The Book of Psalms chapter 144 was written by David after his encounter with his son Absalom, who tried to dethrone him as King. It is a passionate plea to God asking for a safe community and deliverance from “strange children” through His divine intervention.  It is said that there is nothing new under the sun. Therefore, after the world seemingly runs through a full circle and history begins to repeat itself, it is time for a change. The circumstantial similarities between the occurrences in the life of David at that time, and our communities today should lead us to prayer. Even when everything else fails, prayers have never been known to fail.

The daily crime reports on civil disobedience by angry youths as expressed through neighborhood robberies, gang murders, and drug abuse have reached epic proportions in many states across the United States. This is so much so, that the government and parents alike are distressed and emotionally worn out. With the current economic downturn, it is unlikely that any probable budgetary increase for law enforcement would fix the problem. Another cause for concern is the fact that more often than not, most social problems are masked by political and economic considerations. This leaves the parties responsible for solving these issues with the logical preference of nothing less than being politically correct.

This age of technological and socio-economic advancement would appear to have put man on the top of his game. Nevertheless, this is only a mirage when one considers the fact that all our scientific and political wisdom still falls short of the core requirement for socio-economic stability. The majority of the world’s population is either in denial or the voices of reason by the minority have been drowned by the injustices of our times. The world is not short of ideas; seasonally, we encounter brilliant ideas and projects from the geniuses of our world pointing us to safer shores and away from the turbulent storms caused by our own evil imaginations. It may sound a tad stiff (especially to the open-minded hopefuls of the world), but unfortunately, we are yet to see the worst of economic and moral decadence. This is especially true among young people all over the world if we do not return towards righteous living.

As advocates of liberty and freedom for all, people (experts and laymen alike) are free to voice their opinions and hypotheses with such enthusiasm that can put the spring back in the steps of even the most hopeless. Bottom-line, we create our own problems and we step up to the plate to fix them at any time we choose. Such worthy sense of responsibility should enhance our problem solving abilities.  Yet, for some reason, it has not. Regrettably, some school of thought in politics, science and economics still believe that we have not fully grasped the root cause of the world’s problem and so they continue to put more plans and strategy to the test. All of these to no avail.

Why are young people such targets and determining factors in the safety of our neighborhoods and the stability of the nation as a whole? It is during youth that the core personality of an individual is formed, molded and defined.  A faulty foundation could make or break the entire life of an individual. Commonly, these paint a gruesome picture of the effects that childhood emotional trauma could have in the lives of young people. The evidence of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by financial hardship and the troubled family syndrome (TFS) especially in young adults and parents affecting today’s youth is the steady increase in the occurrence of fathers throwing in the towel and walking away; leaving behind their distressed wives and confused children to figure out what went wrong. Others who seem to have made a less traumatic choice (at least so they believe) do so by simply pulling the trigger on themselves or their entire families. The many others who choose the more familiar option of divorce still do not make it easier on the kids, who mostly go on blaming themselves for the rest of their adult lives. The result is a devastating distortion of their self esteem and character which experts believe is the stepping stone to an emotional crisis.

Yet another distressing picture is that of young mothers who commit morbid atrocities on their defenseless children, keeping the local news and media perpetually busy. The tales of woe seem endless.  It is said that when a man falls flat on his back, the only way to look is up.  People who live very careful lifestyles, minding their own businesses would still have to face the impact of unsafe neighborhoods no matter how hard they try. Prayer is therefore not our last resort but our first and only hope.

King David was a man with many hats of responsibility. He was a soldier, a priest, a prophetic leader, a husband, and a father. He exemplified sterling qualities worthy of emulation in each role as he struggled to balance his life’s affairs. His humility and total dependence on God was what must have earned him the accolade of being “a man after God’s heart”. Though he fought many wars and won, he was humble enough to understand that his victories would not have been possible without God. Even as King, David believed that only God could subdue his subjects under him and establish a peaceful reign. “Blessed is the Lord my strength, who teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower and my deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me” (Psalms 144: Verses 1 – 2).

In his wildest imagination, David probably did not expect any opposition from his own son, yet the enemy of his throne was a disgruntled member of his household. He was also not unmindful of the sibling rivalry among his many children which is not uncommon in families. Absalom was particularly disgruntled and held grudges against his father for sending him into exile. He had been exiled according to the law of the land after he killed one of his brothers for raping his sister, Tamar. On his return from exile, Absalom deceitfully gathered the support of other rebellious youths and formed an army to dethrone his own father. This is not unlike the problems faced by many parents today, who in spite of their committed parental care to their children are shocked at what they become.  

“Send thy hand from above. Rid me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children; whose mouth speaketh vanity and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood” (Psalms 144: Verses 7-8). David extends his responsibility beyond his family by his concern and prayer for other children in his community. No matter how comfortable we are or how responsibly we bring up our own children, we are responsible for our communities and would be equally affected as a result of living in unsafe neighborhoods.

“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store and our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets. That our oxen may be strong to labor, that there be no breaking in or going out and there be no complaining in our streets. Happy are the people that are in such a case. Ye, happy are those people, whose God is the Lord!”(Psalms 144: Verses 12-15).