PSALM 70 – “Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!” May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!”

THEME OF THE DAY: TO WHOM DO WE GO?  Remember the time Peter answered a question from Jesus to His disciples with a question of his own?  We have been taught not to answer a question with question. It is viewed as rude, but in Peter’s case, how could he not?  Here is the dialogue . . .

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God”” (John 6:60-69).

Jesus just finished defining the straight and narrow way to Him.  It is not of man’s free will.  Left to the individual, no one comes to the Lord Jesus and the Father unless he or she is drawn by God Himself.  This smacks hard in the prideful heart of independent man. We see that by the response of the so-called disciples – “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66), and then comes the question of Jesus answered by a question from Peter – “So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (John 6:67-68a).

Peter confesses there is no place or no one else to go to.  Jesus is God. He has the answers to life and beyond.  The only answer is standing before them, and thus Peter and the disciples are not going anywhere.  And that ties us into today’s scripture and David.

God has given us many ways to be assured we are true followers of His Son.  We have His promises of eternal life.  We have the witness of His Spirit in our hearts.  We have the evidence found in 1 John of new birth, and from David, he models where the true believer goes in times of trouble – to prayer seeking God.  When life is hard and circumstances overwhelming, to whom do we go?   Sense the desperation and urgency from the heart of David for God’s help – “Make haste, O God to deliver me, make haste to help me, hasten to me, O God”. This is always the case with the child of God. We run to Him because like Peter, and David, there is no one else who can help us.

So, start asking the question in the midst of trials and temptation, “Where do we go in those times?” It should be a natural reflex in the heart of God’s people to turn to Him.  Why? We know it is the only place of help and comfort.

PRAYER:  Father, when trials come, teach me to flee to my only source of help and strength – You.

REFLECTION:  Trials are designed to not only conform us to Jesus but to drive us closer and closer to Jesus.