A MIKTAM OF DAVID.
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.’
“As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
“The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
“I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” [1]
Blue-eyed soul was the term coined to describe the music of the musical group, the Righteous Brothers, in the mid- to late-sixties. This singing duo produced some of the most memorable love ballads of that era. The songs are still popular on YouTube to this day, and they are often played seeking to record the reactions of young people to the music these men produced. Among the great songs that Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley produced was one that bore the title of “Unchained Melody.” The song is a plea from a forlorn man longing for the return of his departed lover. The song is emotionally touching, speaking to the heart of every person who has loved and lost. David, also, wrote an unchained melody which we can see among the Psalms.
Six Psalms are designated “Miktams.” Each of these Psalms was penned by David during a time of personal or national distress. We don’t actually know what a “Miktam” is supposed to be. The etymology of the word is unknown, and thus, we can’t say with certainty what is intended. However, each occurrence of the term is provided while introducing a Psalm that has the character of lamentation or pleading. [2] Therefore, it has been suggested that each of these Miktams is to be received as a Song of Lament. If you will, each Miktam arises from terror that threatens to paralyse the Psalmist.
Under some specific threat, the Psalmist struggles to respond in a godly fashion. As David struggles with the pressure that is then stifling his soul, he cries out to God. His cry is spontaneous, it is anguished, it is real. And inevitably, he moves toward God as the only hope that he has to survive the crushing pressure that threatens him at that moment. When the enemies of righteousness crush the man of God, what escapes from the heart of the worshipper of the Living God is an unchained melody. It is an anguished Psalm that moves quickly to the place of praise of God Who delivers His own. For a brief moment, the redeemed individual may feel alone, but in his heart he knows that he serves a God too good to needlessly hurt him and too wise to make a mistake. Therefore, even in the darkness of the dungeon, he sings an unchained melody.
Surely, we can each relate to such response. Each of us has known a time when the world was crashing around us. We were crushed by the weight of the burden pushing us down. At such time, where can the follower of Christ turn, if not to the Saviour? Though we cry out in our pain, we turn almost instinctively to the One who Rescues us.
THE LORD GOD? OR…
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.’
“As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
“The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips”
[PSALM 16:1-4]
When I am in need, who shall deliver me from the disaster that looms if not the Lord my God? To whom shall I turn when I am under assault if not my Saviour? One of the dramatic pictures to emerge from the early days of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is a photo depicting Ukrainians fleeing into the depths of one of the subways in the capital city of Kyiv. As people were filing into the depths of the subway for shelter as Russian missiles rained down on the city, a group of Ukrainian Christians greeted those coming down the stairs. As people descended into the subway the Christians were singing hymns of praise to the God who reigns even in the midst of chaos!
I cannot begin to tell how often I have wakened singing hymns in the night, praising God for the deliverance I was confident that He would shortly deliver. Though cares threatened my peace at that particular time, I have learned that God is a Deliverer. Indeed, I was pressed down with care for the moment, but my trust was in the Lord my God, Who is too good to needlessly hurt me and too wise to make a mistake. I do not say that waiting on the Lord is easy—it is not. Nevertheless, you who know the Lord God know very well that our God is a Deliverer. Because I know Him to be my Deliverer, I am able to wait for what I know shall surely come during those difficult times.
Each Christian who dares follow the Master could tell of a time when it would have been easy to give up because the demands had become so great. At such times, we who passed through those times learned the reality of the situation the Apostle has described when he wrote, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-11].
The natural reaction of any of us when we face challenges in our life, especially when we are facing those threats that appear as though they will momentarily overwhelm us, is to panic. I told one brother recently that I always did the right thing … after I had experienced a full-bore panic attack that may or may not have included yelling and screaming and raging. Truthfully, we are all alike in this matter. How often have I heard believers say in the midst of a trial, “Well, I guess there is nothing left but prayer.” Nothing left! Isn’t prayer the first response that should mark us as followers of the God Who delivers? Shouldn’t we look to the Lord first? And despite what should be our first response, looking to the Master is almost always the last thing that we do.
In these opening verses of the Psalm, the Psalmist teaches us not only to look to the LORD Who delivers His own, but to find a place among the saints of the Most High God. To be certain, David is crying out to God, confessing that he is staking everything on the might and the goodness of God. We would conclude that David has had reason to look to the Lord at other times in the past, as he confesses that there is nothing good in his life that does not find its origin in the Living God.
