Down an Unfamiliar Road

After my two year residency as a hospital chaplain at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, I was hired as a team chaplain for a hospice organization to provide spiritual care to the terminally ill at six nursing homes throughout the Miami-Dade County area. I always tried to make sure that each patient and their families that I saw were given all the services that I could provide, plus access to whatever resources I had available to cope with their situation. So whenever I visited a patient or family, I would try to find out their spiritual needs and do whatever I could to meet them. So on several occasions after visiting a number patients who were Roman Catholic, who responded when I asked them if they would like for me to have a priest visit them, they replied, “No! No! Please don’t ask a priest to come.” This puzzled me. So one day I ask my good friend and fellow chaplain, Father Benny, why these people were so adamant about not having me ask a priest to come. He smiled, and then told me it was because the priest is only called under those circumstances to administer the last rites, and they didn’t want that because it would mean they’ve given up. I thanked him and made sure I never did it again. But at the same time I was also having a curious reaction from Jewish patients that I didn’t understand. Whenever I would ask if they would like for me to have a Rabbi stop by, they would tell me right away, “Oh no! Please don’t bother. That’s not necessary. I don’t think I want to see a Rabbi right now. I had the privilege of mentoring a Rabbi for another team, so I asked him one day why they didn’t want me to arrange for a Rabbi to come see them. He chuckled and then told me, “It’s because they would have to pay a Rabbi to come.” That really got me to thinking. So I started taking more notice when I asked patients who were listed as Protestants in their chart if they would like for me to contact their pastor and see if he could come. Much to my surprise, when I did asked, most of them declined saying, “Oh I don’t want to bother him because he is very busy.” It was at that time I began to thank the good Lord that I could call on Him without any of these mitigating conditions being involved. That I could visit with Him in prayer each day without waiting until I’m about to die. And that I could go into His throne room of grace through prayer and not have to pay for Him to see me. But most of all that I could call on Him at any time and not find Him too busy to answer my prayer. What a marvelous God we serve! What a wonderful Savior we have! And what a fantastic Holy Spirit we possess to guide us everyday! – Dr. Robert R Seyda

LIVING WITH A LIVING GOD –

After David successfully brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and installed it under the sacred tent he built for it; and after many ceremonies and sacrifices were performed in honor of this great occasion; and after hours of praise and worship were given to magnify the LORD God who once again sat in the midst of His people; David provided a benediction for this great festival, to motive the people to see it as a new beginning. David remembered the words of Moses in Numbers 10:35-36, which he then incorporated in the final hymn of this once-in-a-lifetime celebration:

“Let the One True God go forward; let all those who oppose Him scatter in every direction; yes, let those who stand against Him flee before Him. Like smoke being blown by the wind and wax being melted by fire, that’s how the evil-minded of this world will respond to the presence of our One True God. While those who live right shout with joy and celebrate in His presence, singing songs of praise telling how great He is and who He is; lifting up praise to Him who will come in the clouds; the LORD of lords, that’s who He is. So let those gathered in the holy sanctuary of the One True God be joyful in the presence of Him who is a Father to the fatherless; a companion to those who’ve been abandoned. For our One True God rescues those who are hopeless and sets free those who are bound, and lets those who are rebellious live in their failures.” Psalm 68:1-6

Reflection: Anyone who remembers seeing the movie Jurassic Park will recall a fascinating moment when top paleontologist Allen Grant, who devoted his life to the study of dinosaurs, suddenly came face-to-face with the real thing. He falls awestruck to the ground. The reason, even an expert may piece together the imperfect image of extinct dinosaurs by assembling old fossils and bones, but to encounter an actual living dinosaur—well that’s beyond belief. From the time the Philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant until David came to power, the children of Israel relied solely upon the stories of their elders as to its sacredness and being a source of God’s power. For a time the Tabernacle sat empty on a lonely hill called Gibeon. Later they found the Ark of the Covenant abandoned in a grove of trees miles away from Jerusalem. David wanted the people of Israel to meet God up close and personal. He wanted them to feel God’s presence and see His Shekinah glory once more. That’s why he went to all the trouble and expense of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem for all to see. Today, some people’s image of God comes by way of creeds of faith tucked away in books and manuscripts from centuries ago. It represents a bygone era for them, a time never to be repeated in their lifetime. Yet for true believers, as in David’s day, we can meet our Living God on holy ground; allow Him to walk with us as we go through enemy territory; and fill our hearts with hymns of praise and adoration to Him in both His earthly and heavenly sanctuaries, as we march toward the New Jerusalem. So if you have never encountered the abiding presence of God’s Spirit in your earthly tabernacle, do as David did, restore the covenant you made with the One True God to its rightful place on the pedestal of honor in your heart.

