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Study of Michal ~ Part 3

Wow - I haven't posted anything on this topic in quite a while! Perhaps I haven't WANTED to learn any lessons from the life of Michal as of late? Or maybe I just let this sit on the back burner while I've been working on other things? It's neither here nor there, since I am posting about Michal today, LOL!

When David wrote Psalm 18, it was meant to be sung as a song of gratitude. What was he grateful for? Many things, I'm sure; specifically, David was grateful for God's help and deliverance from King Saul's raging fury.

I'd like to look at David's heart expressed in this Psalm in contrast to his wife Michal's heart. In verse 2 David refers to God as his stronghold. We typically use the word stronghold to imply a negative; here David uses it as a positive. How would the word "stronghold" have been used to describe Michal's life? She had an idol at the ready to place in bed disguised as David (see 1 Samuel 19). I'm assuming it was a LARGE idol if it truly appeared to be a full grown man asleep in bed. Could this idol, and any idol worship she was involved in, have been a stronghold in her life? We don't know how many other physical idols Michal may have had - but most of us know that a woman who has room for one idol in her life has room for many idols.

In verses 4-6 David pulls no punches as he describes his great distress. He didn't see any need to hide his struggles or sugar-coat them. It's harder for something to become a stronghold in our lives when we are open and honest, laid bare before the Lord and before our fellow sojourners. Risky? Oh, sure - it's a very risky way to live. But it's a whole lot more secure then living a life full of strongholds! Jesus is always worth the risk.

Verses 7-24 describe the Lord's awesome "rescue" of David. I wonder if Michal ever experienced God as her "Rescuer" - her knight-in-shining-armor so to speak. Or had Michal become accustomed to taking care of her problems by herself? Did she know how to rely on others? If she didn't, it may have been very hard for her to lean on and lean into God. I imagine the self-sufficient women of the '60's, '70's, and '80's had NUTHIN' on Michal!

In verses 25-29 we see David revealing God's character to us. God always gives more than we give. Michal wasn't on the receiving end of God's blessings, but she could have been. She should have been. Something in her life held her back from receiving God's best. What holds us back from receiving God's best?

As an aside, let me share that Psalm 18:25 is a wonderful verse to pray over our children. In the NLT it reads, "to the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity." Seeking God's favor on your children's behalf by requesting they be faithful followers of Him whose lives are earmarked with integrity is one of the most prudent things you can do as a mom. No one has more reason to pray for your children than you do! God hears those prayers - remember Hannah's prayer? What about Hagar's prayer? He'll hear your heart-cry for your children, just as he heard theirs.

David finishes Psalm 18 by greatly exalting the Lord in verses 46-50. Michal probably began and ended each day of her adult life with grumbling, complaining, bitterness. do you know what that leads to? A miserable woman who feels as if her future is hopeless and her life bears no meaning.

As homeschooling moms, let's try and start our days, end our days, and fill our days with words like David's ~ "The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!" ~ Psalm 18:46 NLT

Lord bless you today as you abandon Michal's heart & trade it for a heart like David's!

Day 71 done :)

Jan L. Burt

www.homeschoolingmothersbiblestudy.com
Click on the link above to see the changes to my website!

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