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A chaplain ignored his father’s plea and set sail on a 6,000-mile ocean journey—even though his father warned him it was risky and he might never see his five children again. He ran into a vicious hurricane that kept tossing his boat 30 feet in the air. After three days of this, he began to despair and felt guilty for taking the trip. Unable to pray with confidence, he said weakly, “O God, I have had enough. Amen.” Within an hour, the sky was blue. God answered his feeble prayer. King David had a similar experience, only worse. He was desperate for God’s deliverance. Faced with rumors, slander, false reports, and the threat of death, he longed for wings to fly away to be at rest. Here are his words in Psalm 55: “Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down. My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove; I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet wilderness.” Like David, sometimes we long for inner peace. David ends with strong confidence in the Lord that can encourage us: “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
