David wrote Psalm 55 when he cried out to the Lord for deliverance from his enemies, including those who betrayed him. This Psalm probably happened after God restored him from the sin he committed with Bathsheba. He prayed, "Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger (Psalm 55:1-3)." Because of the suffering that he was experiencing, he wished that he could fly away from his suffering. He said, "Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm (Psalm 55:5-6).'" Perhaps we can relate to David wanting to flee from our difficult problems, but where can we go?
The best way to handle our problems is not to flee from them but to handle them with God's power and strength. Taking care of our problems is not to try to hide or ignore them but to face them head-on and resolve them with God's help, and this is the reason David was crying out to God. David said these words, "As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change—he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God (Psalm 55:16-19)." God can help and rescue us from our difficult problems, but we have to trust and obey what He is telling us to do. Many people will try to escape their problems with alcohol, drugs, relationships, or anything that can forget or bury their problems, but this is not the solution. The solution is to face our problems with God's power and strength.
God delivers us from our problems through our faith in Him. The Apostle Paul said this in Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." When we trust God through our prayers, we are tapping into His mighty power to resolve our problems, so let us walk in the power of God in dealing with our problems.
Ask yourself these questions for application: (Think through carefully, meditate on the questions while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What should I do when I face difficult problems? Why is it that it is not good to hide or ignore our problems? How do I face my problems?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I humbly come before you today to ask for wisdom, courage, and strength to face my difficult problems. I know that ignoring or hiding my problems is not the way to resolve them. Please help me trust you and obey whatever you are guiding me to do. Please deliver me. I pray all these things in the name of my Lord Jesus. Amen.