HOW TO STAY GROUNDED IN GOD

How can you stay grounded in God? The chapter in Psalm 57 is a cry for help from David to God. David was hiding in the caves from King Saul, who wanted to kill him. King Saul was so jealous of David because he could see that God’s hand was on him, yet the spirit of God had left him. God had also rejected King Saul because of rebellion and disobedience, and David was the one to replace him.

Saul knew that. King Saul was determined to do anything in his power to ensure that David did not get into power. The funny part, however, was David was also the only one who could calm Sauls’s spirit down whenever the evil spirit would come upon him, through the playing of a harp. How many times, because of jealousy, have we driven people away who God sent our way to help us? This is a lesson for us to take.

Psalm 57

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. ² I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. ³ He sends from heaven and saves me,  rebuking those who hotly pursue me—  God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

⁴ I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts— men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. ⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. ⁶ They spread a net for my feet—  I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path— but they have fallen into it themselves.

⁷ My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.⁸ Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. ⁹ I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. ¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. ¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

• Psalm 57
  • • So how does David show he trusted God according to Psalms 57?
  • Psalm 91
  • Application on how to stay grounded in God.
  • Praise and worship
    • Surrender it all to God
  • Read the Bible
  • Be still
• Conclusion

Today, however, we want to look at the heart of David toward God when he was facing an impossible situation. There was a king looking to kill him. The said king had an entire army at his disposal. Let’s not even forget the power, influence, authority, and resources owned by Saul. David was in great danger and he had no way out. He knew that the only thing he could do was trust in God. David made this resolution without factoring in his feelings or emotions. It was a decision. Although David trusted God, he was not devoid of fear. He had all the emotions experienced by man, ranging from despair to hope, fear and doubt to faith, and unbelief to trust. This is evident in the entire book of Psalms.

So how does David show he trusted God according to Psalms 57?

• He asks God for Mercy. David knew he needed God’s intervention and He called upon God’s mercy to rescue him. Have you ever thought of invoking the mercy of God? What situation are you experiencing today? Invoke His mercy. You see, mercy is defined as showing compassion and forgiveness and not according one the punishment they deserve. David knew he was a sinner. After all, no one is perfect. He understood that before He could ask for God’s help He needed to invoke His compassion. Whatever you are facing today, ask God to have mercy on you. His mercy will change your situation. Ask Him to rescue you. He is the One who can save you in His Sovereignty. He desires to help you. What are you waiting for?
• Chooses to hide under God’s wings. In Psalms 91, the Bible tells us that when we hide under the shadow of God’s wings we will be shielded from harm. You see, when you abide in Him, you automatically invoke His protection. When you are grounded in God, His Banner of protection will be upon you. There are situations in that God will shield you when you hide in Him.
• David acknowledges God as his source of strength. Once you get to the end of yourself, you realize God is your source of strength. David realized that and so should you. You cannot do it on your own. And you were never meant to anyway.
• He realizes that it”s only God’s strength and might that can save him
• Remains steadfast in God, holding on to the promise that God will rescue him from his enemies and fight for him

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,  nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. ⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ¹² they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. ¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;  I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. ¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Application on how to stay grounded in God.

Remaining grounded in God does not automatically happen. There is a posture you need to embody to help you stay steadfast in Him. David found the keys. And today I want us to look at the keys that will help us remain grounded in God. The enemy will always try to get you to lose faith in God. But when you hold on you will enjoy the fruit of your perseverance. After all, the Bible tells us to stand after we have done everything we could. What are the keys that will help us remain grounded in God when everything around us is falling apart?

Praise and worship

When David realized he could not do it on his own strength, he turned his attention to God. And He did so through worship and praise. When we praise God, we turn our focus back to Him and this helps us to surrender the situation to God. By doing so, we allow God to move on our behalf. God inhabits the praises of His people http://bible.us/1/psa22.3.amp. We all have soft spots and God too has that. Praise and worship are God’s soft spots and that is why He inhabits in our praises. The thing about God is that He is mighty and powerful and wherever He goes, His power goes with Him. You see, remaining grounded in God requires consistent action on your end. And praise and worship are just some keys that will help you. When you worship and praise God you do so because of who He is. He is worthy of our praise and worship. He is the most Powerful and Almighty. God deserves the praise.

Praise shifts atmospheres and circumstances. It changes us and our hearts and expels darkness. Darkness and light cannot cohabitate so if you want God’s power to be reflected in your life offer Him genuine praise and worship that is centered on Him. We have seen scenarios where the Israelites gained victory because they praised God. Praise is warfare. Whatever circumstance it is that seems hopeless, turn to God in worship and praise and see Him move on your behalf.

Surrender it all to God

Surrendering to God means you are giving power back to the one who has it. When you surrender it all to God, you are telling Him you cannot do it in your own strength and that He is the only one who can come to your rescue. David had his full trust in God and that pleased God. Paul knew that and that is why he said that it was in his weakness that God revealed His strength. God gave us authority over the earth and also free will. This means the only time He can move on our behalf is when we surrender to Him and ask for His help.

If you are facing an impossible situation and you need God’s help, just surrender it all to Him and He will come through for you. It is in your surrender that God will move on your behalf. When you give God room to take the center stage in your life, you will experience His Power in ways you never would have. God can do anything. He, however, chooses to do what we give Him room to. This is because He gave us power and dominion over the earth. And He never takes back His gifts once He gives them. So until you give God room to rescue you, He will not. After all, He is a Gentle God.

Read the Bible

The Bible will help you remain grounded in God by revealing the character of God. When you know who God is and know His character, you can trust Him. Sometimes the reason we are not rooted in Christ is that we do not know God’s character. After all, how can you trust Him when you don’t know Him? And how will you know Him when you don’t spend time in His word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. It is faith in God that will allow you to remain grounded in God.

The Holy Spirit will reveal to you who God is and also reveal Jesus to you. Speaking of Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. You cannot come to God except through Him. If you haven’t, I encourage you to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life. This is the best decision you will ever make. It is through Jesus that you will invite the Holy Spirit into your life. And it is the Holy Spirit who will reveal to you who God is and help you in your Christian walk. You will not be alone. And He will also strengthen you to stay grounded in God.

Be still

Being still means that we are quieting the surrounding noise. The junk that would hinder us from hearing God can be anxiety, worry, fear, etc. Anything that robs us of our peace is junk. When we lack peace, our minds and soul are all jumbled up and thus full of noise and this makes it difficult to hear God. God is always speaking to us but, sometimes it’s difficult to hear Him. When we are still, God will give us strategies that can get us out of impossible circumstances. He does not always have to move on our behalf. Sometimes, He gives us instructions on how to get ourselves out of impossible situations.

God is Spirit and the way we interact with Him is in our spirit. So today, resolve to quiet your soul and give to God your circumstances. God is powerful and wants to move on your behalf. He is waiting on you though. Are you ready?

Conclusion

God wants to help you just like He helped David. He wants you to experience His Power in ways you have yet to experience Him.You are meant to experience His Power just like the Israelites did, when God parted the Red Sea. Nothing is impossible with God. And if you let Him, He will intervene in every area of your life. He will raise up a standard when the enemy comes in like a flood. And the reason is God loves you unconditionally. Don’t allow the enemy to tell you that God does not want to help you. If He did not want to help you, He would never have sent His Son to die for your sins and save you from the jaws of death.

The Holy Spirit want to help you remain grounded in God. But He can only do that when you give Him room to speak to you. Spending time with Him is one way and the other is by reading the word of God.