Day 65: 2 Samuel 15:13–31

David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Get up. We have to flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! Leave quickly, or he will overtake us, heap disaster on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword” (v. 14).

When David heard of Absalom’s rebellion, the warrior king did a remarkable thing. He packed up, abandoned Jerusalem, and ran (v. 14).

Is this the same David whom God had anointed as His chosen king? The one who conquered the giant? The one God prospered like no other? Did he not know that God gave him the kingdom, and only He could take it away? How could he run from his throne?

David found himself right in the middle of a cycle of self-appointed failure. Stricken with grief and dressed for mourning, he and his loyal followers trudged the Mount of Olives where people once worshiped God.

There on the Mount of Olives, continuing up to the summit, an amazing thing happened: “David prayed” (v. 31). Little by little, things began to happen. David had run from his throne practically hopeless. But somewhere on top of that mountain, David got down on his knees and prayed. See his prayer for yourself. God had him write it down. It’s Psalm 3. It begins:

O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”. . .

Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the

wicked . . .

From the Lord comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people (Ps. 3:1–2, 7–8).

God did not answer every one of David’s requests from this prayer immediately, but He returned enough strength to David for him to begin walking in faith instead of fear. On the Mount of Olives, David confronted the Spirit of God who had grown accustomed to being honored there. Many years later Jesus trudged that same path and found strength to walk on to a cross. I wonder if Christ thought of David when He prayed on that same mountain.