David's Response

David’s heart was racing, his head was spinning and he felt as though his blood was about ready to boil. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were almost white. “How could they? How dare they?!” After all he’d done, after all his help, they’d turned back to their old ways of drinking and drugs and threw everything back in his face.

As he drove away seething with anger, disappointment, and frustration from the betrayal, David almost couldn’t think straight. Then it came—that small inner voice we sometimes hear and too often choose to ignore.

You should be going to the prayer meeting.

For a moment a decision hung in the air—let the anger rule and just head home and stew over it; or listen to God’s prompting, turn the car around and attend the prayer meeting. It was but for a moment. David’s heart is a heart for God so there was no real question as to what he would do. As he turned his car around and headed to the church, he knew deep inside that he was far from being in the right mindset to be of any benefit to anyone at a prayer meeting. But that was where God wanted him to be. 

In obedience to God’s soft and gentle prompting, David walked into the prayer meeting and soon found himself in the very presence of God. He walked with his Lord throughout that prayer meeting allowing God’s peace to wash over and engulf him. He felt his anger slip away and he embraced God’s love, letting God’s Spirit minister to his heart.

Once again David headed home that night, only this time his head and his heart were full of peace, having met with his loving heavenly Father.

As I heard David’s story, I marveled at his ability to hear God right in the middle of a fist-shaking anger toward people who had let him down. Not only did he hear God, but despite his feelings and his incredibly strong emotions, he immediately chose to obey and go somewhere he did not feel like going. I was deeply moved as David described the moment God’s presence touched him and he was released from the grip of anger.

I found myself compelled to ask, “Am I in tune with God enough to be able to hear Him if I were in such an emotional state?” Is my heart a heart for God so much that I would go to a prayer meeting despite how I was feeling or what was going on in my head? I couldn’t help but feel convicted. I know there are times I have responded to anger and not responded to God, ignoring any prompting from Him.

David’s story reminded me that to ignore God’s prompting, which is often just a quiet inner voice or a prick at our conscience, is to miss the opportunity to be released from anger or pain. We then give it the chance to take root and become at home in our hearts.

We bury it and can even forget that it’s there. Then the next time we are hurt or angered by someone, we feed that seed in our hearts which has taken root. In time, the thorny weeds of anger and pain will grow and choke our fruit of love, joy, and peace.

So with David as my inspiration, I asked God to help me be in tune with Him and get my heart on track. He reminded me of a couple verses in Psalm 119 which I have taken to heart and made as a prayer for my life: “God teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long obedient response.” (Ps. 119:33-34, The Message)

My challenge is to live with my whole life being one long, obedient response to God just like my dear friend David.