“For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory” (Psalm 32:7).
While this verse is comforting, the faithful today know that life is complicated, requiring every ounce of strength, every best effort to navigate through its challenges and difficulties. How are mere humans to feel positive, let alone victorious, when the going gets tough?
To more fully understand this Bible verse and its promises, it’s necessary to understand the author of this verse — David — and who he really was.
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David is one of the most referenced people in the Bible, with 66 chapters dedicated to him, according to Biblestudytools.com.
“David is a young shepherd who earns recognition initially as a musician and later by defeating the gigantic champion, Goliath,” according to scripture, the same website also says.
Scripture details David’s adventure-filled life; he started out as a shepherd and became a king, according to Biblestudytools.org. (iStock)
King Saul, and a friend of Saul’s son, Jonathan, “begin to favor David” — but Saul turns on David after becoming troubled that he is seeking the throne.
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After Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle, David is chosen as the new king.
“Foreign armies attacked David, but God provided safety again and again.”
“David then captures Jerusalem, bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the city, and securing the kingdom founded by Saul,” says Biblestudytools.org.
David was human and far from perfect, yet still God watched over him.
Pastor Bradley of Seattle encourages people today to ponder, “How has God intervened in your life with his power, goodness and grace?” (iStock)
“David engages in adultery with Bathsheba, driving him to order the death of her husband Uriah the Hittite,” Biblestudytools.org adds.
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David escapes Jerusalem during the revolt of his third son, Absalom — but after Absalom’s death, he returns to rule Israel.
“God is an ever-present help in trouble, and he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
While these are only snapshots from David’s long and adventurous life, they illustrate God’s unwavering protection and care, says one American faith leader.
While King Saul repeatedly tried to kill David, “God repeatedly protected David,” Jesse Bradley, pastor of Grace Community Church in Seattle, Washington, told Fox News Digital via email.
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“Foreign armies attacked David, but God provided safety again and again,” he added.
Goliath tried to “intimidate and destroy David,” noted the pastor, but God “brought a victory in that legendary battle.”
“You can always turn to God,” said Pastor Jesse Bradley of Grace Community Church in Seattle, Washington. (iStock)
Pastor Bradley encourages people today to ponder, “How has God intervened in your life with his power, goodness and grace?”
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He said, “You can always turn to God. I was a professional soccer player until an illness ended my career. I was fighting for my life for a year, and it took 10 years to fully recover.”
During this “tragedy,” said Bradley, “I learned how to seek God, pour out my heart to God and give him my burdens.”
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He continued, “The God of all comfort is with you. The lifter of your head is eager to listen. God is an ever-present help in trouble, and he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deirdre Reilly is a senior editor in lifestyle with Fox News Digital.
