"You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance." Psalm 32:7
On a Bible website, I came across an anecdotal story which attempted to summarize the blessing of forgiveness David was trying to convey in Psalm 32. "You have never been so tense in your life. You have been held in custody without bail on a murder charge. The courtroom battle has dragged on for weeks, draining your vitality and weighing upon you with increasing anxiety. Finally, the big moment has arrived. With your hands manacled, the bailiff leads you into the courtroom. The jury files in after several days of deliberations. The courtroom falls silent as the judge calls the court to order. He asks, “Mr. Foreman, do you have a verdict?” Your heart is pounding and your mouth is dry as you watch him rise. The rest of your life depends upon his words. “Your honor, the jury finds the defendant not guilty.” Not guilty! A flood of relief sweeps over you and tears of joy well up in your eyes. Not guilty! It’s as if a heavy weight has dropped from your shoulders! The bailiff unlocks your handcuffs and you hear the judge declare, “You are free to go.” Freedom from condemnation! Life suddenly takes on new meaning. You are free from confinement, free from the constant pressure of the charges against you, free to begin a new life, because you have been released from those charges. Can you imagine how that would feel?" Nobody knows for certain what was on David's mind when he wrote the words contained in Psalm 32. Obviously, he was confronted with the sins he had committed, but also with the forgiveness and faithfulness of God. What were some of the sins and troubles David faced in his life? King Saul became jealous of David's success and David was forced to flee and live life on the run until Saul's death ( 1 Sam 19:11; 21:11/19-25:1 ). David committed adultery with Bathsheba who became pregnant ( 2 Sam 11:4-11:5 ). David arranged the death of Bathsheba's husband Uriah ( 2 Sam 11:17 ). David confessed and repented of his sin and God forgave him, but Bathsheba's child died ( 2 Sam 12:10, 13, 19 ). David failed to discipline his sons. His son Amnon committed the sin of rape and incest; he was murdered by David's son Absalom ( 2 Sam 13:14-29 ). David's son Absalom led a rebellion in an attempt to take over David's throne ( 2 Sam 16-17 ). David's "beloved son" Absalom was murdered and David's throne was restored. It was a bitter victory for a heart-broken father ( 2 Sam 18:14, 15 ). David ignored Joab's advice and took a national census
( 2 Sam 24:2-15; 1 Chr 21:1-4 ). David's unauthorized census resulted in a deadly plague which infected the people ( 2 Sam 24:1-9; 15; 1 Chr 21:7-17 ). David wanted to build God a "house" in Jerusalem. God told David that he could not build the Temple because he was a "man of blood"
( 2 Sam 7:1-2; 1 Kgs 5:16 ). In the courtroom example given earlier, it is not stated if we are guilty of the crimes with which we have been acquitted of. However, it is clear David is guilty of sin and paid a heavy price.
In our own lives, we are guilty of sin. However, our relief should not be found in the blessing that comes with a "not guilty" verdict. Our blessing comes in the fact that we have been found guilty, but someone else, who is innocent of any charge, has paid the price for us. Of course, that "someone else" is Jesus Christ; God in the flesh. He not only died for my sins or your sins. He died for the sins of the entire world. Yet, there is something even more incredible that has resulted from God's death on our behalf. David wrote that God is a "hiding place" for him. What is a hiding place? It is a place where we can go to be safe from our enemies, a shelter in the midst of a storm, a secluded spot that is fortified and well defended. It could be someplace as prominent as a castle with a moat and a well-armed army surrounding it. Or, it could be as simple as a shelter in the forest where you can build a fire and stay out of the elements. Either way, it is safe. Because God forgave him, David was able to go to God in His time of need to seek rest and refuge from the troubles of his life. When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, they are able to seek refuge from life in Him. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." We can draw near to God with confidence because He is not holding our sins against us. This is how He becomes our hiding place. While most of us may not have to endure the types of struggles that David faced, both of his own doing and from those attempting to do him harm, we face trials of all kinds, none the less. Knowing that, in Christ, we can go to God without fear of punishment or being abandoned by Him, results in Him becoming our hiding place. We are safe, secure and loved by Him. He can comfort us, restore us, instruct us, preserve us from trouble, and defend us from that which seeks to do us harm. When it comes to salvation in Christ, one of the ways the Bible describes it is as a deliverance. Colossians 1:13 puts it like this, "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son ..." I imagine David, with all the troubles he was facing, felt like he was trapped in the darkness. It is at those times when we feel the most vulnerable, the most anxious, the most alone and the most afraid. All we want is a safe place to be. David wrote many of his psalms while holding up inside a cave. Jesus tells us to find a "quiet, secluded place (Matthew 6:6 MSG)" to pray. These are examples of a hiding place where we feel comfortable enough to rest, recuperate, open up about our troubles and seek God's guidance. And all of this is possible because God has made Himself available to be our cave, our quiet, secluded place; our hiding place. He took away our sins so we could approach Him with confidence in our time of need. There is truly no other place to go then into the presence of our living and loving God, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Battling with our Giants
"Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" 1 Samuel 17:46
The Bible is an excellent tool to apply to our life circumstances. All throughout scripture, especially in the Old Testament, we see story after story of God's faithfulness to His people. However, sometimes, in the midst of trying to find stories to use as metaphors for life, we can lose what the original intent was of the story or give a wrong impression about our God. For example, say your pastor begins their message with this: "I suppose I could begin my message today by asking, 'How many of you have giants in your life? How many of you are facing problems of such a magnitude that they seem gigantic as you see them loom before you out on the horizon? I need to remind you that the God who helped David defeat the giant of his day is the same God that lives today and whom we serve. And the principles of victory that are found in this chapter for David are transferable concepts to your life and to mine." The pastor is referring to David versus Goliath. What are the "giants" in your life? Honestly, there is no definition. These "giants," as the pastor refers to them, aren't 9 foot, 6 inch tall, champions of the Philistine army, who are standing against Israel and God. No, in this example the "giants" are whatever you want them to be and, of course, you are David. The "giants" could be a health crisis like a diagnosis of cancer. They could be financial problems like bankruptcy. Relationship problems like divorce could be a "giant." It is the same philosophy behind the "faith enough to move mountains" teaching, where the "giants" in our lives become "mountains." The problem with all of this is that the "giants" in our lives, unlike Goliath against David, sometimes win! Christians all over the world, each and every day, succumb to the "giants" in their lives. This doesn't mean that God doesn't see them through these troubles, but when we don't teach the truth, not only do we struggle in our relationship with the Lord, but God looks bad as well. Just think about it. Let's say that David ran out onto the battlefield to face Goliath and was slaughtered. God would not have been glorified, Israel may have been destroyed and God's plan of salvation would have taken a major hit because Jesus Christ was in the line of David. So, what does it say about God when the "giants" in our lives win? Not only is He not glorified, our faith can be destroyed and those that need Jesus Christ the most, unbelievers, see no need to believe in a God who let's His people down when they are battling their "giants."
But, when David ran out to face the giant, what was his stated purpose in fighting Goliath? It was that, "the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" Therefore, if he had lost the battle, it was God who looks bad. Now, I believe that even if David had lost to Goliath, God would have found some way to make it work to His benefit as well as to Israel's. But, this historical event was not put in the Bible so we can use it as a metaphor for our life. It was put in the Bible to show, primarily, that God is faithful to His people. What did the Apostle Paul say about his "giant"? "But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)." The Apostle Paul's "giant" was a "thorn in the flesh." We don't know what it was, exactly, but that's beside the point. The point is we know he begged God to remove it and God said, "no." In other words, you could say that Paul lost the battle to his "giant." In fact, he goes on to say that he delights in his weaknesses; he delights in losing to his "giants." Whether it be his "thorn," insults, hardships, persecutions or difficulties, he delights in them. Why? He delights in them because through his suffering and weakness the strength of God is revealed. His God, my God, our God, is glorified because the power of Christ is His strength. When nothing else remains, all that is left is Jesus Christ, our God. And that is enough. Is it not those times when you are going through the fire, through the valley of the shadow of death and sinking below the waves that you realize that God is revealing Himself to you and those around you? Is not that what most of our testimonies of our God are about; His faithfulness to us when our world's fell apart? There have been plenty of times in the lives of Christians that we have picked up our rocks and slingshot and ran out to slay the "giants" in our lives. But, there are plenty more times when that "giant" has defeated us, even to the point of death. Yet, through it all, there was never a moment He wasn't with us or wasn't glorified in some way. And, yes, even in the worst moments in life, the world will know there is a God, not only in Israel, but inside those of us who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Amen!