LIVE BY FAITH, NOT BY FATE –

There is every reason to believe that King David had a satisfied smile on his face as the final blessing was given to the people after the Ark of the Covenant rested in the Holy Tent he prepared for it. Then this happy and delighted King of Israel encouraged the priests and singers to continue the sacrifices of praise for God’s new abode. So, accompanied by the choir and musicians, they used this Psalm of Thanksgiving in their praise and worship as a satisfied king returned to his own palace where he blesses his family, as the enormity of what just happened impacts his heart and mind.

“May our One True God smile on us and treat us with such dignity and kindness that everyone will see what it means to believe in Him, and how He treats those who do. After they see this, surely they will honor You, O One True God. This will bring joy to many people and put a song in their hearts, because they see that You are just and offer guidance to those who obey. Because of this, they will surely honor You O One True God. May our One True God above all gods let prosperity come and cause us to be admired around the world. Yes, may our One True God smile on us and treat us with such dignity that people in every corner of the earth will then esteem and respect Him.” Psalm 67:1-7

Reflection: One of Chicago’s wealthiest businessmen, Horatio Spafford, stood silent as he saw his worldly possessions go up in flame during the great fire of October 1871. While he attempted to put things back together, he decided to send his wife and four daughters off to Europe for a deserved reprieve from the heartbreak that hit their family. But on the way to Europe their ship collided with another and sank, taking his four young daughters to a watery grave. As soon as his surviving wife reached Europe she sent him a telegram with the horrible news. It was like rubbing salt into his already infected wounds. So Spafford quickly booked passage on the next ship in order to join his wife and comfort her. The ship was scheduled to sail over the same spot where his daughters drowned and now lay at the ocean’s bottom. Out of respect, the captain stopped the ship at the place of this tragic scene. As Spafford stood at the railing looking out teary-eyed over the ocean’s expanse, his tears began to fall into the waves below. This moment moved him so deeply that he decided to write down the feelings that came over him during that instant. The words he wrote went like this: “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrow like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.” After all David had been through running from King Saul; the criticism and uncertainly of his friends when they thought all was lost; after his unsuccessful first attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem resulted in death; and even after those who expressed disapproval over his complete dedication to getting the Ark back and putting it where it should be, we can hear David say at the close of this day, all is well with my soul. What a wonderful examples these two men leave us on how to best respond in troubled times with an everlasting hope in our hearts; that despite the turmoil and rampant growth of evil in our world today, because of God’s loving hand upon our lives it is truly well with our souls. So the next time you pass through some trying or painful experiences, rather than exploding with complaints and accusations, acknowledge that your complete faith and trust in God will allow you to also say in the most trying circumstances: all is well with my soul.

YOUR REASON THE REASON –

When David arranged for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought to Jerusalem, he enthusiastically orchestrated an awesome ceremony to accompany it to the tent he had erected to cover and protect it. Try and imagine the spell-binding atmosphere that surrounded the bearers of the Ark as they slowly made their way up Mount Zion. Each time the Ark moved the sound of shouting and trumpet blasts filled the air. Think of multitudes lining the road and thousands gathered at the gate to welcome this sacred object. And as it entered the city, David turned, and with a smile and glow on his face as he chanted out this Psalm he had written just for this occasion. How it must have warmed his heart and the hearts of those who heard it to know that they welcoming their God to His new home to be the center of their daily lives.

