Readings for today: Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52
I am currently overseas visiting mission partners in sensitive areas. They live under the constant threat of persecution, imprisonment, and deportation. They are monitored and tracked by their local governments. They have to be careful how and when they gather and how they communicate. They can’t gather in large groups. Even when they do gather, they make sure to include a meal so if the police invade, they can say they are just spending time with friends. The pressure they are under is significant. They live in major cities where they can get lost in the larger population. Some of them recently relocated due to intense pressure at a previous city where they lived. It’s an eye-opening experience to say the least. At the same time, they laugh easily. They love being together. The joy of the Lord is truly their strength. They are open and vulnerable about their struggles with anxiety and fear. They don’t pretend any of it is easy. But they trust in the Lord to guide them and protect them. In a very real, literal way, He is their stronghold and shield.
Reading these particular Psalms when David was on the run from Saul hits different when spending time with the persecuted church. They know many of the same pressures David was experiencing. They know the same anxieties and fears. They know the same struggles. And yet, like David, they look to the Lord. Last evening we spent some time singing praise songs. As we did, I turned in my Bible to Psalms 31 and let David’s opening words wash over me. “In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter! Never let me be humiliated! Vindicate me by rescuing me! Listen to me! Quickly deliver me! Be my protector and refuge, a stronghold where I can be safe! For you are my high ridge and my stronghold; for the sake of your own reputation you lead me and guide me. You will free me from the net they hid for me, for you are my place of refuge. Into your hand I entrust my life; you will rescue me, O Lord, the faithful God.” (Psalms 31:1-5 NET) Though the words they sang were different, they expressed the same hope and trust in God. I found myself connecting to David’s heart in a new and fresh way.
The great Reformer, Martin Luther, once said that God speaks to us through the “tensions” of life. While we don’t suffer from persecution in the West, we do struggle with many of the same anxieties and fears. We struggle with a lot of pain and suffering. We struggle with a lot of disappointment, grief, and heartbreak. How is God speaking to you today about those things in your life? When you experience the pressure and stress that live inevitably brings your way, how do you respond? Do you turn to God like David? Like the believers I’ve met? Or do you try to manage things in your own strength and wisdom? In what way do you need God to be your shelter today? Your stronghold? Your protector and refuge? Ask God to lead you and guide you. Entrust your life into His hands. He will be faithful and true!
Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 56, 120, 140-142