Waiting

Wednesday, October 18, 2017, 5:11 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Trust Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 27 (Select vv. ESV).

No Fear (vv. 1-3)

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me

    to eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

    it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

    my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

    yet I will be confident.

How is it that we can have enemies fiercely attacking and opposing us, and yet we are not afraid? Is it because we are superhuman, and thus we are incapable of being injured? Or, does this mean that we will never suffer physical harm or that we will not ever be cut to the heart, i.e. that we will not ever be injured emotionally? As well, does this indicate that we should never even feel fear nor have legitimate cause to ever be afraid?

With a careful read of the New Testament, concerning the lives of Jesus Christ and his apostles, I believe we can find the answers to those questions. They certainly faced much opposition to the work of the ministry of Christ, and to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were attacked verbally on a regular basis, accused falsely of things they did not do, and opposed strongly by those of their own nationality, race and religious heritage. As well, many of them were beaten, falsely arrested and/or imprisoned, and many were put to death for their faith and for their testimonies about Jesus Christ and his gospel of salvation.

Jesus Christ, when he knew his time had come, and he was about to be crucified on a cross for the sins of the world, and to become sin for us, cried out to the Father, and asked if it was possible for this cup of suffering to pass from him. Yet, he submitted to the Father’s will. Paul said he came to the Corinthians “in weakness with great fear and trembling” (1 Co. 2:3). Later he mentioned that, when they had come to Macedonia, “We had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.” Thus, they did feel fear and apprehension, as well. So, what made the difference for them? How were they able to overcome their fears and to walk in faith and to do what they knew God had called them to do?

They trusted their lives into God’s capable hands, they rested in him, relied on his wisdom and grace, and knew that what they were suffering or were about to suffer was for the greater good, i.e. for the salvation of human lives. They had faith that God is who he says he is, that he is completely sovereign over all that he has made, and that their suffering did not lack purpose. They also knew that good (righteousness) would ultimately triumph over evil, and that one day all their suffering would be over, and that they would be home with their God, and that their tears would be wiped from their eyes. They also knew that our earthly lives are temporary, that this world is not our home, and that we have a better home awaiting us.

In Troubles (vv. 4-6)

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

    that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter

    in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

    he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up

    above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

    sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

The greatest antidote to fear is faith. It is confidence in what we believe and in what we hope for. It is reliance upon God, our creator, sustainer, Savior, healer and coming King. It is the knowledge that, through continued faith in Jesus Christ, we have salvation from sin, an intimate relationship and fellowship with Almighty God, and the promise of eternal rest. And, it is the assurance of his continued comfort, help, counsel, guidance, encouragement and spiritual protection from the evil one.

It isn’t as though we are protected from harm and that we won’t suffer, though, for we know that Jesus said we would share in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. But, he has provided us spiritual armor to put on with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks and schemes against us. Satan is a defeated foe. We just have to live like we believe that. He and his servants can kill the body, but they can’t kill the soul. From all outward appearances, it may seem as though Satan has the upper hand, at times, when all hell seems to be breaking loose all around us. Yet, when we resist him, flee from sin, stand strong in our faith, and don’t give in to his tricks, we are conquerors over Satan and sin, through Christ who loves us.

Teach Me (vv. 11-14)

Teach me your way, O Lord,

    and lead me on a level path

    because of my enemies.

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;

    for false witnesses have risen against me,

    and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living!

Wait for the Lord;

    be strong, and let your heart take courage;

    wait for the Lord!

But, this means that we must walk in the faith we profess, listen to what our Lord is saying to us, and then follow in his footsteps and in the ways of his righteousness. If we want him to teach us his ways, we must be willing to walk in those ways. We can’t cry “Help! Save me!” and then do what we want, our way, whenever we feel like it. It doesn’t work like that. If we want victory over darkness, and to be rescued in times of trouble and distress, and to know God’s peace and joy, especially in times of trouble, we need to walk the narrow (straight, not crooked) path he has provided for us.

And, when faced with much adversity because we are following the way of righteousness, and we are walking that narrow road, we can be at peace. And, when things in this life and in this world seem to only go from bad to worse, and we wonder when God is going to turn things around, we must learn to wait on him to accomplish his purposes and to fulfill all his promises to us. We must take courage in knowing, again, that all our suffering is not without purpose, and that God will work all things for good, for those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. We just need to be patient, and wait on the Lord.

Trust Him / An Original Work

August 15, 2012 / Based off Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord; be of courage;

Be strong and take heart today.

Do not fear when foes attack you.

Trust in God always.

He will rescue you in times

Of trouble and distress,

He’ll comfort you in all ways

As you trust Him with your life today.

Trust in Him always.

God is with you; He’ll not leave you.

You can always count on Him.

He will fulfill all He promised

Before you began.

His word teaches you

All that you need for this life.

Let Him lead you. Open your heart;

Let his truth envelope you today.

Listen and obey.

Love your Lord God; follow Jesus.

Repent of your sins today.

Make Him your Lord and your master;

Trust Him and obey.

Follow Him where’er He leads you

In His service; be His witness,

Telling others about Jesus’

Price that He did pay

For your sins always.

https://vimeo.com/115369887