and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Ps. 34:4-7)
The second section of Psalm 34, is a
Confession of the soul seeking God. Remember David is on the run, an outlaw
from the court of Saul of Israel and also from Achish of Canaan. In the midst
of his troubles, he realizes that the Lord is present. Despite the fact that he is roaming the wilderness of Judah, he knows he is not alone, for the "angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers him."
Recently I heard a couple of sermons
about Jesus in the wilderness. It was noted that we need the wilderness times
in our lives to refocus ourselves. When everything is going well, we can forget
that we are not in control. Then we are sent into the wilderness of some
difficulty (illness, loss, etc.) We find ourselves at a loss and turn to God.
We can also choose to take a ‘wilderness time’ and step away from the busy-ness
of the world to attend a retreat or quiet day. Either way, we are taking time to confess that we need God, that we are not as self-sufficient as we would like to pretend, and that only God can help us. We turn away from trying to do it 'our way' and confess that we are helpless and needy, that we have 'sinned and fallen short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23)
Wilderness can be of our
own making. It can be formed of our doubts and fears, our desires and
bitterness. For David the wilderness was both literal and formed of his
(legitimate) fear of King Saul and King Achish. Yet David
says, “I
sought the Lord, and he answered
me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (verse
4).
Jesus was tempted by
Satan in the wilderness after his baptism. He was offered the power to make
bread from stones, to have authority over all the world, and to demonstrate his
power by jumping from the top of the Temple. Yet Jesus answered, “You shall
worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.” (Luke 4:8)
How do you and I answer the temptations and fears in our lives?
Are there fears in your life today that are forming a wilderness? Recently I read Psalm 125. Verse 2 jumped out at me. “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from this time forth and evermore.” I had never really thought about Jerusalem being in the midst of mountains, but if you look at pictures and maps of the Holy Land, it is true. If our God is around us like the mountains around Jerusalem, then we are pretty secure. We can say with David, “I sought the Lord [and he] delivered me from all my fears”. We can echo our Lord, “I will worship and serve only God.”
Next time we'll look at the joy that comes when we turn to our Lord with Thanksgiving.
And because there are no coincidences with God, I have to add this meditation for d365 for Friday.
God’s grace is about reeling us back in and drawing us into the very heart of the One who created and formed us and knows every hair on our heads. Grace is about reclaiming for us a new life marked by love, generosity, faithfulness, and peace.
So whatever you find yourself wrestling in the wilderness, remember that grace abounds. Grace will meet you where you are and return you to where you ought to be.
Grier Booker Richards
