Taking refuge in God - a joyful option

Many thanks to Charles Schulz over the years, for the fun of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. I posted that picture because Snoopy's dance has always exemplified pure joy to me.

And David is ending Psalm 5 on such a joyous note!

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
    you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (v 11-12)

David has selected the largest rock he can find and thrown it in the pond. The ripples are spreading out everywhere! He has broadened his application of this song to "all" who are under attack and take refuge in God.

I think we can be certain that David's attackers were still prowling around. Like a pack of wolves who have caught the scent of their prey, they are on his trail. But David has taken refuge in God. He's had time to pray, and he has reminded himself of God's righteousness as a judge. He's also reminded himself that he must come reverently to God because it's by His grace that we can seek His face.

Now, David is so overflowing with joy in the Lord that he begins to sing. It's only the first of over seventy references to singing in the Psalms! Convinced again that God is his defender, David is joyous in the refuge that God blesses all of us with. Being glad and joyful in the Lord should come easy, no? Think of all the things we should glorify God about!

You see, being joyful doesn't depend on our feelings. 

We don't have to "feel" happy to be joyful!

Our joy can persist through hardships and even pain.

Paul knew what it was like to suffer. He knew great physical pain; he knew emotional and mental pain. Still, he said it was OK -- he knew God was his refuge:

 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13, NIV)

We become stronger as we pursue our relationship with Christ, as we seek refuge in Him. That strength allows us to grab hold of joy and hold it fast. There may be times that we see Paul's words in verse four as an insurmountable, unattainable goal:

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  (Philippians 4:4)

But Paul gave us the key to make this happen:

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (V. 6-7)

David and Paul are both telling us that we believers can be joyful even when we are under attack. They're telling us that He is the righteous judge, and that we can draw near to Him and be joyful because he will defend us. David's last words in verse twelve bring to mind a shield placed between us and our attackers -- a shield made and held there by our Father God.  David knew about that shield, and sang to the Lord in joy. Paul and Silas knew that joy when they sang praises in the Philippian jail. We can know that joy when we are under attack, too. 

Run to the loving arms of God - let Him be a refuge and defender!

A personal request

 

I am often reminded of a remarkable truth by the wonderful prayer warriors that study here at the blog. The world will, of course, regard it as foolishness, but it is true.

The prayers of believers are powerful.

I'm asking today for all of you who pause here to bear me up in prayer. To lift up my loved one in prayer, and to pray for skill and wisdom for the surgeon that will minister to him tomorrow in the operating room. I'm asking the Spirit to calm my heart and mind so that I can support and assist, and to quell the fears of the patient. "Malignant" is a word that we never wish to hear, but it is also a fire that God can quench with a tender touch of His healing hand. 

I truly will treasure and appreciate each of you who finds the time to pause and pray.

I will be absent from the study blog today and tomorrow, but I hope to rejoin you on Monday.

Blessings to all of you, and my prayers for each of you, as well.

Watching for an answer

The scholars tell us that this psalm falls into two halves. The first is verses one through seven, and the remainder of the psalm, eight through twelve, is the second half. I guess some would say that David is repeating himself -- to me, that just means what he had to say was important, so he said it for us twice! (Grin)

I'm looking at one of the most familiar verses in this psalm, verse eleven, and seeing the words "take refuge." We often say this. We may often think about it. How do we actually do it?

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Psalm 5:11)

Remember with me that David was under attack, here. People were saying truly awful, slanderous things about him. What do we usually do when this happens? What is our first honest, unadulterated, no-cleaning-this-up-so-people-won't-think-bad-of-me . . . To be quite honest myself, I think we all probably have the same response, at least in the first few seconds! 

We want to fight back!

In fact, while that person is saying their hurtful words, we are probably only listening with one half of our brain, and the other half is coming up with something mean to say right back at them! If they are insulting us, we are working on something insulting to say to them. If they are hurtful, we are dredging up something from the past that would hurt them right back. We come up with something and we barely even wait for them to pause to catch their breath -- in that moment, we hurl our response in their face.

