On the Run
As I read King David’s plea to God, I could see him running, running from his own son who wanted him dead.
“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me,” he said in Psalm 3.
Can you imagine it? The wind rushing against your face, your heart pounding as much from the speed of your scampering as from the knowledge that the captor is someone you love? I could see him running in my mind and I wondered what I would do if I were him.
We remember King David as the “man after God’s own heart.” But David also had his share of problems. At one point, his son Absalom wanted him dead. Absalom wanted to be king and didn’t want to wait until his father’s natural death. So he conspired to build up his own army by currying favor with the Israelites.
I have had my share of trials in life, but never anything like that. None of my family members plotted to kill me – at least not that I know of! But one thing about David I could relate to: being on the run.
Throughout my life, I ran from painful memories, from mistakes I made as a young woman and the consequences that followed. I even tried to escape the vision—the seemingly impossible vision—that God had purposed for my life.
But King David, running?
Absalom had succeeded in winning allies to overthrow his father’s regime. He waged war. And, yes, David fled.
But somewhere along the way, David paused from planning his next move in the escape. Somehow, he pushed aside the heartache of his son’s transgressions. He told fear to take a backseat, at least for a little while. David caught his breath and cried out to the Lord:
But thou art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter of my head…. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon thy people.
Think of a horror movie scene. The victim is running from his potential killer, perhaps through the woods or along a dark, lonely street, or through a house with many doors and winding staircases. I always hated when the victim looked back and, not seeing the killer in the immediate distance, the victim stopped, gasping for air. I would yell at the TV set or movie screen, “Go! Don’t stop! He’s right behind you!” I just knew that poor soul was done for.
However, this is exactly what David did. Can you see him, scurrying, dipping and hiding? Yet, at the first sight of a clearing, David stops and cries out to God. Through his prayer, he reassures himself of God’s protection; he comforts his own fear by acknowledging the Lord’s shield around him. Through David’s praise came strength, a refreshing.
What do you do when it seems like the enemy is greater than you? Do you remember that God’s blessing is upon his people? Do you seek God’s direction in the midst of the trial? Or do you tell yourself to keep running, never stopping, never catching a breath to praise God or to remind yourself of His divine protection? Do you keep running from those memories, that pain, your purpose?
In the movies, running may have been the right answer. But in real life, only God is.
In the end, David’s army defeated Absalom’s.
About the Author
Sharon Tubbs has been a professional journalist for 11 years and is the founder of Christian Writers of Tampa Bay, a monthly educational and support group in Tampa, Fla. Her book Milk & Honey: 10 Principles to Embracing Your Promised Land was recently released and is available through her website at www.EmbraceYourLand.com. It can also be ordered at most major bookstores. Sharon Tubbs can be reached at EmbraceYourLand@verizon.net.
Copyright 2007 Sharon Tubbs. All rights reserved.