We hear people, even those who profess to know the Lord, boast of their own ability, boast of what they have acquired, boast of the position they occupy. However, without God’s strength what would any of us have? One miniscule misstep and we will stumble and fall down. A virus so small that it can only be visualised with the aid of an electron microscope can fell us and take away our health or even kill us. What is it but the mercy of God that ensures that we are able to be present at this hour.
One parliamentary decision can strip away our savings, ensuring that we have nothing to live on. The possessions we imagine we own can be stripped in a moment, except for the goodness of the Lord Who delights to do good things for His people. If we have a measure of authority, we are responsible to use that authority, that power, for the benefit of others and not merely to advance our own interests. There are a multitude of politicians who need to learn that lesson at this time. They imagine that they hold their position to advance themselves. They are fools, deceiving themselves.
Then, we see David confessing that the saints in the land are “the excellent ones.” It should be evident that he is speaking of those who seek the LORD and who long to honour His Holy Name. The Psalmist is confessing that he is determined that he shall align himself with and identify with those who are walking with the Lord GOD. David is not willing to be a “lone ranger” worshipper, he will seek out and associate with those who love the Lord.
The Psalmist then makes a contrast with those who seek their help from someone or something other than the Living God. He makes the observation that those who pursue another god experience multiplied sorrows. David is adamant that he will not permit even a hint that he agrees with their choice; he will not even allow the names of the other gods to be found in his vocabulary.
Take note of the fact that the opening verses of the Psalm provide us with a model for where we should focus our attention whenever we find ourselves threatened or facing trouble. If we see this Psalm as a model for our response, we will make it our habit to look first to the Lord. The more we turn to Him, the greater our confidence becomes that He will deliver us. Moreover, we will seek out the fellowship of those who love the Lord, uniting our lives with theirs. We will do this before the crisis is upon us, gaining confidence in the working of the Spirit of God among His people. Where the Spirit of God reigns, the collective wisdom is magnified as the people think and act in concert with the wisdom of God Himself. We take these steps knowing that failure to do so leads us into identifying with those running after another god.
Let’s take just a moment to think of those other gods that people imagine to be worthy of their service. I suppose there are so many of these gods so-called that we could not truly name all of them. However, during the years of my service among the churches of our Lord, I have observed some gods that have gained authority over the people of God. I will mention the god of prominence, the god of ease, and the god of passion.
The first that I would name is the god of prominence. By this I’m recalling the tendency among the churches to appoint to positions of authority those who are considered to be prominent by virtue of a variety of reasons. Some people are incredibly vocal and by virtue of their loud, incessant voice they gain prominence among the faithful. I caution that the most vocal among us are seldom worthy of following. We will do well to hear the words Isaiah penned so many years ago.
“Thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,
‘In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’”
[ISAIAH 30:15a]
Speaking of the day when God reigns over His people, Isaiah writes,
“Justice will inhabit the wilderness,
and righteousness will dwell in the orchard.
The result of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness
will be quiet confidence forever.”
[ISAIAH 32:16-17 CSV]
People are promoted to eldership, to the diaconate based on their position in the world and because it is assumed that they are community minded. Shouldn’t we rather examine character as taught in the Word [cf. 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-13; TITUS 1:5-9]? Again, we witness people elected to church office on the basis of their perceived financial holdings or because of the notoriety they have attained. We are responsible to ensure that those who provide leadership among the saints of God possess godly character as demonstrated through lives that are lived out for the glory of God.
Again, among the churches of our Lord, the god of ease appears to be accorded excessive worship. While I am not opposed to a beautiful house of worship, nor am I against comfortable seating for the people of God, it is far more important that those who worship encounter the Risen Saviour. And they encounter the Risen Lord of Glory when those conducting the services of the assembly speak the truth in love and when the people seek the face of God throughout the time of worship. That is what we see when writing the Corinthian Christians, Paul writes, “If all prophesy [or testify], and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:24-25].
Our purpose is not to make outsiders feel good about themselves, nor even to make professed Christians feel good about their wayward manner of life; our responsibility is to worship the Risen Saviour and to glorify His Name. Whenever the people of God meet, it should be an opportunity for the Spirit of Christ to reign among them, thus glorifying the Saviour. We will be better for the time we invest with one another, but we will not necessarily be comfortable with our disobedience.
