Christ Our Refuge

David wrote Psalm 142 when he was at a low point, and many believe it was penned when he hid in the cave Adullam.  He had been anointed by the prophet Samuel as king, had experienced the victory and fame over the giant Goliath, yet danger dogged him at every turn.  King Saul (his father-in-law) sought to murder him, Doeg the chief herdsman was glad to betray him, and there was no help to be found from Philistines who remembered him.  The threat upon David's life drove him to leave his home, the company of his wife (who was given to another), and his best friend Jonathan.  During this season of David's life he undoubtedly felt alone, and in his distress he may not have had even the company of sheep.

Here are the words of Psalm 142: "I cry out to the LORD with my voice; with my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. ² I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. ³ When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk they have secretly set a snare for me. ⁴ Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me; refuge has failed me; no one cares for my soul. ⁵ I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. ⁶ Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. ⁷ Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name; the righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me."

David feared the LORD and walked uprightly, yet enemies sought his ruin.  David spent seasons hiding in caves, but it was in God he took refuge.  His troubles overwhelmed him, so David poured out his heart before the Almighty God who hears and answers the prayers of His saints.  There was no help or deliverance for David through his strength or power, for he was brought very low.  Do you have a sense how David felt, that no one was able to know the depths of his suffering?  Fear and loneliness were a prison David desperately sought release from, and the psalmist prophetically praised God for the end result he had not yet seen with his eyes:  "...the righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me."

I do not know how long David was alone, but it seems the answer from God came quickly to supply David's need for help and companionship.  He would have been happy to have one man who stood by him, but God sent many.  1 Samuel 22:1-2 says, "David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. ² And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him."  These men ended up being David's closest friends and mighty men, valiant fellow warriors, and many righteous men who feared God were numbered among them.  David's family and men who were distressed - perhaps by the king's poor treatment of him - rallied to his side.  People who were in debt and looking for a new life came; men who were bitter with their lot came to him and humbled themselves before God's anointed.

I am reminded of a quote attributed to Dan Crawford a missionary of Central Africa:  "There is no high hill but beside some deep valley.  There is no birth without a pang." (Tilsley, Colin B. C. Through the Furnace. Outreach Book Service, 1979. page 91.)  Seasons with his father's flock and experiencing loneliness in the cave were formative events in the life of a man after God's heart who would be Israel's beloved king.  David learned to draw near to God, to pour out his heart, and to trust God to answer in His time and way.  In the depths David did not drown in his misery, but turned his eyes to the God of heaven who loved, called, protected, and provided for him.  How good it is to know we can rally to the side of Jesus Christ, being the man of his right hand who love and serve Him faithfully.  My name means "son of the right hand" and reminds me of the privilege it is to follow Jesus and to support others in this earthly pilgrimage.  Jesus has brought our souls out of prison, and may we praise His name now and forever!

Preaching the Gospel to Ourselves

It is amazing how God expands our understanding of the implications of His Word and the Gospel as we grow.  In my youth I was convinced I understood what the Bible said and meant, but I am learning my perspective is often limited and narrow.  The "Great Commission" scripture in Matthew provides a fitting example.

Matthew 28:19-20 were words of Jesus Christ I committed to memory at a young age:  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."  I didn't notice it at the time, but verse 19 refers back to a critical truth which undergirds what has been called the "Great Commission."  Matthew 28:18 reads, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."  We do not go or obey Jesus in our strength or authority, but in light of His overarching authority.  The One issuing the command also enables and empowers us to accomplish His will.

My understanding of this commission was initially restricted to the expansion of the Gospel message to people who had never heard the Gospel.  This is true, yet the scope is far greater than this.  More than making converts Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations, and we are included!  The Gospel message is not just for the heathen, but for the church - for me and you.  We must first preach the Gospel to ourselves and walk in light of it or we will be impotent to make disciples of Jesus.  It is not by might or by power we can extend the love and grace of God to others but through the Holy Spirit.  The Gospel is not advice to the heathen but is guidance for believers.  The Gospel is Good News God desires to communicate to those who are near and afar off so all might come to the knowledge of the truth and be born again.  Once born again the Gospel compels us to be His witnesses here, there, and everywhere in every possible way.

When Jesus sent out the disciples to prepare the way for Him, He later followed them into the cities and towns where they were.  As we walk in obedience to Jesus and His Word, He is with us always with all His authority.  Jesus does not command and instruct us and send us on our way to fend for ourselves or do what we think is best, but He is the Way.  Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we have comfort and help, and we are granted access to God's throne room of grace at all times.  I need the Gospel as much now as ever, and so do you.  Praise the LORD for His faithfulness to us, and for His use of weak instruments so the glory will belong to Him alone.  Psalm 147:5 is the truth:  "Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite."  Let us keep preaching the Gospel to ourselves and live out the implications of it so all will see how awesome our Saviour is.

