“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your Word.” -Psalm 119:114

God not only directs our steps, but He becomes our rest, security and protector. His Name, Jehovah Sabaoth, means Lord of Hosts. He is the Commander of a multitude of angels, a vast army who does His bidding. God fights for His people, protecting our very souls. With God we can never lose our salvation if we truly belong to Him. He is faithful to keep His elect to the very end. This is why the psalmist can hope in God’s Word to sustain him through the valleys, the mountaintops, and everything in between. It is confidence in what God has done for him, is presently doing in his life, and what the Almighty will do. His promises are certain.

When Corrie ten Boom, her sister and father began hiding Jews during the Nazi occupation in WWII, their faith in God’s promises held them fast. He was their Refuge, a Hiding Place, so it seemed they too should provide a hiding place for others in their home, literally and spiritually. The ten Boom’s put their hope in God’s Word. This is what gave them courage to take such risks. The prophecy and promises in Isaiah 32 inspired the name for their home, The Hiding Place.

“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.” (vv. 1-2)

One day King Jesus will reign and there will be no corrupt leaders among His service. Jesus will reign in righteousness and His people will respond in perfect righteousness. God’s promises and immutable character should comfort every Christian pilgrim. We can say with surety along with Corrie, her family, and the psalmist, “I have put my hope in Your Word.”

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Isaiah 32

You Are My Hiding Place- Selah

“I hate double-minded men, but I love Your law. You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your Word. Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! Sustain me according to Your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for Your decrees. You reject all who stray from Your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain. All the wicked of the earth You discard like dross; therefore I love Your statutes. My flesh trembles in fear of You; I stand in awe of Your laws.” 

Psalm 119:113-120 Samekh

Who is God in this passage? What does this reveal about His nature? One of the most merciful things the Lord does for His children is refine them. The tension is clear for the psalmist as it is for every Christian pilgrim. We are constantly being pulled toward our flesh and enemies, the lovers of this world, or running toward our Refuge, who is God Himself. There is no such thing as a stagnant believer. Complacency or perseverance actively sweeps the soul into the ocean tide. God must allow our spiritual muscles to be tried if we are to ever grow in His grace. God is the Refiner of souls. He sees to it that all impurities in the Christian are burned away like dross, leaving only a pure crown of His glory. God loves His children deeply. It would be unloving if we didn’t go through flames of refinement. As our Shield and Protector, God is faithful to sustain us so we are not consumed by the heat of trials, our enemies, or the weariness of life. It may be painful and require discipline, but the school of sanctification will produce in us a holy quality. His saints will one day be given a crown of gold. This honor I will in turn lay before my King’s Throne. I am unworthy yet He has been so good and faithful to me. This is the God I know. 

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Isaiah 43:1-7; Hebrews 12:3-13; Revelation 4:9-11

“My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end.” -Psalm 119:112

As the psalmist looks ahead to the end of his earthly days, his desire to finish well is of most importance to him. This should be the cry of every child of God who longs to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” when we meet our Master face to face (Matthew 25:14-30). Only spiritual maturity cultivates this desire in a Christian. Perseverance is not easy, especially with the slings and arrows of this life. Yet God has graciously given us His Word and the Holy Spirit, as well as other means of grace, to faithfully guide us to the end, fighting the good fight.  Like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress we shall have our faith become sight if we keep on the narrow path. We submit our will under the Lordship of God’s will, trusting His wisdom and care for us.

Jesus perfectly obeyed His Father by submitting to His will to suffer on the sinner’s behalf. Was it easy for our Lord? Of course not. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane three times for God to take away the bitter cup of wrath He was about to drink. Yet Jesus says, “not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).  He is our example to follow. He set His face toward Jerusalem to endure the wrath of God so every believer does not have to. In prophesying what the Messiah would encounter Isaiah writes “I offered my back to those who beat Me, My cheeks to those who pulled out My beard; I did not hide My face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame” (Isaiah 50:6-7). We know that Jesus’ sacrifice resulted in God’s Glory and the eternal good for His elect. Praise God for Christ’s obedience. Praise God for the psalmist’s determination to live a life of holiness. May this be our desire too. Because of what Jesus has done for sinful, damned humanity, what other response is there? The outcome of setting our hearts to obedience will culminate in the joy of living in God’s presence forever and ever (Psalm 16:11).

