Psalm 59:6-17 - Trusting the LORD of Host

From the title of Psalm 59 it is obvious that David is in danger of his life. But David, already has learned by experience that he can trust God to deliver him in the midst of his troubles. We can learn from David that God's people can always turn to the Lord in times of danger and testing because He hears our prayers (vv. 1-2). And also, if we believe that the Lord knows our hearts (vv. 3-4), we can look to Him for deliverance. But we need to make sure that our hands are clean, and our hearts are pure. Remember David also wrote Psalm 24:3-5: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” In the New Testament, James also instructs us with these words: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:8-10). We all must deal with troubled times in our lives that includes suffering, pain, trials, and even persecution if we are determined to follow and live for Jesus. Jesus told His disciples that in this world they would face tribulation (John 16:33). Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). I personally believe that we are beginning to see the first waves of persecution of conservative, Bible believing, followers of Jesus Christ in our country! Like David, we also need to believe that the Lord sees and hears our enemies (vv. 5-7), and He knows what they are saying and doing. As David prays and cries out to the Lord, he addressed Him as Jehovah (the God of the covenant), the LORD of Hosts, and the God of Israel. David was Israel's anointed king and a son of the covenant God made with His people, so he had every right to seek God's help. Jehovah is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies (LORD Sabaoth) and can defeat anyone who challenges His will. Since Saul and his men were the immediate problem, to whom was David referring when he spoke of "the nations" in verses 5 and 8? The nations around Israel were usually poised and ready to attack their old foe, and Saul's mismanagement of the kingdom would make such a move even easier. Saul had become so obsessed with destroying David that he neglected his duties as king and made the nation vulnerable. But David was God's anointed king, and Saul's attacks on David, with the division and infighting was exactly what the enemy nations wanted. I believe our nation’s enemies are thrilled with the divisions, the corruption, and the chaos in our country today and are just waiting for the opportunity to attack us if we don’t destroy ourselves first.  Today, like never before, we need to believe that God hears our prayers, knows our hearts, and also knows the thoughts and intents of our enemies whether they be here or abroad. We can trust Him to defend us and defeat our enemies because He is the LORD of Host!  God bless!