“Everybody, give our One True God a victorious shout of praise like you really mean it! Oh yes, sing songs that extol the splendor of His majesty, and do it with all your heart and soul! Tell our One True God, ‘Everything You’ve ever done is awesome!’ And one day everyone who opposes You will acknowledge Your supremacy and kneel in submission before You; they will join the others already rejoicing as they bow before You; yes, they will all unite in singing hymns of praise to celebrate You for who You are. Let us take a look at all the wonders performed by our One True God; miracles that cause men to stare in disbelief. He once transformed a sea into dry land; then dried up a river so His children could walk across on dry ground after which they then celebrated Him in worship. His reign of sole authority will never end; thereby keeping unbelievers and those who are rebellious from ever gaining the upper hand. So let everyone begin praising our One True God; praise Him with enough enthusiasm so it can be heard everywhere; oh yes, praise the One who gave us life, and did not let us die lost and alone. O my One True God, we knew You were testing us; refining us like silver is refined. Even when we were imprisoned, with chains around our waists, by those who had control at the time; still we passed through the fire and we passed through the flood; coming out with more than we had before we went in. So I call on everyone to pay attention, especially those who have reverence for our One True God, and I will testify about what He did for me. When I needed Him the most I called out to Him, lifting Him up with words of praise. Had I not been sincere, my Divine Lord would have paid no attention to me. But my One True God did pay attention; He did listen to my call for help. So now I’m lifting up my One True God in praise because He neither turned away my call for help nor did He withhold His steadfast love from me.” Psalm 66:1-12, 16-20

Reflection: In 1977 the completed New York Citicorp Tower stood tall and gleaming. Onlookers, hailed the 59-story building for its technical elegance and singular grace. William LeMessurier, one of the country’s most distinguished structural engineers designed the steel superstructure. But one year after opening, LeMessurier received a message that exposed a terrifying truth. Experts found critical flaws in the tower’s design. During construction contractors decided to avoid the high cost of welding the steel beams joints, and used bolted braces instead. What made this so perilous involved the fact that strong side-winds could sway the building back and forth until the joints gave away. LeMessurier weighed his options. If he blew the whistle on himself, he faced potential lawsuits, possible bankruptcy and professional disgrace. But lives were at stake and LeMessurier did the right thing. He informed Citicorp and the corporate leaders; they all agreed to approve the needed welds at the cost of millions of dollars. Instead of destroying LeMessurier’s career and reputation, it enhanced it because of his courage to admit a mistake had been made and needed to be fixed. David dreamed of constructing a holy place for the Ark of the Covenant to sit among God’s people as the centerpiece for worship. On his first try he designed a fancy wagon that almost toppled over and cost a priest named Uzziah his life when he reached out to steady it. But this did not stop David from fulfilling his dream. He did not walk away in disgust or try to hide his mistake. He did what LeMessurier did, admitted an error had been made and then followed God’s instructions on how to do it properly. As a result David’s reputation grew and people’s faith in him increased. What a wonderful example these two men offer us when we face similar circumstances. The question is, do we possess the same amount of courage to do the same?

YOUR WORST CAN BE GOD’S WONDER –

We read very few stories about David’s life that caused him more joy and brought him more fulfillment than when God’s presence was returned among His people as the Ark of the Covenant was restored in a place of honor in the holy sanctuary built especially to cover and protect it. You can certainly feel the excitement surrounding a jubilant king dancing in the streets because God now sits in the midst of His people? Now they had a place to sing, a place to worship, a place to give thanks to their One True God for His forgiveness. No wonder David wrote this lyrical psalm to express his joy and exhilaration on this special occasion.

“O One True God, I quietly stand in awe of You, to honor You with holy reverence. All who pray to You, know You’ll listen. That’s why when I couldn’t bear my unforgiven sins anymore, You willingly pardoned my rebelliousness. Yes, every person should count their blessings when You invite them to come and sit down in Your presence; so You can fill them with spiritual goodness in Your house, yes, in Your holy sanctuary. It’s so awesome the way You offer Your grace, O One True God our Savior; yes, You are a beacon of hope to all mankind, from sea to shining sea. And it’s all because of who You are—the One with all the power needed to put the mountains where they sit; to calm the raging seas and roaring waves, bringing peace to those who were afraid. Even those who live in the most remote regions on earth marvel at how You perform such wonders; so there’s not a day that goes by that they don’t lift You up in praise. For they see how You treat the earth like a garden; tending and watering it, O One True God, to make it rich and fertile out of Your abundant resources. This, in turn, provides crops to harvest; all because of Your divine irrigation system that fills its furrows, thereby invigorating its growth. So when harvest time comes there is plenty of grain to reap since You walked through Your garden, watering it so that its growth spreads as it blooms and blossoms. Thereby the land comes alive as the meadows fill with flocks and the valleys are adorned with grain. No wonder everyone who sees it shouts for joy and breaks into song.” Psalm 65:1-13

