As we watch the news we see just how evil our world has become and it is more evident every day. So what do we do? We persevere of course!! But, just persevere? NO!! Believers, this is our wake up call. Will you respond to this wake up call?
King David was being pursued by Saul and had to hide in caves to escape being killed by King Saul. In Psalm 57 David cries out to God and here is what he said. Psalm 57:Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. David knew what to do and he cried out to God! I have cried out to God more and more each day and asked Him to protect me,and yes, keep me under the shadow of His wings. David continues crying out to God and his appeal to God is gaining some new perspective and we see that in verse 3. 3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
So David continues to look at things like God is going to help him and he begins to identify his adversaries in verse 4. I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey— whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords. I believe we have become numb to those things in our world that for years have been so evil but we ignored them like they would go away. But they haven’t. Those things we took as radical years ago have gained much strength and it seems like we are on the run like David was in this great Psalm. Hopefully, we are not too far gone and we can see clearly the evil in our world, and when it is identified we pray for God to move and defeat it.
For those of you whom God has opened your eyes and you are seeing the enemy it is now time to respond as David did in verse 5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth. David praised God when He remembered God was on his side in the midst of being pursued by Saul and many others. The God of his remembrance got a great praise service from David and now David is not so scared, so confused, or so intimidated.
It is time now for David to make his plans to handle the situations he is now dealing with and his attitude is different now. In verse 7 we see a different David. A David who found great strength from God when God showed him the evil and showed him He was with Him. Verse 7 My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! So all is well. Right? Ah c’mon. You know how bad we are in our modern-day faith when it comes to finishing. We are no different than the disciples when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and asked them to stay awake for a while with Him. And of course, they fell asleep.
So what’s next? What Paul said in Romans 12 is what’s next! 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
To me, it is time to separate and motivate!! Look at how David reacts in verses 8 and 9. Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. 9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. David told his heart to wake up!! Maybe you need to tell your heart to wake up and look around at what God wants you to see and do!! The world could use some sold-out believers proclaiming that Jesus is Lord and sharing the Good News we should have been sharing all along with “hearts afire!” But we are going to have to separate from the hold the world has on us and motivate other believers to do the same and wake up and smell the evil and be strong!! Oh, there will be those believers who buck this kind of activity, but it only means they are still asleep at the wheel and need a shot from the Holy Spirit to get going.
In verses 10 and 11 we see the result of waking up and realizing that God is still in control. Here are verses 10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. Satan may be trying to keep you down and giving you every excuse not to stand up but we need to remember, like David did, that God our Father is with us and He is our confidence. The following story speaks to the confidence we should have in Christ and why we should have it.
The American painter, John Sargent, once painted a panel of roses that was highly praised by critics. It was a small picture, but it approached perfection. Although offered a high price for it on many occasions, Sargent refused to sell it. He considered it his best work and was very proud of it. Whenever he was deeply discouraged and doubtful of his abilities as an artist, he would look at it and remind himself, “I painted that.” Then his confidence and ability would come back to him.
I pray our confidence and ability will return to us in the form of proclaiming that Jesus is Lord and that we will “wake up!” Hear what God spoke to Ezekiel in 36:26 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
We all like new things. How about a new, awakened heart? I am all for that. How about you? Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
The Pilgrimage continues….
David Warren