Psalm 91

The world awoke to news of a calculated but senseless attack on random citizens in New York which claimed the lives of at least 8 people and wounded many more.  To think a person's life is at risk walking or leisurely riding a bike with friends targeted by a rampaging driver is alarming and tragic.  So where does an overwhelmed soul go from here?  Assembling in a show of angry defiance?  Fear and isolation?  Justice is needed for the perpetrator, but not vengeance upon potential suspects.  The LORD God, He will repay.

Recently I read Psalm 91, an encouraging passage for all those who place their confidence in God.  The terrible things we hear and the news and painful circumstances we face threaten to rob us of joy given us by our Saviour Jesus Christ, but by His grace we can rest peacefully as we look to Him and remember God's promises.  Fear prevents us from being strong and courageous.  Bad things happen to believers and unbelievers alike, but there is sure and eternal hope in our God who keeps our souls from all harm.  Evil which drowns others in fear and perdition has no power over God's children to destroy.  Our strength is not in self but in the God who loves and carries us.  We need not fall prey to the fear which is common to all men.  Take courage in the LORD, believer, as you seek refuge in Him.  Call out to the LORD and He will hear you and answer.  Here is Psalm 91 in the NKJV:

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ²  I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." ³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. ⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. ⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. ⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. ⁹ Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, ¹⁰ no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; ¹¹ for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. ¹² In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. ¹³ You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. ¹⁴ "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. ¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

Definite Questions and Answers

"It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron."

2 Samuel 2:1

After the death of King Saul, David inquired of the LORD where he should go.  His place in Ziklag had been burnt with fire, and David wisely sought insight from the LORD concerning his next course of action.  He provides a good example for all who fear God in asking a specific question and did not act on the matter until he received a definite answer.  If we are honest concerning our prayers, we may discover we do not ask many definite questions.  If this is the case, we should not be surprised when a clear answer does not come.

We are not told exactly how God spoke to David, but the text makes it evident God did speak and David heard Him.  In the previous book we read Abiathar, son of the high priest, had brought the ephod and joined David's company after the slaughter of the priests at Nob.  He undoubtedly was involved in this process, likely with the Urim and Thummim.  David obediently went up to Hebron according to God's direction, and shortly thereafter was crowned king of Judah.

It is interesting to note we see a similar situation and a very different result early in the reign of King Saul.  Saul was the king and his demeanour was self-assured and domineering - even with God.  1 Samuel 14:19 says, "Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."  Looking at the situation by sight, Saul made an executive decision to act.  Trusting his own senses, he did not value or desire insight from God.  Such a person who walks by sight or reacts to the movements of the enemy should not expect an answer from the LORD.

In your prayer life, are you intentional to ask a definite question and actively wait on the LORD for a definite answer, confirming His revealed will through His Word?  Proverbs 18:13 explains the result of those who speak presumptuously when they only know half the story:  "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him."  The same is true for those who act presumptuously, responding to what they see or hear.  We ought to patiently, humble ourselves as David before the Almighty God who has wisdom and insight to impart to all who fear and obey Him.

We do not need an ephod, the Urim and Thummim, or any sanctified relic to gain an audience with God, for Jesus Christ is our High Priest who lives to intercede with the Father on our behalf.  We have been given the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts and guides us into all truth. The Holy Spirit will not tell us everything, but He will tell us enough and empower us to fulfil our duty before God in all He requires of us.  We often have not because we ask not.  We have cast our cares, poured out our complaints, and we might even tell God what we want Him to do.  But if we do not ask intending to obey whatever He says, we should not expect an answer.

May followers of Jesus Christ indeed seek Him, for He is for us wisdom.  When our view is obscured may we be reminded of our desperate need for His insight and guidance through life, and as we patiently heed His Word we might honour and glorify Him all our days.

Infallible Proofs

I appreciate a person who "says it like it is," a straight-shooter who does not hint or allude to the truth but boldly speaks it.  Every man has his flaws and makes mistakes, but there should be no doubt about what he believes.  In this increasingly subjective and politically-correct age, people are wary of being transparent with their beliefs.  The problem often isn't a lack of thinking before speaking, but of thinking so much we stop short of saying what we really think.  This hollowed version of truth does little to present a viable consideration for belief.

One thing I love about the Bible is the objective nature of it.  It states how things were, are, and will be.  Nature itself is governed by laws which cannot be broken.  There are absolutes which are unchanging, and to alter these absolutes even a fraction (not that man has this capacity) would mean utter catastrophe.  There are facts governing this world we inhabit, and one of the greatest facts is it has been created by God to be as it is.  There is much evidence which points to this fact, though the evidence is hotly contested and debated.

