Psalm 18 is David’s Psalm. In a subtitle it is noted that “he sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”

It was complicated. When King Saul’s jealousy became a threat to his life, David had to leave the palace overnight. From then on, he lived the life of a refugee. Meanwhile King Saul’s death-wish on David slowly became an obsession. Still, David refused to lay hands on God’s Anointed. Over time, he gained an underground following; David’s men were ready to go into battle and die for him. And yet, regardless how badly his following wanted King Saul removed from office, according to David they had to avoid an open confrontation at all cost. And so, they had been on the run for years. When King Saul got too close for comfort, they finally had to leave Israel and hide in the land of the Philistines, Israel’s traditional arch-enemy.

Sometimes we hide because we are shy; sometimes we hide because we have done something wrong and we want nobody to see. Seeking refuge in the Lord is a different kind of hiding. It’s the kind of hiding that lets the Lord do His job while the believer has to wait things out. I believe most people prefer to do something instead of waiting things out. Letting go of our own action plans and waiting for the Lord is not an easy thing to do. It requires faith.

David and his men stood the test of time. They waited on the Lord and the Lord took care of their situation. Eventually, King Saul and his son were both killed in battle. And just like that, within a day, a door opened and David was offered Israel’s throne. History has noted that he was a man who refused to take the throne by force, an unusual move in the “Game of Thrones”.

We are often tempted to do things our way, and so was King David. Looking back he said (Psalm 18:21):

“For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
    I am not guilty of turning from my God.”

The Lord was able to resolve a tricky situation in His time and in His way because King David was determined not to interfere. And in hindsight he saw how everything had fallen into place. He marveled at God’s wisdom saying (Psalm 18:30):

“As for God, his way is perfect.” 

Take it from King David: God’s way is perfect. We may not feel perfect, we may walk a rather difficult path, but if we follow the Lord, the path we are on is the way to go. God Almighty protects the ones who trust in Him – we can count on that.