Perceive: In the previous write-up on the first half of this psalm, David described his trial and betrayal. In the second half of this psalm, he provides a testimony. This segment contains three sections. In the fifth section, he goes back to calling out to God with his complaint, knowing that the Lord hears and will soon act (16-19). In the sixth section, he describes how his betrayer violated his covenant, and his behavior was wicked (20-21). In the seventh section, he shares an exhortation to place your burdens on the Lord, look to Him for sustainment, and keep the faith (22-23). When friends hurt us, the burden is often too difficult to handle alone.
 
Practice: God wants us to cast our cares on Him. Unfortunately, we often use the arm of flesh and the need for quick relief to bypass a time of suffering, especially when it involves betrayal. David was in such a difficult situation he prayed three times a day: morning, noon, and evening (17). Praying three times a day is a great model. Praying throughout the day is an excellent way to maintain correct priorities and have a better Scripture-based focus on any problems and difficult circumstances you are facing. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
 
Pray: Father in heaven, I cast the following anxieties on You ___________________. I know You care for me. 

​This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: The content of this psalm places this as a good place in the life of king David. David has certainly experienced some serious treachery in his kingdom. In the first half of this psalm, David pronounces his trials. The entire psalm contains seven sections. The first section describes his cry out to God and expresses his fear and his feelings about the situation (1-5). The second section describes his longing for a safer, more secure refuge (6-8). The third describes his request for God to confuse his enemies (9-11). The fourth section describes his heart at the realization of a false friend who worshiped and worked alongside him. (12-15). Betrayal is a heavy thing to handle and something that almost every man deals with sooner or later.
 
Practice: Few things hurt more than a wound from a close friend. However, in the lives of most men, there are times to risk the relationship. A true friend learns to speak the truth in love to help someone close to him. He also wants his close friends to do the same for him. Real friends stick with you through thick and thin. In times of trouble and in times of plenty all friendships are tested. The way you work through an issue determines how deep your relationship will go. On this Solomon wrote, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6). NASB
 
Pray: Sovereign God, help me to hear others speak truth into my life. Help me to speak truth to my friends and family. ​

This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: As in every rebellion, a day of reckoning finally arrived. Sometimes God's judgments fall swiftly, sometimes He waits and acts slowly. The battle takes place in the forest of Ephraim where Absalom’s faces the end of his life. It is interesting to note that Absalom's hair, a symbol of his pride, was the part caught in the forest tree (14:26). Absolom’s pride becomes the cause of his downfall, as it does in many men's lives. A certain man reported his situation to Joab who was angry the man did not kill David’s son. Instead, he took three spears and plunged them into Absalom’s heart. Once dead, he is thrown into a deep pit where soldiers place stones on top of him.
 
Practice: Absalom’s pride was his downfall. God is not mocked; a man reaps what he sows. The Torah (Deuteronomy 21:23) declares that anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. Absalom rebelled against his father (Deuteronomy 27:16), slept with the concubines in David’s harem (Deuteronomy 27:20), and stole the hearts of the people. He had around twenty-thousand troops to David’s two thousand. Even with these seemingly insurmountable odds, Absalom could not escape God’s judgment and neither can anyone who sins against the Lord. God will certainly forgive sin, but He seldom removes the consequences.
 
Pray: Thank You, Lord, that You do not always treat me as my sins deserve. I am so glad You cast them as far as the east from the west. 

This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com