We would do well to consider the dark words of the Prophet from Tekoa, who wrote the stern words warning God’s ancient people,
“‘Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,
and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,
the notable men of the first of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel comes!
“‘Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and stretch themselves out on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the midst of the stall,
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,
who drink wine in bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile,
and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out
shall pass away.’
“The Lord GOD has sworn by himself, declares the LORD, the God of hosts:
‘I abhor the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds,
and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.’”
[AMOS 6:1, 4-8]
Time constraints restrict me to mentioning but one other god that figures prominently among the churches of our Lord, and that is the god of passion. By this I mean to caution against making our decisions on the basis of raw emotion rather than relying on the wisdom of God given to the faithful in the Word. In this day, a growing number of churches receive into membership those who are living in rebellion against the Word of God because it feels right. Churches do this because they are driven by their emotions. They don’t want to be seen as unfriendly or as bigoted. They are concerned about how the world sees them and they don’t want to turn anyone off from becoming a Christian. Or in many instances a child or other family member has adopted an unhealthy lifestyle, but the churches don’t want to appear intolerant or take hurtful actions. Thus, those who have adopted a homosexual lifestyle, those who are living in an adulterous relationship, those who are openly rebelling against the sex God assigned at birth are not only accepted into membership among the saints but given a loud voice.
In brief, many of the churches have rejected the warnings provided by the Word, which cautions us, “Because they did not think it worthwhile to keep knowing God fully, God delivered them to degraded minds to perform acts that should not be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, haughty, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to their parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Although they know God’s just requirement—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do these things but even applaud others who practice them” [ROMANS 1:28-32 ISV].
Our practise as a congregation of the Lord must be determined by the Word He has given and not adopted in order to appease the world. Our faith and practise must be guided by what is pleasing to God rather than thinking how we may make others comfortable. We are often more concerned not to hurt the sinful people about us without considering how our actions dishonour the Lord Who redeemed us.
As people who profess to know the Saviour, we need to hear and adopt the view David has presented in the Psalm before us this day. We who name the Name of the LORD must know the consequences of dishonouring our God.
“The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.”
[PSALM 16:1-4]
Obviously, to pursue another god can only result in sorrows, sorrows so severe that we cannot imagine the impact on our life as a congregation or on our lives personally. Pursuing other gods will surely lead to our demise, and we will ever after be known as the church that deserted our God and destroyed ourselves.
SERVING THE LORD WHERE HE HAS PLACED ME —
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”
[PSALM 16:5-6]
David writes that God has shown him great favour. When he writes, “the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places,” the Hebrew is referring to his location as it speaks of “the boundary lines,” having fallen for the Psalmist in pleasant places [CSB; see also ISV]. That this is the intent of David’s statement, becomes obvious when he writes, “I have a beautiful inheritance.” God has been gracious to David despite the dangers he faces.
The Psalmist has an empowering way of viewing his situation. He sees himself as serving God in the place that the LORD has chosen. Whether the place where he is now residing is threatened, or whether his place is for the moment peaceful, David is not a victim of circumstances, he is the recipient of grace. David testifies that the LORD has determined what is best for His servant and David is thus joyful in giving testimony to the goodness of the Lord GOD. Wherever David is placed, he is the servant of the LORD, and because he is serving where God has placed him, he is situated in a pleasant place. This is an incredibly powerful view of life, and it is a view that empowers the Psalmist.
Dear people, you can either see yourself as a victim of circumstances, bemoaning your situation and wishing your situation could be changed, or you can see yourself as being precisely where the Lord has set you. In the former situation, you will always be looking for a better place to which you can escape; in the latter situation, you will always be living victoriously because you are serving as the Lord God intended you to serve. In contemporary parlance, you will either be a victim or you will be a victor! What you will be is determined by how you approach life. I urge you to say, “God knows where I am!”
The words that the Psalmist has written are intended as encouragement for those who look to the Lord. Undoubtedly, outsiders would benefit from applying the truth that is written here, but the Psalmist is not writing for those who do not know the Lord GOD as a Deliverer. David speaks of his own experience, giving encouragement to others to emulate his view of conditions that swirl about him. Ultimately, you need to ask yourself what is more important, your comfort or dependence on God? Obviously, dependence on the LORD, the knowledge that He is guiding us in our way, is of utmost importance.
