So Precious

Psalm 36: 5 – 12                God’s Word

O Lord, your mercy reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God,
your judgments like the deep ocean.
You save people and animals, O Lord.
Your mercy is so precious, O God,
that Adam’s descendants take refuge
in the shadow of your wings.
They are refreshed with the rich foods in your house,
and you make them drink from the river of your pleasure.
Indeed, the fountain of life is with you.
In your light we see light.
Continue to show your mercy to those who know you
and your righteousness to those whose motives are decent.
Do not let the feet of arrogant people step on me
or the hands of wicked people push me away.
Look at the troublemakers who have fallen.
They have been pushed down and are unable to stand up again.

I would rather you read this psalm again rather than words from me today. It is so beautiful. Which statement is your favorite? It is very hard to say, isn’t it? What about “Your mercy is so precious, O God” or “you make them drink from the river of your pleasure?” In these verses we see God’s heart towards us. He wants to bring us under his wings to protect and provide for us. He wants us to soak up His goodness and light. If you pause and quiet yourself down for a moment, can you feel His abundant love and compassion for you? Let Him whisper in your ear today.

Security

Psalm 16: 1

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

In this verse I think you can hear the absolute trust David had in the Lord. He seems to have reached a place in his life where God had filled every facet of his life. The Lord became his refuge and his protection. David does not sound the least bit concerned over his safety because he has given the task of his protection completely to God. He has absolute faith that God will keep him secure and safe. Whatsmore, he has come to the place where he is blessed beyond measure but knows that all of the good of his life is the gift of the Lord. He is secure in every part of his life. There is no worry. David certainly had his share of trouble but he learned to turn it over to God and trust Him fully. We, as fellow believers, get to glimpse David’s life and his relationship to the Father. As we do, we see the heights to which we can attain in our fellowship with the Lord. Let the fullness of revelation fill you and then determine that you will know the maker fully as well as David did. Let God be your all in all.

We Shall Not Fear

Psalm 91: 5

You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day.

 On this anniversary of 9/11 I wish to remind you and encourage you that with God we do not have to be afraid. No terror, no terrorist, no terrorist act can steal the faith, confidence and trust we have in the Lord Jesus nor in our loving Father. God has provided for our protection and safe keeping. We can run around in fear, which is horrible for your health by the way, or we can press into God and clothe ourselves with His goodness and His protection. He is a strong refuge, He is our strong refuge. “I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge” (Psalm 71: 7). 

There were many lives lost in the 9/11 tragedy, too many. There were also numerous people who survived because they listened to an inner voice and stopped for a coffee or felt a nudge on the inside and changed their schedule. Their stories are rarely heard but they are out there and they are a witness and encouragement. King David was saved by God time and time again. He relied on God’s ability to shelter him. He trusted that God was going to save him from every kind of peril. We need to stand in this same kind of trust and confidence and in so doing thwart every threat and scheme of evil.

As we honor and remember those heroes, friends and countrymen and their families, those who paid the highest price one can pay for freedom, rededicate yourself to living in the protective custody of our Lord and savior. Pray for all free people to live free from fear and terror. Pray for the peace of Jesus for those who lost someone dear. Also, be determined to live in the victory and glory of Jesus. Let us not bow to fear and to terror but instead raise the banner of Jesus who has crushed the enemy. Speak safety, security and strength over our nation and over the God loving countries of the world. We must stand stronger than ever before in our faith and confidence in the Lord Jesus and our beloved Father. Declare with boldness that you will not bow to terror. Embrace the Father as your fortress and do not be afraid.

You Win

Psalm 73: 28

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works.

Here is David’s answer to the success of the world. He found his rest and his success in the shelter of the Lord. Take your time with this verse and feel the intimacy David had with the Father. That kind of close relationship is worth everything the world has to offer. What can you imagine would be greater to have than a personal closeness with God Almighty? I cannot conceive of anything better. David could always retreat to his place of fellowship with the Lord. It was his refuge and his hiding place. In his relationship with the Lord were his safety and his well-being. When you attain that kind of familiarity with the Lord, then all of the other needs are just automatically fulfilled. In God is everything we could ever possibly need or want. Seek Him and this kind of intimacy and you will have no want of anything.

Security in Humility

Nahum 1: 7

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.

It is good to know that in the day of trouble we have a refuge into which we can run. Our God is a stronghold, a mighty fortress. We recognize these words like refuge and stronghold as words of strength and power. We may imagine a well-fortified castle with its reinforced walls and parapets. This image conjures up feelings of security and well-being. We know that within the walls of this fortress we are safe. God is a bastion of safe habitation but we must take up our residence within His walls. He gives us an open invitation to reside within His walls but we are the ones who must make the move to come within His protection. This is not the prayer of salvation. This is a decision that happens after we have made Jesus the Lord of our lives and it is not a once and for all decision. Every day you have the choice of whether to live within the walls of His protection or to set your abode outside His gates.

Choosing to run into the security of the Lord is a matter of humility. It is a matter of submission. You can well imagine a prideful person who in the day of trouble stands out on his little farm facing the onslaught because he is too proud to run to his Lord. He relies in his own strength, to his detriment, when he could lean on the strength of the Lord. 

God’s protection is not automatic. We have all been given a choice to accept it or reject it. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord we were given the right to take up abode in the castle whenever we want, the right to God’s strength and protection. We were not, however, rounded up and forced to take up residence within His walls. He gave an invitation which only we can accept. We must humble ourselves before the Lord, not asking if He will give us permission to enter but rather acknowledging that He, rather than we, is the source of strength and power. Only He can save us in the day of trouble. For some people this can be a difficult admission but there is freedom in yielding to truth. There is always great freedom and empowerment in submitting to the Lord. He infuses us with His strength and love when we allow Him open access to our hearts. This can only be done in a yielded attitude and that requires humility. When we finally reject ourselves as the Lord of our life then we can make room for God’s sovereignty. If we will make an honest self-assessment and humble ourselves before the Lord Almighty, then we will be able, at last, to enjoy that incomprehensible peace of Jesus.