Going Through the Motions?

Our God - my God - is indeed an awesome God!  I don't brag on Him nearly as much as He deserves.  He is powerful and personal, outrageously generous and gracious.  God hears prayers and answers in real time.

Last night was a perfect example:  I had turned on the water for a shower and prayed God would send rain, as Sydney has been dry lately.  I kid you not:  when I stepped out of the shower less than five minutes later rain had come!  Hearing the water dripping from the eaves and passing through the gutters brought a beaming smile to my face.  It is so easy to forget God is not delayed because He seems far away at times, but He is so near to each one of us.  Those who call upon Him can expect Him to answer in His time and way.

Our feeble frame is forgetful of God's presence.  We can go through the motions of prayer or reading and study of scripture and miss God.  I recently came across an example of this.  1 Samuel 28:5-6 says of King Saul, "When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets."  Because God did not answer according to Saul's demand, he sought out counsel from a medium.  These verses only tell part of the story.  Saul went through the motions of inquiring of the LORD, and another scripture confirms his heart wasn't in it.  And we also cannot ignore the fact he had commanded the slaughter of the high priest who therefore could not aid him in the process.  1 Chronicles 10:13-14 says, "So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. ¹⁴ But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse."

On the surface this appears to be a contradiction.  1 Samuel 28:6 says Saul inquired of the LORD, but 1 Chronicles 10:14 says he did not inquire of the LORD!  These verses can be easily reconciled by our own lives and experience.  Have you ever gone through the activity of prayer but you were distracted?  Have you ever read the Bible and after closing it would have struggled to repeat what you just read?  At times we have all done as Saul:  we have prayed without thought, when we were obstinate in sin, and planned to pursue our own will regardless of God's Word.  If we will pray, let us seek and inquire of the LORD, waiting upon Him.  The equivalent of the Philistines mustering against us is an impetus to prayer, but speaking words with our mouths does not mean we are joined with the Spirit of the holy God.

Praise the LORD He is gracious, compassionate, and answers the prayers of His humble servants!  Let's examine ourselves to see if we are going through the motions of prayer or confirm our inquiries are genuine.  If we aren't hearing much from God, it may be we aren't praying.

The Need for Exhortation

"Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; ¹³ but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

Hebrews 3:12-13

Lately I've been thinking about the believer's need for exhortation.  We are called to humbly receive exhortation and also exhort others as led by the Holy Spirit.  Based on the Hebrew passage which exhorts us to exhort one another daily, the Christian's need for frequent exhortation is fundamental as the unbeliever's need for the Gospel.  Without receiving the Gospel no man can be saved, and without exhortation our hearts tend towards hardness.  To exhort is to call near, invite, and entreat, whether it be to call out sin or to urge to do right. 

There is a difference between knowing what is right and doing what is right.  Humility before God and men puts us in a posture to receive exhortation from God's Word and other people.  Since God can speak through a donkey if He wills, it should not be a surprise He can even use unbelievers as His instruments to correct and instruct us as it suits Him.  There are many people who believe in God who do not follow Jesus, and there are many disciples of Jesus who lose their way because their hearts have been hardened by sin's deceitfulness.  This is one reason why genuine fellowship with other believers is a critical part in our spiritual health, growth, and fruitfulness.

As we go through our days, it is easy for us in difficult times to lose perspective.  The life of Jacob provides such an example after he sent his sons to Egypt to buy food.  After hearing a report of the rough treatment of his sons, how Simeon was required to remain in Egypt and Benjamin was required to go on the next trip, old Israel felt like all was against him.  Genesis 42:36 records his response to his sons under the weight of the trial:  "You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me."  Israel was wrong about Joseph and Simeon.  Joseph was alive and second in command in all Egypt, Simeon was kept safe, and Benjamin would be granted royal treatment upon arrival in Egypt.  Israel felt everything was against him when the Almighty God was for him.  Ultimately Israel caved out of necessity for food and allowed his sons to take Benjamin to Egypt, and sometimes it takes exhortation from others to prompt us to do what is right and needed.  After Israel obeyed revelation and blessing came.

How good it is to hear from God, and praise Him for using others to minister to our need - sometimes it is a word in season we didn't even know we needed.  As we follow Jesus in faith, let us plow up the fallow ground of our hearts so we might receive the good seed of God's word and the exhortations of others who urge us to cease from sin and honour God.