"Preparation"

"Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for Thy mercies sake." (Psalms 6:4) Have you ever witnessed the calm before the storm? It is kind of eerie, especially if you are out in the middle of the ocean; when you can see the storm approaching in the distance, yet all around you, the water is perfectly still; you know that you are in for something really big! The reason that I bring that up, is that David is being prepared for something big to happen, and the preparation is happening two ways; one is by the way that God is preparing him, and the other is by the way that David is preparing himself. For in this moment there is silence; silence from God, as if He is getting ready to exhale, if you catch my meaning? Okay, you might not see what I am talking about, but here's the thing: the way that God works in these situations is much like the calm before the storm; whereas, He pulls back from us just prior to pressing in, in an effort to get us to prepare our hearts for what He is going to do next. You could think of this as a recoil, in which He is drawing back His hand in an effort to thrust it forward, but in a spiritual sense. The person who is willing to surrender all, will welcome this recoiling action with great anticipation; however, the person who is just going through the motions, will wonder where God went, if they even notice at all, and they will be in for a big surprise! Not seeing it? Well then, let's look at what David is saying here. The very first word which David says, is the word "Return", and it is a very interesting word, for it does not just mean return, but it also means to turn away, or withdraw. In the way that David is saying this, and in the context of what he is talking about, it means to 'refresh'; which uses both withdraw and return in the same word; as in, 'Refresh Your Spirit, O LORD'. The second word that should be looked at, is the word "deliver", which is a word that means 'to Arm', as to prepare for battle, or to make strong. In a nutshell, what I believe that David is saying, is for God to refresh His Spirit, so that his soul will be prepared for the battle. If you actually thought about the definition that was given of what a 'stronghold', or 'strong hold' means in the context of 2 Corinthians 10:4, then you should have gathered that it is the things on which we rely upon, or have based an opinion on or about, that are not based upon the true knowledge of God. In other words; our thinking is not right, and our computer needs a reboot!!! The second part of verse four, is David pleading on behalf of God and of himself; whereas he is asking God to save him, if for no other reason, then for His mercy to be made known. It is like asking for God to not let him be destroyed, because that will give pleasure to not only his enemies, but the enemies of God; making also God's mercy less powerful in the eyes of all that observe, including David's own heart! In other words; David is asking God to magnify His mercy in this situation; which means to make His mercy be magnified, by having mercy upon David's situation, and letting him come through this stronger than when he started... Oh, how I want that to be my prayer also!!!