Thoughts 1/11/10

When God - Yahweh, the One who redeemed Israel from Egypt, by drying the Red Sea, by leading with a cloud and fire pillar; the One who consumed the water soaked mountain and altar at Elijah's cry, the One who raises the dead, the One who has once and for all has damned sin, death, and Satan for all eternity by conquering death - when this God is on you side, truly we may ask with expectation of no answer in reply, "If God be for you, who can be against you?"

The first verse of Ps 27 makes me think all that, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?" The same answer can be expected here ... the answer is, not a one! No foe be they human or demon, no sickness be it mental or physical, no degree of separation from loved ones, no form of suffering or torture is to be feared or dreaded. There is literally nothing to be feared or beheld with dread when Christ Jesus is your light and salvation!

David goes own to answer his rhetorical questions in v3, "My heart will not fear...in spite of this (evildoers, enemies, adversaries, & war) I shall be confident." So then, the logical question is what is the source of such bold and unwavering confidence? Let's continue in v4, where David expresses that his one desire is to seek the LORD, and to dwell in His house forever, to see the manifest beauty of the LORD, to dwell and meditate in God's temple.

How does dwelling in God's temple secure David's confidence? Verses 5 & 6 fill us in, "For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above y enemies around me." Confidence is built upon the solid rock foundation of an endlessly faithful God, One who never falters or stumbles, but by the ongoing word of His mouth ceaselessly upholds the entire universe! This is the same God that David is seeking after, who he desires to dwell with for all the days of his life, for he knows in the hour of trouble, in the day of the plague God will secure him for His own purposes, and that he would see the entirety of his days, even if that meant the full term of his days be tomorrow or 50 years later. David did not fret over death, or pain ... for God was his delight! He even tells us of his delight in God, for after the LORD preserves him, he declares, "I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD!" [The exclamation is my own addition, I think David was probably so stoked when he wrote these words!]

But verses 7-14 make me think maybe this desire was not always his natural response to hardship and the attack of his adversaries. I say natural meaning, maybe at times he had his doubts just like you and I ... the great Man after God's own heart had doubts? Yeah I think so. But I also feel confident that he battled fiercely against these doubts, forcibly calling to mind and meditating on the promises of God! Check out verse 8 and following, "When You said, 'Seek my face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.' Do not hide your face from me, do not tun Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!" In Joshua 1:5c, states, "I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." Now, I don't know if this is what David had in mind when he cried out v8, but its what I think of ... remembering the promises of God, and that He is faithful to carry out His promises! This is great news!

I am sort of changing my mind as I continue, maybe David is not expressing doubts, but the real battle of faith that must take place for faith to be refined. For, in v14 he calls his readers to "Wait for the LORD, be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." It sounds more like an exhortation to remain faithful to trusting God, for He never shrinks back from His children's foes ... even if we cannot make out how things will work out.

This is all encouraging in light of leaving for Costa Rica here is just a few days. I am truly not worried, fearful, or dreadful of anything ... but I also am not naive, I know well that there will be more hardship than I expect - so I keep trying to expect more and more, I know the enemy will throw every flaming arrow he has stock piled against me - loneliness, culture shock, home-sickness, physical hardship, mental hardship, spiritual trials, temptations, and hardships ... I know well that he will definitely be prowling around my encampment seeking like a lion to devour me! yet, Christ too shall be encamped with me ... and with such a Lion as Christ, the mere and feeble Satan stands no chance ... and in Christ's name he will have to flee, and as such I will seek to continue to call on the Lord of Hosts, and as I do, by His great grace I shall wait, patiently expecting His rescue and restoration!

I go on my way to CR, fully confident that Christ is not only going to reveal Himself to me in ways I cant imagine, but that I will once again and in new ways meet Him again as the great Victor!!! And no, He is not safe, but He is good!!!

WHOA! I can't wait!!!