The Bible is an excellent tool to apply to our life circumstances. All throughout scripture, especially in the Old Testament, we see story after story of God's faithfulness to His people. However, sometimes, in the midst of trying to find stories to use as metaphors for life, we can lose what the original intent was of the story or give a wrong impression about our God. For example, say your pastor begins their message with this: "I suppose I could begin my message today by asking, 'How many of you have giants in your life? How many of you are facing problems of such a magnitude that they seem gigantic as you see them loom before you out on the horizon? I need to remind you that the God who helped David defeat the giant of his day is the same God that lives today and whom we serve. And the principles of victory that are found in this chapter for David are transferable concepts to your life and to mine." The pastor is referring to David versus Goliath. What are the "giants" in your life? Honestly, there is no definition. These "giants," as the pastor refers to them, aren't 9 foot, 6 inch tall, champions of the Philistine army, who are standing against Israel and God. No, in this example the "giants" are whatever you want them to be and, of course, you are David. The "giants" could be a health crisis like a diagnosis of cancer. They could be financial problems like bankruptcy. Relationship problems like divorce could be a "giant." It is the same philosophy behind the "faith enough to move mountains" teaching, where the "giants" in our lives become "mountains." The problem with all of this is that the "giants" in our lives, unlike Goliath against David, sometimes win! Christians all over the world, each and every day, succumb to the "giants" in their lives. This doesn't mean that God doesn't see them through these troubles, but when we don't teach the truth, not only do we struggle in our relationship with the Lord, but God looks bad as well. Just think about it. Let's say that David ran out onto the battlefield to face Goliath and was slaughtered. God would not have been glorified, Israel may have been destroyed and God's plan of salvation would have taken a major hit because Jesus Christ was in the line of David. So, what does it say about God when the "giants" in our lives win? Not only is He not glorified, our faith can be destroyed and those that need Jesus Christ the most, unbelievers, see no need to believe in a God who let's His people down when they are battling their "giants."
But, when David ran out to face the giant, what was his stated purpose in fighting Goliath? It was that, "the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" Therefore, if he had lost the battle, it was God who looks bad. Now, I believe that even if David had lost to Goliath, God would have found some way to make it work to His benefit as well as to Israel's. But, this historical event was not put in the Bible so we can use it as a metaphor for our life. It was put in the Bible to show, primarily, that God is faithful to His people. What did the Apostle Paul say about his "giant"? "But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)." The Apostle Paul's "giant" was a "thorn in the flesh." We don't know what it was, exactly, but that's beside the point. The point is we know he begged God to remove it and God said, "no." In other words, you could say that Paul lost the battle to his "giant." In fact, he goes on to say that he delights in his weaknesses; he delights in losing to his "giants." Whether it be his "thorn," insults, hardships, persecutions or difficulties, he delights in them. Why? He delights in them because through his suffering and weakness the strength of God is revealed. His God, my God, our God, is glorified because the power of Christ is His strength. When nothing else remains, all that is left is Jesus Christ, our God. And that is enough. Is it not those times when you are going through the fire, through the valley of the shadow of death and sinking below the waves that you realize that God is revealing Himself to you and those around you? Is not that what most of our testimonies of our God are about; His faithfulness to us when our world's fell apart? There have been plenty of times in the lives of Christians that we have picked up our rocks and slingshot and ran out to slay the "giants" in our lives. But, there are plenty more times when that "giant" has defeated us, even to the point of death. Yet, through it all, there was never a moment He wasn't with us or wasn't glorified in some way. And, yes, even in the worst moments in life, the world will know there is a God, not only in Israel, but inside those of us who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Amen!
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