When trouble arises and our continued service is threatened, it is a natural response to want to run. Frequently, when attending various pastoral conferences I will hear one or more pastors asking if anyone knows of someplace new where they might serve. You see, we preachers are not so very different from everyone else. We imagine that if we can find a new place to serve, a new circle of friends, a new situation that will relieve the immediate pressure, we will be safe. We do this because it is natural to want to run when danger threatens. However, you know, and we know, that fleeing is usually not an appropriate response. Our first response should be to determine to remain where we are, making a go of what we began. Standing firm where the Lord has planted you is necessary to steady the nerves of fellow Christians who are just as fearful as you are.
Take note of the fact that though God had appointed David to be in the place where he now found himself, David had nevertheless chosen to look to God. David wasn’t fighting against God’s guidance, though the pressures against the king were very real; David was accepting that God was in control of life and the events that made up his life had been permitted by the LORD. The Psalmist would say that we may fight against God’s appointment, we may complain that we are being treated unfairly by the LORD, but if we belong to Him we are attempting to resist what is irresistible. How much better, how much wiser are we when we choose to look to the Lord, trusting that He guides us.
You may recall the Psalmist confessing in another of the Psalms, as each follower of Christ should learn to confess,
“I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, ‘You are my God.’
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!”
[PSALM 31:14-16]
The people of God in this day appear to be inflected with a plague of church-hopping. Like ecclesiastical butterflies flitting from one bright assembly to the next bright assembly, modern church goers seem unable to make a commitment to any one assembly. Here is a church with a great music program, and we’ll be there for a brief while to enjoy the music. Then, there is a church with a dynamic children’s program to which we will attach ourselves until our children grow bored as is inevitable. There is always another church with a brilliant speaker in the pulpit, and we will sit in that congregation for a brief while, until the preacher offends us with unreasonable demands for righteousness.
We attend the services of a congregation, without any sense of permanence. Our tendency is to hold ourselves somewhat at arm’s length because we don’t want to get too close to those uniting in worship. We might have to tolerate the congregation doing something with which we disagree! We want things to always go our way and the church must always make us comfortable. We must never be challenged, or we will quit!
I do not deny that a person may have a ministry of itinerating, moving about to strengthen the churches and to build up the saints in various locations. However, such individuals whom God appoints to move about are the exception, not the rule. Christians in the New Testament were united with an assembly in their own area, serving there for the purpose of building up that church. This is evident from even a cursory perusal of instructions Paul delivered to the Church of God in Corinth as he discussed spiritual gifts.
The Apostle has written, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:1-5].
Take note of Paul’s emphasis on building up the church. He says nothing about making oneself feel good about himself. The Apostle says nothing about feeling good about oneself, though we know that we should aspire to be “building []ourselves up in []our most holy faith” [JUDE 20]. In the church wherein God has placed us, our first concern always is to glorify God, and we do this by building up our fellow believers while using the gifts with which God has entrusted. In this way, we will always be comforting and encouraging those fellow believers who share the Faith of Christ the Lord as we labour together to the praise of His glory. The fact is that we cannot build ourselves without investing ourselves in one another. This is an incredibly vital point that must be emphasised especially in this day late in the Age of Grace.
Conflict will come, but we are responsible to refuse to give in to our anger. Neither may we deny that a conflict exists when it does arise. We don’t honour God by running away from every trial and through refusal to invest ourself in one another. We honour God by seeking His will in all things, and His will leads us into a holy endeavour to make others stronger while we discover what pleases the Lord and boldly do those things. We need to remember the teaching our Master delivered to each of us when He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” [JOHN 13:34-35]. It requires a tragic and grave distortion of reality to say that we demonstrate our love through running from trials while attempting to wall ourselves off from those who share the Faith of Christ the Lord.
If you are paying attention to what I’ve said to this point, you will note that I am emphasising the concept of the assembly of the righteous as the centre of life for the follower of Christ the Lord. God makes no provision for “lone wolf” Christians. However much we may imagine ourselves to be superior to the congregation wherein the Lord has placed us, we need to realise how very much we need one another. And you, as one who is twice-born, you need the gathered people of God. The investment they make in your life is far more valuable than you might ever imagine. Together, and only together, do we fully reveal the Body of Christ.
Listen to what I hope is familiar instruction for you as a Christian. Paul writes, “The body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret” [1 CORINTHIANS 12:14-30].
