Endure!

737 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 1:28-31, “Then King David answered and said, "Call Bathsheba to me." So she came into the king's presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king took an oath and said, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, 30 "just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, 'Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,' so I certainly will do this day." 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, "Let my lord King David live forever!" (1 Kings 1:28-31) The drama continues to unfold. Solomon had been chosen by God to be the next king (1 Chron 29:1) but Adonijah had taken steps to ensure that he would be next in line. David calls Bathsheba back to his presence and swears to her that Solomon will indeed be the next king. I want to talk a little bit about the oath of David. He swears by Lord God of Israel who had an impeccable track record of delivering David from every distress in his life. The word distress here is the idea of a tightening, a squeezing in. I like to think of the idea of a soul being in a trash compactor and the sides are closing in, tighter and tighter. I've been in that trash compactor and I know that some of you are likely in it right now. Circumstances in your life are squeezing in on all sides and you feel like you are being crushed. These squeezings can be financial, relational, or a myriad of other things that cause a sense of panic to your soul. What squeezes you doesn't necessarily squeeze me, but it doesn't change the fact of how you feel at the present time. These squeezings can be so intense that you find yourself tempted to ditch your faith. That's just what the devil wants. He wants you to bolt, to isolate yourself where he can easily pick you off. I have no magic formula or strategy for you in order to provide relief except this. Hang on. Endure. Trust God as David did in every instance, believing that He can and will redeem you from your every distress. Father help those in distress today. Give them the strength to endure.