, but, later in his life, made numerous bad, sinful, personal decisions. But, every time he was challenged, every time he fell in sin, he responded by falling on his knees in seeking God out.
There are four points we can learn from David, in response to life's difficulties, in order to rest in God.
The first point is to Passionately Pursue God. This is how we must always begin.
Psalm 142:1
"(1) I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
(2) I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble."Further on, David says, "I cry to you". And, "Listen to me." To passionately pursue God means to passionately find God. No matter the circumstances. David lets all his feelings hang out. It's ok to pour out your real feelings and concerns to the Lord. He hears them. This gives us the freedom to express ourselves to the creator of the universe with the hope for His answers. And after all, the Lord knows our feelings anyway, right? And, don't wait for just the difficult times to do this. This is how we should be living our lives everyday. Pursue the Lord in humbleness, knowing that it is He who is in control of our universe. It is God who is molding us into who He created us to be.
David tells us in Psalm 34:18
Psalm 34:18
"(18) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Now, that's powerful stuff. That's how we must approach the heavenly throne and petition for God's guidance. And, once we come before God after pursuing Him, in humbleness and brokenness, we will be lead to honest confession as David so frequently shows.
Now, what does passionately pursuing God look like? For David, it meant composing prayers and songs to expose his emotions. Letting God know what is going on in his heart and mind with his voice. It may mean the same to you. Compose your prayers and songs to express your emotions to God. Or, it may mean to dig into the Bible to read God's word. Simply ask: What is that passage saying about God, God's people, and how does it apply to me in order that my character can change in order to be molded into who God has created me to be?
You may need to find a quiet place to pray, your prayer rock, to speak to and hear from God. You may find it fruitful to write or journal your thoughts and God's promptings. However you feel called or find it best to connect with, and get plugged into God, that's how you pursue God. Again, and again, and again.
The ways just mentioned are just some of what we call creative devotions which draw us closer to God. At Gateway, we believe in building balanced spiritual lives by growing UP towards God in worship, IN towards others in community and OUT towards the world through specific acts of service. This is our mission statement. And, this is the basis for our membership covenant now being finalized. In it is contained a section on practicing creative devotions.
One of the hallmarks of David's life was his constant humbleness in pursuing God's will. He repeatedly looked to God for direction in his life during good times and bad; and thus grew accustomed to trusting God for direction during times of crisis. He had a great faith in the great Creator. The lesson for us all? Passionately pursue God.
The second point is to Practice Desperate Dependence on God.
Why? The first reason is because we have to! Our enemies are too big and too strong for us to handle on our own. David, in Psalm 142:6 says:
Psalm 142:6
"(6) Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me."We all cry out to God in the midst of our struggles for help, because He is the sovereign being of the universe. From Him all things are created. From Him all things are possible. He alone has the power to not only sustain us during these trying times but to rescue us from the grip of our enemies. But, we must be extreme in our dependence on Him. We must break down the barriers that separate us from Him. This cannot be a casual relationship.
The second reason to practice desperate dependence on God is because you can! God is there for us and cares about us. In the midst of difficult situations, we sometimes forget, and I use that word purposefully, we forget that God is always by our side. He cares about His children deeply and will be with us during our struggles.
Psalm 57:1-3
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
Until the disaster has passed.2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purpose, for me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;God sends his love and his faithfulness.
The point of this beautiful Psalm is that difficult circumstances should always move us towards God, not away from Him which causes us to lose hope. Losing hope is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. Resist this! Because God cares about us, we can be free to Him with our feelings about the difficulties we are going through. Take refuge in God, not in the difficult situation. David tells us in Psalm 59:16, "But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble." And, again in Psalm 142:5, "I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
We want to be independent. That's what is drilled into us as a society and a culture. And, this is absolutely what the enemy wants. We need to practice desperate dependence on God out of necessity. It's not a choice. Some of us don't have a choice anyway. But, that's ok. You're in good company.
Practice desperate dependence on God.
The third point is to Share our Difficulties with One Another in the Midst of our Struggles; then Share our Experiences after Receiving God's Help.
We were made to be in community with God and with each other as His creations. We are intertwined as a body of believers. By allowing in (and this is so important) by allowing in, and surrounding ourselves with, those people that God provides during our struggles, it helps encourage us, and them, through the difficulties. This encouragement strengthens all of us which, in turn, strengthens the body of Christ. By sharing our own difficulties with others allows God to help relieve us of the burdens we carry. And, by seeing others in the faith struggle but continuing to reach to God for answers and help, gives a renewed strength to continue our own struggles.
And when we receive God's help, sharing that experience with others becomes a witness of God's work in our lives. It also encourages them, and us, in our spiritual growth. In 1Sa 22:2, God provided over 400 men for David to surround himself with, all encouraging and strengthening each other through the tough times.
