Christian encouragement

Psalm 27:4

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“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: 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 seek Him in His temple.” -Psalm 27:4

If there were ever such a beautiful and honorable prayer breathed before the Lord’s presence, it is this Christian ambition. What else does a believer long for than to be totally satisfied in the loving protection of God in His Home, enjoying Him forever? Endless worship and beauty. Repeat again. It will never get old, or boring, or monotonous. This is what every child of God is made for.

Just as the natural world takes our breath away with oceans, canyons, spider webs, redwood oak trees, ladybugs and billowy clouds- these beauties are but a scratch of God’s cosmic display. The Christian’s eternity starts here and ends over there, in Heaven. This verse encompasses the Westminster Shorter Catechism question, What is the chief end of man? -To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. It begs another question to consider as well. When you have this prayer verse answered as much as possible on this side of Heaven, when God is all satisfying, filling every void and longing, what else do you need?

The Lord Jesus has given Himself to you, forever, therefore you have everything. If all belongs to God, and Christ is yours and you are His, then there is nothing He will not withhold from His child which is needful. Our misunderstanding is in assuming we know what is best for us, others, and the world. But God does not think or operate the way we do, because His wisdom is infinite. He sees the whole picture, from before Time began, throughout every slice of history, and beyond the consummation of Christ and His Church when He reigns in eternity.

Since God has placed this beautiful desire of verse 4 in every Christian pilgrim, He will honor it. The Lord has prepared a place for us in His kingdom, and will take care to see us all the way Home. Every child of God will see His face and live with the Lover of their soul for all eternity. The Christian is firmly in His grasp, and nothing can pry God Almighty’s Hand away. Oh the hope and expectation believers have is enough to make us burst with excitement like a child on Christmas Day! If only we lived with this mindset each day.

This prayer verse will come to pass in full one day. For now, we wait with courage and hope. We practice entering His courts with praise. Practice pursuing this beautiful King. Practice seeing His work in creation all around which leads your heart to nothing less than full-throated worship! Eyes to see and a heart that responds- this is what Yahweh is training us for. This is the believer’s blessing which never ends.

Grace upon grace,

April

Safely His

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“I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 121

I taught my son the first two verses of this psalm over the summer for Bible memorization. It came to mind this morning, refreshing my burdened spirit. This psalm also reminds me that although at some point my physical body will perish my salvation is eternally secure in the hands of our Lord. The Christian life isn’t an escape from hardship and the sorrows this world brings but gives us an eternal perspective so we need not fear them.

I’m reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, an excellent example of how Christians respond in the face of evil. As the war begins to invade their Holland village, Corrie and her sister Betsie stay up one night as British and German airplanes dogfight overhead. Explosions make their dishes rattle as the night sky lights up a fiery orange. After the noises die down, Corrie makes her way back to bed in the dark. She is almost met with harm as a piece of shrapnel lay on her pillow. Racing back downstairs she exclaims to her sister Betsie of the ‘what if’ scenario that could have happened just then if Corrie had not felt the blade first before laying down. Betsie responds:

“Don’t say it Corrie! There are no ‘if’s’ in God’s world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety- O Corrie, let us pray that we may always know it!”

This is my prayer- to know I can trust my Father even when wickedness seems victorious. The center of His will is the safest place to be. I may not understand it but can rest assured He has not forsaken His children. It’s easy to get caught up in our current events and despair as Christians. But God is our strength and will carry you through each day in His mercy and grace. We are hidden in His Son, the One who died for believers so that we do not ever face eternal separation from God. He is our Help- the Maker of Heaven and earth. We are merely passing through this world as pilgrims. Our forever home will one day be a reality for all those who trust in Christ. Run the race today. The finish line is not that far ahead.

Grace upon grace,

April