Reflection: A little boy living on a small farm near a great forest loved to play among the trees. Every day after chores he would head for the woods; to stand and look up in awe and wonder at the great firs and pines growing tall near his house. One day he noticed a small sapling struggling to find light within the shadows of the giant trees. So he dug it up and transplanted it near the edge of the clearing for better access to the sunshine. Each day he’d water this little sprout, becoming much attached to it as it grew taller and taller. One day when he went out to water his growing tree, he found it broken and lying on the ground, snapped at its base with no lifeline to keep it alive. A large bear had rolled over it and knocked it down. His heart was broken, so he picked up his young tree; sobbingly he dragged it to his father to see if he could mend it. Tormented all the next day while in school, he came running home to see if his dad had saved his tree, only to hear his father say, “I couldn’t fix your tree, son.” The boy began to weep, but his father gently placed his big hand on his son’s little shoulder and continued, “But I didn’t throw it away either;” then leading his tearful child into his workshop, the father pointed toward the workbench and said, “There’s your tree now!” The boy looked in astonishment at a small wooden train his father had carved out of the small tree trunk. In so doing his dad had transformed tragedy into triumph by carefully shaping a locomotive, two boxcars, and a caboose. Perhaps David felt the same way about Israel, the vine God took out of the darkness in Egypt and planted it in the bright light of the Promised Land. After King Saul’s disastrous failure and defeat at the hands of the Philistines, David came sobbing to God because the beautiful Ark of the Covenant that God directed to be carved out of that vine was now missing. But God had already protected that Ark as a tribute for David and His people to remember Him by, all David had to do was go get it. So let this be a lesson for all of us. With God nothing is so broken and shattered that He can’t transform it into something beautiful for His glory. All we have to do is bring it to Him, and trust Him to make the best out of our worst. If you have trouble believing this, just look at what He was able to ­do with the cross!

GIVING UP MEANS GIVING IN –

While David sat in exile, he no doubt thought back on all of his earlier encounters with King Saul and his assassins. Perhaps in trying to see a parallel in the way God delivered him from Saul’s claws, he wondered how God would likewise spare him from Absalom’s clutches. But what irked him more than anything was the gall his traitors had in advising Absalom to revolt; how insensitive and calloused they acted, especially since all of them once swore their allegiance to him, and he considered them some of his closest friends and confidants. What were they thinking? Why were they so easily persuaded? But he was not about to let their defection from loyalty dash his hopes that his faithful God would deliver him.

“O One True God please listen, I need You; I’m depending on You to keep me safe from the evil intentions of these people who hate me. Please protect me from this gang of evil men; from this mob of evildoers who use their tongues like swords and their words like poison arrows to ambush innocent people, and couldn’t care less how much pain they cause. They even cheer each other on, and brazenly brag about what they are planning to do; thinking that no one will even notice or care. They’ll come up with any excuse they can, but never admit that what they are doing is wrong. However, my One True God has them in His sights; He knows how to stop them in their tracks. He will use their own words to bring them down, and everyone who sees it will just shake their heads in awe and amazement as they think it over and talk about how our One True God handled the situation. So let those who depend on the LORD Eternal cheer Him on; yes, let those who live according to His will join me in celebrating Him. Psalm 64:1-10

Reflection: According to a popular story, in 1922 organizers of a high-society extravaganza scheduled Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish composer-pianist, to perform at well-known Carnegie Hall. A young mother decided to bring her nine-year-old son to the concert with the intention of inspiring him to passionately embrace playing the piano and stop complaining about his piano lessons. They sat in a sea of tuxedos and fancy dresses under elegant chandeliers. However, the young boy’s only focus was on the beautiful ebony piano sitting on the platform. While his mother was distracted, he slipped up on stage, and in order to impress her began playing “Chopsticks” on the grand piano. The audience collectively turned their heads toward the stage at this unexpected fiasco and whispered, “What in the world is that boy doing up there?” “Where are his parents?” “Someone should get him offstage.” Backstage, Paderewski heard the music and was drawn to look through the curtains. He grabbed his coat and with no introduction walked over and knelt behind the boy. He then reached around both sides of the young lad and began improvising a counter-melody to enhance the boy’s playing of “Chopsticks”. As he played, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy’s ear: “Go ahead. You’re doing great. Keep it up! Don’t stop. You’re okay. Don’t listen to the audience. Keep going. Keep playing.”