David didn't do that. 

He took his problem to God -- David knew that God would provide refuge, and that God would defend him.

 

Give ear to my words, O Lord,

Consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,

For to You I pray. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;

In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. (v1-3)

This is not the prayer of a man who's been called upon to pray during the routine church service. These are not carefully chosen, politically correct words that are calculated to show the piety and strength and self-discipline of the one praying. Nope. This is brutally honest. He's not trying to show that he's got it all together. These are the honest cries and groans of a man in dire need. The Hebrew word translated "groaning" is only used one other time, and that is in Psalm 39 -- at that time, it's used to refer to silent or barely audible sounds. This is David's honest, heartfelt cry to God. He's not being the restrained, controlled royal, here. He is calling out to God in the midst of his pain.

David knew something that we should remember, too. God knows everything about us. It makes no sense to try to hide our feelings, or to (as my grandma used to say "put on airs"). Let's get real, folks. And then let's stay real. Psalm 62 tells us to "pour out" our "hearts before Him." 

God is our refuge. Pray honestly, even if it means groaning.

David shows us that prayer should not only be honest, but it should also be "up close and personal." In other words, it should be indicative of a close relationship. David addresses God as "my King" and "my God." He was not a stranger in the relationship; he called Him "Lord" or "Yahweh," which is the personal, covenant name for God. David was the anointed king, but he realized that he served under the true King of all. It's important for us to remember to come to prayer and remember He is the king of our lives. What a blessing to have a personal relationship with our Creator!

David mentions twice that he plans to pray "in the morning." In my mind's eye, I could see David waking, and the first thought in his head was about the enemies pursuing them - was he still hidden? Were all of his men alright? He immediately flipped those worried thoughts into prayer. When we wake, are our worries right there beside us? Instead of picking them up and rolling out of bed, let's pray about those trials! Some people are at their best in the mornings. More power to 'em! Me? I don't see how anyone can have a prayer time before at least one cup of coffee. (Grin) Whether it's in the morning or the evening, let's make certain we take refuge in the Lord in prayer.

The last thing I noticed about David's prayers is that he prays expecting an answer. Did you catch that in verse three? He says he will "eagerly watch." I looked it up, and it's the same word used in Habakkuk: 

I will stand on my guard post

And station myself on the rampart;

And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me,

And how I may reply when I am reproved. (Habakkuk 2:1)

We just recently finished our study of Nehemiah, and this makes me think of that. I see a guard, positioned in a good place on the "rampart" or wall -- high up so that he can keep watch. He can see who is coming and going long before they get close to the wall. Perhaps he is watching for the return of a messenger, bringing an important message. 

To apply this to our lives, I believe that when we pray, we should look for an answer. Our King will listen and respond to our needs. So, when we are under attack, we can take refuge in Him through prayer, and . . . watch for an answer!

Verses that inspire

 

Our ole buddy, David, had quite a way with words, didn't he? (Grin)

I was reading in II Samuel and realized that David's song there had been incorporated into one of the psalms -- number eighteen -- perhaps we will dig into it further when we get there. This verse inspired me:

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.  (II Samuel 22:20)

Human beings take things for granted when they are familiar. Ho-hum, nothing to get excited about. Stories are told of soldiers crouched in foxholes who wistfully recall the "normal" everyday things of life back home . . . something as ordinary as the light through their window in their childhood home or perhaps a certain food that mom or grandma cooked for them.  Anything that we have in abundance, or with regularity, seems unimportant until we no longer can have it. Then it becomes so very important, and it's the desire of our hearts!

At this point in David's life, he was on the run; he was a soldier in command of many men, but being pursued by a maniacal, vengeful king. You recall the story, I'm sure. God had removed His blessings from David's predecessor on the throne, Saul, and had anointed David as the next king. Saul chased him hither and yon and tried many times to kill David. Saul was tormented (I Samuel 16) and sought David's life, so the younger man hid himself and his men in caves.