There is a difference between facts and evidence.  It is very fashionable to cite evidence as fact when evidence can only point to or support a fact.  Evidence can be lost, corrupted, forgotten, or ignored, but the fact remains unchallenged:  it simply is.  When God identified Himself to Moses, He said "I AM THAT I AM" in Exodus 3:14.  God has plainly stated in the Bible He is the unchanging, everlasting God, the Creator of the heavens, earth, and all that is in them.  His existence is the ultimate fact, and the evidence is all around us.  "Don't confuse me with the facts," some say in jest, and if men will be honest they must admit they have at times promoted personal opinion as fact.

The facts concerning Jesus Christ have eternal ramifications.  Luke began the book of Acts in this fashion:  "The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ² until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, ³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:1-3)  Jesus was a man born of a virgin who went about preaching concerning the kingdom of God, healing people of incurable diseases, even raising the dead to life.  He was accused by the Jews, crucified by the Romans, and was buried in a tomb for three days.  Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to hundreds of eye-witnesses and supplied many "infallible proofs" of His identity (and He was indeed alive) over the course of 40 days.

Something that is "infallible" means it is absolutely certain, a matter of fact beyond debate - in the case of Jesus Christ's resurrection, it is a fact corroborated by hundreds of witnesses.  Jesus rose from the dead, and there is ample evidence to support it.  And this is the rub:  facts alone are not sufficient to generate belief, for faith is a matter of the mind and the will.  Upon hearing of Christ's resurrection His enemies did not repent of their unbelief and admit He was the Messiah.  They were hardened in unbelief, and this kind of unbelief in spite of infallible proof remains to this day.  I believe unbelief is common to all men, for a man may believe Jesus rose from the dead but doubt Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.  There is great evidence to support these facts, but it doesn't mean everyone believes.

Have you considered the infallible proofs Luke spoke of concerning Jesus Christ?  If the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus are all true, these facts are more practical than Newton's Laws and infinitely more revolutionary than rocket science.  Jesus claimed to be the Resurrection and the Life, and His overcoming of death as He promised confirms He is the only way to heaven and eternal life.  The Bible lays out infallible proofs which compel men to pay homage to God to whom all glory is due.  We can be easily deceived, and the scripture guides us into the light of God's truth.  This is a fact, and the evidence of transformed lives and peace despite trials among God's people is all around.  The weight of evidence supplied in the Bible concerning Jesus Christ is staggering, those willing to consider it can be forever changed.

Belonging to God

"And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, ²⁴ saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'"

Acts 27:22-24

I was greatly encouraged to hear Paul describe his relation to God as "to whom I belong and whom I serve."  People often try to "fit in," and even when these efforts seem successful it is a far cry from belonging.  Paul had been purchased with the blood of Jesus and his life was not his own, but he was not only a servant:  he eternally belonged to God.

Paul was able to encourage his fellow shipmates in the midst of a raging tempest not to lose heart, for the God to whom he belonged had sent a message of deliverance.  God sent the message first to encourage Paul and also for the benefit of the crew.  Many of those men addressed by Paul were criminals and condemned, and Paul in one sense didn't belong there.  He was innocent of all false accusations levelled at him, but he found himself on a ship driven to disaster by a great storm.  Since Paul belonged to God, however, God was with him.  God heard his prayers and not only would save all on board at his request, but also sent an angel to confirm it.

Many people wade through this life on earth lacking the sense of belonging anywhere.  They do not feel comfortable or at ease among crowds, or feel out of place among even family or acquaintances.  There is a yearning within a person which desires more than superficial acceptance but that of belonging - a longing to be with or even be someone he knows he is not.  It is hard to put into words, but it is like an emptiness, a scratch which cannot be pinpointed, a hunger which gnaws at the soul.  This longing for belonging in all people can only be permanently satisfied through a relationship with the eternal, Living God.  Belonging to God provides assurance of truth, wisdom, and a future which the greatest storms cannot destroy.

Belonging to God has nothing to do with geography, people, or plans, but is the reality discovered through receiving the Gospel.  Paul belonged to God, but he was no holy hermit:  we see demonstrated in his life a profound love for people.  Wherever he went it seemed there were brethren he sought to encourage and was strengthened by fellowship.  Even on a sinking vessel he took heart because He belonged to God who spoke to him and would save him.  This provides great consolation for all:  those adrift in life can belong to God through faith, and those who have received the Gospel ought to remember and rejoice that we belong!