Psalm 55:1

Psalm 55:1

The treachery of friends 

This is yet another Psalm of David where he faces threats and conspiracies and where he does not know who is for him and who is against him. Who can he trust? Some suggest that the chief conspirator could be Absalom, although David would hardly describe one of his sons as, “a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,” v13, or would he? Absalom’s conspiracy and successful attempt to take over the throne was a source of great trouble to David and caused his withdrawal from Jerusalem and, ultimately, the untimely death of his son. Whatever the background, we get a picture here of a city in turmoil, where no one can be trusted, where gossip and slander are rife and where David is overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. Psalm 55 allows us to taste the heartache and anxiety of the king and to understand his deepest fears, but it also shows, once again, that a man who trusts in the Lord may find respite and help, even in the darkest of times.

 

v1        The Psalm begins, as do so many, with a heartfelt plea for the Lord God to listen and to intervene in this dark situation. I wonder if David was like you and me? We spend hours, days, maybe weeks trying to resolve problems and calamities that come upon us. We worry and fret and seek the counsel of those we trust, and we try every way we can, to find a way through, to unravel the mess and to take control. Too often, the situation is beyond us, and it is only when we are at our wits end that we finally get down on our knees and plead before the Lord. “O God, I cannot deal with this any longer. I don’t know how to solve this situation. I do not know who to trust to help me. In fact, the only One I can trust is You. Please hear my prayer, please do not ignore me. I plead with You, help me to know what to do. Show me the way!” 

 

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