Imagine what it must have been like for David and his soldiers. Long nights in dark, cramped, caves. There's no guarantee that they were dry spaces; they may have had moisture on the walls and water running along the rocky floors. Pungent with the odors of sweat and filth. Searing heat and not much air circulation during each long day. Probably strict silence so that they would not be found by Saul's soldiers. Cold food, if they had any, since fires would be too risky. Aching with missing their wives and their children. Fearing for their lives . . . what was that noise from outside the cave? Was it the wind? A wild animal? Or death, in the form of enemy soldiers? They must have often dreamed of the wide, open spaces of the hills. Or the spacious plains. 

God miraculously delivered David. With His mighty hand, He defeated David's enemies and brought him out to spacious places. He delivered David from the blackest, dampest cave to a royal throne. And this is the gospel! God does this for everyone that He saves! He brings us from a place of darkness to a spacious place of light.

Why?

Well, our verse says that God rescued David because He delighted in David. And that is, perhaps, the hardest part to understand fully. Why does God rescue us? Because He delights in us. As strange as it seems to us, our holy God delights in people who are fallen, lost, wallowing in sin, and filthy with the stench of sin and rebellion. People who have countless times cursed God; the whole sinful world; He rescues all because He delights in all of us.

This boggles my mind sometimes. He delights in me? A human who has sinned more times than I can count? A mortal who is exceedingly small compared to the loving Creator of the universe? How does He even know I exist? Know my name? Delight in me? Rejoice over me? 

Because He loves tiny, sinful me. And He loves tiny, sinful you. 

Yes, God brought even me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because He delighted in me.

This is the gospel in a nutshell.

This is good news!

If a verse or a passage has inspired you recently, won't you share it in the comments? Thanks!

That's not nice! Grace under fire

 

I saw this illustration that fits perfectly with our study this week. I'm indebted to the folks at bible.org who keep such great resources for us to use. Enjoy this chuckle and then I will explain how this fits with our next psalm:

The story is about four pastors from the same small town who went fishing together and shared a cabin for the trip. One night at their campfire, one of them said they should "bare" their souls and share their secret sin with the others. And he bravely said he would go first. When the others agreed, he said that every once in a while he would slip down to the track and bet on the horses.  Encouraged by the first pastor, another spoke up and said that his sin was his temper - every once in a while he would get so angry that he yelled at his wife.  The third man told about a bottle of liquor in his root cellar that he would "nip" on when he was stressed.  The three men waited for the fourth pastor to speak; as he smiled at them, he revealed that his secret sin was gossip -- he couldn't wait to get back to their small town and talk to their church members!

We may chuckle at that story, but it's not funny when people gossip about you. It's not nice when they say things that are not true! Sometimes it happens at work; you thought these people were better than that. Sometimes it happens at church; you thought you could trust these people, that they were fellow-believers. It hurts when you find out what they have been saying when you are not around to defend yourself.

It's sad. And it's not nice, when Christians find themselves "under fire" from those who profess to be believers. Some Christians grow discouraged and leave their church. Some pastors have even left the ministry. But should we be surprised when it happens to us? Even though David was God's anointed king for His people, he was almost constantly under fire. (It's all through the Psalms.) If we live our lives for Christ, we will be criticized and even attacked. Might as well count on it!

Well, what do we do when we are under fire? Psalm 5 gives us some pointers. What did David do? He used his trials to draw near to the Lord; he made sure that he made his refuge in God. Now, Psalm 5 is not a comprehensive answer, for there are other scriptures show that there is a time to confront our critics and defend ourselves. Psalm 5 tells us to take refuge in the Lord - He is our righteous defender.

Let's read the psalm and consider it thoughtfully. We'll "unpack" it next time.

 Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning. 

 Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. 

 In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. 

 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. 

 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. 

