King David had a lot of family problems. He also had a lot of enemies. His son Absalom rebelled against him, and David had to take refuge from Absalom’s forces. Psalm 71 describes his prayer to the Lord during this difficult time of trial.

David begins to declare certain things about the Lord.

In you, oh Lord, I have put my trust. Let me never be put to shame
Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness
Turn your ear to me and save me
Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go
Give the command to save me
You are my rock and my fortress
Deliver me, oh my God, from the hand of the wicked
You have been my hope and my confidence since my youth
From birth, I have relied on you
You are my strong refuge

King David did not look at the problem. He looked at the Lord and began to declare who the Lord is to him. The first step that David does is to look to the Lord in times of trouble, not to his own abilities. He declares what he has done for him in the past. He reminds his heart of the faithfulness of the Lord. The first words he says is, “I have put my trust. This is the Hebrew word “chasah,” which means to have hope, make refuge, and put trust. It comes from the root word, meaning to flee for protection, to confide.

King David finishes Psalm 71 with words of worship. He says

I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness in my God
I will sing praise to you with the Lyre, oh holy one of Israel
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you by whom you have redeemed
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long

Kings David’s solution to the problems facing him was always to withdraw to the Lord. Psalm 91 describes the benefits he found dwelling with the Lord and openly discussing his problems and anxieties with Him. King David starts Psalm 91 with the words.

1″ He who dwells in the secret place of the most high God will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty.”

The word dwell here is important. A dwelling is a place where we live. It’s not a place that we visit. The Lord wants us to dwell in the secret place with him. In the New Testament, this is called abiding in Christ

Psalm 91 describes the 25 benefits of dwelling in the secret place with the Lord. You can download a copy of those benefits here (25 Benefits of Living in the Secret Place}

Unfortunately, in this world, things go wrong. John chapter 16:33 declares:

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

King David tells us how to overcome our troubles with the Lord in Ps 71. Here are the steps he recommends

Withdraw to your secret place with the Lord
Focus the eyes of your heart on The Lord
Declare what the Lord has done for you
Declare who the Lord is to you.
Ask Him for deliverance from your trouble
Worship the Lord during the trial

Close

Sometimes troubles seem overwhelming. At those moments, we must become Spirit-led and speak to our soul. We need to remind our soul who is in charge. King David did this in Ps 146. He said

1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

I encourage you to do the same. May the Lord bless you this week to overcome your troubles.

Yours

Bill

About the Author: William Dupley

Bill and Sue Dupley have been ministering for over 35 years, preaching and leading worship on five continents. Together they minister renewal and teach adults and children how to hear the voice of God. Bill and Sue believe that the supernatural should be natural for all believers and that every believer can impact their world for the Kingdom of God as they hear God’s will and follow His leading.

Bill and Sue are certified facilitators for Communion with God Ministries and are affiliated with Singing Waters Ministries. They have conducted seminars at Catch the Fire, Mission Fest, Releasers of Life, Iris Ministries, Singing Waters, and many other global churches. Their passion is for God’s family to know their Heavenly Father and to hear His voice so that they may live in the fullness of the gifts and the freedom that Jesus bought for them. You can contact them at: the.secret.place@cogeco.ca

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