I don’t mean to imply that the Christian can never leave a congregation that has already departed the Faith of Christ the Lord. There is a time when it is necessary for a follower of Christ to leave a group that has chosen to depart the Faith. However, the one who will honour the Lord must not make such a decision in a casual or thoughtless manner. The decision must be deliberate and it must be bold so that Christ is honoured. No Christian should simply slink away. In boldly declaring the reason for refusing to identify with the error any longer the child of God will demonstrate the error, exposing those who are determined to identify with said error. Perhaps in making this bold and open decision the follower of Christ may persuade some timid souls to stand firm rather than concede ground to those who are embracing the error.
The early Christians were adamant in demanding that those who would honour the Lord must not identify with error. Paul was adamant when he admonished the Christians in Corinth, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.’”
[2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-18]
As the LORD was preparing to judge the rebels who had defied Moses and Aaron, He gave the people opportunity to spare their own lives from judgement. The text reads, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
“Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spoke to the congregation, saying, ‘Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.’ So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones” [NUMBERS 16:23-27].
You know, of course, how that ended. Those that separated themselves were spared; those who identified with the rebels were destroyed along with the rebels. The same happens even in this day. God does not tolerate our puerile attempts to mix sin and grace. How different from the earliest followers of the Lord. The account is provided of an incident from the life of Polycarp, a disciple of the Apostle John. In that account, Polycarp encountered a noted heretic named Marcion. This is the account as provided. “One time the holy Polycarp met Marcion, from whom come those who are called Marcionites, and said, ‘Recognise us, Polycarp!’ He said to Marcion, ‘I recognise you. I recognise the firstborn of Satan.’” [3] There is an example of true boldness!
You will understand that I have presented what are diametrically opposite situations. The appropriate response for the child of God requires wisdom, but I believe you have the Spirit of God and that He will give you discernment so that you make the decision required by the situation. I believe that with His guidance you will always make the right decision and honour the Lord. If possible, remain where the Lord has set you.
GOD’S RICH BLESSINGS —
“I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
[PSALM 16:7-11]
Which follower of Christ has not had the experience that as he is just about to fall asleep he recalls some verse of Scripture that supplies wisdom for a challenge faced because he is a child of God? Or perhaps he recalls a verse of Scripture that encourages him and ensures he is able to sleep soundly throughout the night. It is not that unusual that I am awakened with a sense that I need to pray. The needs of God’s people come flooding into my consciousness, and I know I must ask the LORD for relief for those whom I love.
When God has given me the answer to my earnest plea offered up in the night, won’t I praise Him! Won’t I rejoice in the knowledge that when I cry out to my Father He delights to show me His love. As my Father gives me what I ask, my heart is glad and I am enabled to stand firm though the enemy is arrayed against me. At such times I am able to resist the evil one, refusing to give way to evil. I am filled with confidence, certain in the love of God toward me. That is something each of us need, and it all comes from a God Who loves us too much to ever permit us to be crushed by evil. Amen.
As you read the Miktams, I long for you to know the rich blessings that God continues to shower on you. I may die, one day I know that I must lay aside this flesh, but I am confident of this—the Lord is my God, and my times are in His hands. I know that I am immortal until God says I must go home. This is the Faith of all who follow the Risen Christ. Amen.
The Christian Faith is characterised by joy—unmitigated joy. In the midst of a world known for cynicism and despair, we who follow the Christ are joyful. Though we may suffer, our joy cannot be extinguished, nor can it be suppressed for long.
Moreover, as one who follows the Living Saviour, the Christian is known for confidence. We know that our Saviour lives, and because He lives, we live. His Spirit has taken up residence in our life, and He is always with us. We know with certainty that though this flesh should fail, we are never deserted. We know that He is coming for us, and that when we are called to leave this life, we have a home eternal in Heaven. We are promised in the Corinthian Letter (2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-8), and we believe, “We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Amen.
Possessing the knowledge of what is coming we are encouraged in this Faith. As did those saints who preceded us in the Faith, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again, [and] even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” [1 THESSALONIANS 4:14-18]. Encourage one another, indeed! Christ our Master, the One Who loved us and gave Himself for us, is coming for us. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] See Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Music and Musical Instruments,” (art.) in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI 1988) 1506
[3] Rick Brannan, trans., The Apostolic Fathers in English (Lexham Press, Bellingham, WA 2012)