You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. 

 But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You. 

 O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me. 

 There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself. Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue. 

 Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You. 

 But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. 

 For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Friday slowdown

 This song has lyrics that seem to be so right for our study this past week. Hope you read them and then listen to the song. 

Keep waiting. 

Keep praying. 

He will answer.  

I KNOW!

Have you been praying and you still have no answers?
Have you been pouring out your heart for so many years?
Have you been hoping that things would have changed by now?
Have you cried all the faith you have through so many tears?

Don't forget the things that He has done before
And remember He can do it all once more

It's like the brightest sunrise
Waiting on the other side of the darkest night
Don't ever lose hope, hold on and believe
Maybe you just haven't seen it, just haven't seen it yet
You're closer than you think you are
Only moments from the break of dawn
All His promises are just up ahead
Maybe you just haven't seen it, just haven't seen it yet

David could sleep in peace

 

Our Father God is full of grace and abundant in mercy, but one of the biggest obstacles to answered prayers in on our side: it's our godliness (or lack of it). Sin causes anguish. If David had kept sin in his heart and prayed for God to remove his distress, it could not have happened without repentance, first. David's heart is clean at the time he wrote these words. The last few verses of Psalm 4 contrast his feelings of peace, joy, and security with the feelings of the wicked - they find no relief for their stress. 

Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
    Let the light of your face shine on us.
 Fill my heart with joy
    when their grain and new wine abound.

 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety. (v. 6-8, NIV)

In the light of God's face, David finds peace. He's probably remembering this passage about the priestly blessing Aaron and his sons were to use:

“‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’ (Numbers 6:24-26)

David recalls the blessings of God and is content. He wrote later in what we know as the thirty-first psalm, "how abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you .....on those who take refuge in you." (Psalm 31:19)  He knows that just like those blessings from the past, that he can turn over and over in his mind and praise God for, there are blessings coming in the future. Not the least of which is God's peace and security. In God's safety David can sleep in peace. He turned his eyes to God and found comfort in His presence.

I hope that we will be like David in distress. That we will have confidence that God's authority is over everything. That we will focus on God, not brood about ourselves. That we will not have a pity party, but pray for more of God's presence. I pray that we will be like David and KNOW that our prayers are heard, and know that God will be victorious. That we will have grace under fire to pray for those who oppose us. 

Sometimes our prayers are answered in ways that we can't really fathom at the time. David's prayers were going to be answered, and his throne restored. There was more work for God's man to do. But the way in which he was restored to the kingdom was not of his choosing. A great battle was fought in the forests of Ephraim, and the rebel army was totally routed -- in fact, 20,000 were killed, and in addition, many were entangled in the deep forest and perished. Among these, we find Absalom himself . . . . 

Riding on his mule, Absalom's head (or hair, depending on which scholar you read) was caught in the boughs of a huge oak, perhaps in a forked branch. II Samuel tells us that he was taken up between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him ran away. Despite being ordered by David to "treat Absalom gently" if he were found, Joab (David's general of the armies) thrusts three spears into him. To make his death certain, others gather around and finish him off. His body is buried in a pit nearby, and a huge pile of stones is heaped on top. What a sad ending for a rebellious son. And not the answer that David wanted. But he is a man after God's own heart, and he comes through it. 

Are we in distress?

Are we praying?

Are we experiencing God's peace?

We may sound like the prophet Habakkuk sometimes . . . "how long, O Lord?" Just as God promised Habakkuk that He was working and the answer would come, His promise to us is that He hears. He is working on it. It's up to us to say:

I will stand at my watch
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me, (Habakkuk 2:1a)

A devotional that I read recently reminded me that it's important to pray and wait. And to wait and pray. Does that make sense? It did to me! Prayer is part of our relationship with God. It's how we become more like Him. It's how He works to accomplish His purposes in us. And it's how we can experience His peace, and sleep soundly in the midst of this troubled life!

Sleep well, my friends!