Psalm 57:9-10
9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.Alright, look around you. Chances are the person seated next to you is going through some difficulty right now. How do we, as Gateway Community Church, demonstrate the kind of community that God wants in order for us to share our burdens? One way, maybe the best way, is in our home fellowships. Gateway is based on our home fellowships. That is the place where we can share, care, support, encourage, pray, grow in our relationships w/God and each other. If you're in a home fellowship, take advantage of the place God has brought you to. If you're not in a home fellowship, get plugged into one. We have groups that meet on just about every day of the week. We can get you info on those locations, times, and leaders. Or, just ask someone here today how you can get connected to a HF.
Share our difficulties and experiences with one another.
The fourth point is to Joyfully Praise and Worship God.
One of the many strengths of David was that of worship leader. His gifts in music and poetry helped focus a nation on the joyful praise of God and His many blessings. Give God the credit and glory in being with you during a difficult time and in seeing you through it. Psalm 57:5 & 11 are exactly the same to emphasize David's joyful praise of God:
Psalm 57:5
"(5) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth."
Psalm 57:11
" (11) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth."
David was so caught-up in his praise of God, even during these circumstances, because he stepped back and looked at the bigger picture, that he repeated those joyful words twice. He even has an expectation of God's saving hand during these times by saying in Psalm 142:7, "Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name."
Paul says in the New Testament to "Rejoice in the Lord always, rejoice. James says to "consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds."
Do we have that same perspective in the midst of our difficulties?
Joyfully praise and worship God.
So, what does David show us? To: Passionately Pursue God; Practice Desperate Dependence on God ; Share our Difficulties & Experiences With Others; and Joyfully Praise & Worship God.
Now, are you ready? Are you ready to follow David's lead? Are you ready to follow David's example of pursuing God's heart? Can we be a church community ready to stand-up and say we are David's mighty men and women? Relying on our faith in God to overcome all obstacles? Encouraging one another through those trials? The answers start with each of us saying, 'Yes, that's what I want'. 'Yes, I want to pursue God's heart and be obedient to His direction'.
Now, some of the things we need to know are that God doesn't say the task will be easy, or be the way we may want, or He will give us all the answers precisely when we ask for them. As humans, we have a very demanding spirit which is evident starting at a young age and never ends.
When my daughter Krysta was four years old, she came up to me one day while I was in the kitchen, tugged on my pants legs, looked up into my eyes in that sweet, big 4 year old smile, and said, "Daddy, will you please get me something to drink?" And, in that split second afterwards, all the loving emotions of being a special father swelled into my head. It was a Kodak moment. And, after that split second of thought, she added with hands on hips, "And it better be strawberry milk!" Do we ever change? Isn't that exactly the way we approach God as adults? "Dear Heavenly Father, you so mighty and wonderful and I just want to follow your will for my life. And, it better be?."
We want everything the way we want it, when we want, how we want it. But, God works in His time. And it will take courage, perseverance, and faith from us to follow God's direction. But, the good news is: God will be with us every step of the way.
It's like what happens when we take a shower and afterwards we get out and the mirror in the bathroom is all fogged-up, right? We can't really see ourselves through the fog. All we see is this fuzzy outline of ourselves. But, with each wipe of the fog on the mirror, we start to see ourselves a little bit better. We become more defined and clear. Now, for some of us, it takes a lot of wipes or God really has to wipe hard for us to more clearly see who we are. But, that's what our spiritual journey is like. It takes many wipes, many incidents of God's cleaning to better define who we were made to be in Christ. To start to clearly see who He intended us to be. Without the layers of built-up self-protection. Without the layers of strongholds we've accumulated in our lives.
Each time we're presented with an opportunity to allow God to wipe away the things that keep us farther from Him, and what he wants us to be, these are the times we have to seize in order to allow Him to clean-up our act. These are the times that will reveal our true selves and who we are suppose to be as God originally made us.
Do you feel like you're in the cave of Adullum this morning?
Do you feel like you're with David in the midst of some difficult life circumstance?
That's ok. Do you hear David saying to you, "Hey, take a load off. Come sit over here next to me for a while. I understand what you're going through. You know, we're in pretty good company. There's a bunch of other folks here with us too. In fact, I know this guy who understands exactly what we're going through. He really cares about how we're doing and says He will be with us all the time. Hey, I know, let's compose what's on our minds and hearts. He wants to hear them. Let's sing some songs to God."
Do NOT leave here this morning if you're in the midst of a difficult time without telling someone about it and asking them to pray with you about it. Find a corner of this room or someplace else if you need to. Let God work through your circumstances. Let God fill you with His peace and His reassurance. With God's help, you will make it through this.
Don't sleep with the enemy. Rest in God.