Perhaps David felt like a little boy being booed because of the way he played his hand in response to Absalom’s rebellion. Critics and back-stabbers began to openly shout at him and call him names; until he had to run away and find a place to hide. But it’s as if the LORD put His arms around David and kept whispering, “Don’t quit, son, don’t stop, you’re doing fine.” That’s why David now encourages all believers to join him in magnifying his God who never quits, who never stops, who never gives up on those He loves.

INTEGRITY IS NOT CHEAP – 

One of the books I enjoyed reading for inspiration was “Up From Slavery” by Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute in 1881. The circumstances in which this great man grew up in and all that he overcame to have an enormous impact on America, especially those who came out of slavery, is highly admirable to say the least. He tells a story of honesty and ethics that should motivate us all to be more vigilant when we make a promise. Here is that story in Dr. Washington’s own words:

“I have said that there are few instances of a member of my race betraying a specific trust. One of the best illustrations of this which I know of is in the case of an ex-slave from Virginia whom I met not long ago in a little town in the state of Ohio. I found that this man had made a contract with his master, two or three years previous to the Emancipation Proclamation, to the effect that the slave was to be permitted to buy himself, by paying so much per year for his body; and while he was paying for himself,he was to be permitted to labour where and for whom he pleased. Finding that he could secure better wages in Ohio, he went there. When freedom came, he was still in debt to his master some three hundred dollars. Not withstanding that the Emancipation Proclamation freed him from any obligation to his master, this black man walked the greater portion of the distance back to where his old master lived in Virginia,and placed the last dollar,with interest,in his hands. In talking to me about this, the man told me that he knew that he did not have to pay the debt, but that he had given his word to his master, and his word he had never broken. He felt that he could not enjoy his freedom till he had fulfilled his promise.” (The Country Life Press, Garden City, N.Y., 1900, 1901, Ch. 1, pp. 14-15).

If a man who had no reason other than personal integrity could fulfill a promise he made to another man, how much more should we be determined to fulfill our promises to God and each other. My hat goes off to Dr. Washington, and I salute this unnamed brother for his faithfulness and honesty. They both should become paragons for us to emulate.

GO AHEAD AND SAY IT –

As king David sat in a crude camp in the wilderness far from his palace in Jerusalem, he couldn’t help but feel despondent. During those days Jesse’s son often thought of what might be taking place back on Mt. Zion as Absalom and his cohorts took over the throne. But he never gave up hope that God might intervene and Absalom would be convicted of his treachery and turn to his father for forgiveness. So he wrote this psalm to share many of the emotions he felt during this low point in his life. In his spirit David knew that God was taking care of him in a very special way. But he also knew that if he kept this all sealed in his heart that it could ferment into uncontrollable anger and hatred. So he trusted the Lord to understand what he was feeling, and help him cope with it.

“O One True God, my Sovereign God, I need You and want to be near You. My heart aches for You; I’m like a parched field, all dried up inside and in dire need of spiritual refreshing. My soul longs to be in Your presence; I want to witness Your power and glory once again. Without Your steadfast love there’s no reason to go on living; that’s why I continue to praise Your Name. That’s why I will keep on praising You as long as I have breath, while I lift up my hands to You in appreciation for who You are. So as You fill my soul with Your sweet Spirit, my mouth will celebrate You with joyful lips. And as I meditate on Your goodness, after I’ve laid my head on my pillow, I will think of You late into the night. For You give me assurance. And as I feel Your presence all around me, my mouth fills with joyful utterances. That’s why I can’t let You go; because You’re the One that keeps me going. As for those out to ruin my life, let them disappear from the scene. As a matter of fact, let them all be brought to ruin and their estates become plunder to scroungers. But as for me, I will rejoice in my One True God; and all who have stood by me will celebrate when they see these lying scoundrels silenced.” Psalm 63:1-11

Reflection: On Wednesday, November 10, 1982, Vice President George H. W. Bush attended the funeral of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, as a representative of the United States. Vice President Bush later told how he saw Brezhnev’s widow, Victoria Petrovna, standing motionless by the coffin. She did not move until seconds before the guards came to close the casket, and just as they reached up to take hold of the lid, Mrs. Brezhnev performed the most unprecedented act of courage and hope he’d ever seen; her gesture deeply moved Vice President Bush who called it one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed in a communist state. Before the lid could be closed she reached down and made the “sign of the cross” over her husband’s chest. There in the bastion of godlessness, the widow of the man who ran it for eighteen years showed that she never lost hope. Little did she know that in less than a decade communism would fall and allow Russia to return as a believing nation.

