The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. Psalm 18:5–6

David had many life-threatening experiences. He had enemies within his court who were intent on destroying him. On the battlefield, he had adversaries who had trained to kill him. On many occasions David felt surrounded by ‘sorrows of sheol’ and the ‘snares of death’. He recounted his near-death experiences as a way of testifying about God’s deliverance. In the face of his frightful experiences, David had two responses.

• He was distressed. The word that is translated as ‘distress’ means to be surrounded or locked up. He felt trapped with no way of escape. David shows us that trouble and pain is no respecter of persons and being a Christian does not provide you with immunity from trouble.

Just like David, we all encounter moments that seem overwhelming with no way out, and we just feel like giving up. So what did David do when he was surrounded with so many troubles?

• He cried out to the Lord. David had a longstanding relationship with God. He knew how to unburden himself to the Lord. So when he felt trapped by his problems, he cried out to the Lord. The word ‘cried’ means a call for help.

What do you do when you are in trouble? Who do you turn to in moments of despair and distress? For David rather than turning to alcohol, sex, or some other vice, he turned to God.

God heard his voice. David did not cry out in vain. The Lord heard his cry. That is our assurance as Christians – when we call on the Lord, He hears us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are closer than all my troubles. Help me and deliver me. In Jesus’ name, Amen!