No doubt as Absalom gained power, and more and more traitors joined him, David held out hope that God would one day bring Israel out of this mess and restore, law, order, and worship. Perhaps there in the city of refuge, David knelt facing Jerusalem with closed eyes and envisioned the cherubs looking down on the Mercy Seat ready to accept the blood of the sacrifice that would bring forgiveness to his nation. Like Mrs. Brezhnev, David never lost hope in God’s ability to turn things around in even the most trying of circumstances. Each of us should ask ourselves the question, “Do we possess enough hope and courage to show our God that we are loyal, and He can count on us no matter how bad things may get? For His sake, let’s hope so.

DOES IT MATTER WHO CARES –

There were occasions when David could afford to wait for God to rescue him, but there were other times when he felt extremely pressed and needed an answer right away. Those were the incidents when people he thought were loyal to him, betrayed him; it was then that his patience and resolve were tested most severely. Nothing tried David more than Absalom’s rebellion, aided by some of David’s closest advisers, in a bitter subversiveness of their loyalty to him. It may have been prevented if David had initially taken a harder stand in dealing with Absalom’s foolish murder of Amnon. But now his lack of action was coming back to haunt him.

“I sit here quietly waiting only for my One True God to give me an answer; there’s no one else who can solve this dilemma but Him. It’s His blessed assurance that keeps my faith strong and secure; as a matter of fact He’s the only one I know I can trust completely. I keep wondering how long I’ll suffer undue criticism by people who think I’m a push-over; I wish they had to go through what I’m going through. They have one goal in mind: that is to destroy my reputation. They seem to enjoy being hypocritical by saying good things to my face, but behind my back they are vicious. But I’m not going to complain while I wait for my One True God to act; just knowing that He cares, keeps my hopes alive. It’s His blessed assurance that keeps my faith strong and secure; as I said, He’s the only one I know I can trust completely. So I say to all my fellow believers; don’t hesitate to pour out your hearts to Him; our One True God will not let you down. Remember, people with little to offer appear and then vanish like one’s breath in cold air, while highly successful people are like a mirage. And when put together they offer less than a breath of hot air. So don’t put your trust in uncertain investments, nor put your hopes in dishonest deals; even when offered a chance to strike it rich, pay no attention to it. For our One True God made one important statement from which I have gotten two nuggets of wisdom: that all authority belongs to our One True God, and, that the ability to see us through also belongs to Him. So it is our One True God who will reward every person according to their faithfulness in serving Him.” Psalm 62:1-12

Reflection: Civilla Durfee Martin, a school teacher born in Nova Scotia, Canada, lay on her sick bed in a Bible School in Lestershire, New York. As she laid there one Sunday afternoon, while her husband was out on a preaching assignment, she began to think about her miserable condition. She and her husband had dedicated their whole lives to ministry, sacrificing whatever it took to get the job done. Yet, here she lay stricken and unable to serve alongside her mate any longer. But instead of complaining she decided to express her feelings in poetry, saying how she really felt about her situation. Here are some of the words she wrote: “Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you; beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, through every day, over all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.” That poem was put to music and became one of the favorite hymns of the church. And just to show she was not finished, she later wrote another poem put to music entitled, “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” that goes: “Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” David no doubt saw his situation in a similar light. Here was a young lad called of God to slay a giant; then after being anointed as king, had to run for his life just to fulfill God’s plan. He finally made it to the throne as a renowned warrior and champion. But now, here he sat in a lonely wilderness refuge because one of his sons, and several of his trusted aides, plotted against him. Yet, like Civilla he was sure that his God would take care of him. If your problems have been similar to theirs, then be glad you can trust the LORD the same way they did?