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Isaiah 53:10-12; Luke 9:51; John 13:1; 14:15-26

‘Trust and Obey’ hymn

“Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget Your law. The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:109-110

The psalmist faced flesh and blood enemies who hunted him. He was a wanted man. If penned by David, then we know how Saul kept him on the run for years, seeking to kill him. Yet evil will not prevail, not ultimately, such as in David’s circumstances or ones which you might be facing. As believers, we get to know how the Story ends. Sometimes when I’m reading a particularly interesting book and not quite sure how it will end I flip to the last pages to find out. But in this case, we have the great privilege of knowing the cosmic drama ends with victory for King Jesus.

This is why the psalmist clings to God’s law and precepts. Hope is his companion. Faith his anchor. God keeps the souls of His children safe for eternity. Our enemies may plant traps to sabotage our reputation, take all our earthly blessings or even cause us physical harm. Even so, the haters of God who seek to wipe us out and shut us up cannot take away our unseen riches. Salvation, peace, joy and love for God are untouchable by human hands. Nothing can separate us from God. In Christ we are eternally His (Romans 8:31-39). Therefore, the psalmist chooses to persevere in the Lord, digging in deeper than before. Affliction has a way of drawing out honey from the sourwood tree, a tree known for its bitter tasting leaves. Sometimes the enemy’s intentions have the opposite effect as history has shown us. When God’s people are massively persecuted, the holy fires are stoked, spreading like wildfire in spiritual revival.

Christians will not be overcome by their enemies. The Bible says so. For the believer, adversity will tighten our grip onto truth as we go deeper in worshipping the Great and Good Shepherd.

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Psalm 23; Matthew 10:24-28; Romans 12:17-21; 1 John 4:4

“Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me Your laws.” -Psalm 119:108

Our acts of worship in our own strength are feeble attempts before a Holy God. We are easily distracted, becoming spiritually lethargic, sometimes simply going through the motions. Our praises can become watered down. The Lord has to move mightily in our hearts before we can have a posture of praise before Him. How does He do this? First God extends mercy to the sin-sick soul by showing him his need for a Savior and then God acts by delivering the one who cries out for salvation. Our Father receives the lost sheep and gives each one His Holy Spirit as a Guide, Comforter, Counselor and Friend. Through the Spirit’s power, He enables His children to shower Him with acceptable worship. Even then, we are tied to the flesh, dying to our old nature each day. As the psalmist asked for help in proper praise, so should we. It is part of learning what the heavenly creatures already do day and night (Revelation 4:6-11). The believer is then justified, gaining access into the Throne room of God. We are being sanctified here on earth, learning how to properly come before the King with offerings of worship (Romans 12:1-2). Our Helper the Holy Spirit will guide us into sincere praise as God grows us in His grace.

Along with presenting a sacrifice of praise into the House of the Lord, the psalmist asks for more instruction. The earnest student never tires of probing a subject he loves. Likewise, the psalmist longs for God to teach him more, since the wisdom of God is boundless (Romans 11:33-36). The link between how we worship God with our lips and possessing a teachable heart is humility. Pride has no place among God’s people who seek Only His way. The soul which receives holy instruction will have no other response than to burst into songs of praise to our Great God! May God’s grace overwhelm us to recite this prayer-verse back to Him like the psalmist. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts honor Him today.

Grace upon grace,

April 

‘Praise Him! Praise Him!’ by Fanny Crosby

“I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to Your Word.” -Psalm 119:107

This verse seems out of place after declaring praise and allegiance to God’s Word in the previous two verses. But the psalmist is recalling his bittersweet past, perhaps not so distant past, and God’s faithfulness to him. He still prays for the Lord’s continued deliverance as he well knows afflictions and spiritual warfare roll in and out like the ocean tide. He is banking his trust on God’s promises, according to His Word. Although this verse is a plea for continued help, the psalmist is assured God will not fail him. We can also rest in this truth. God never breaks His promises, He is completely faithful, full of grace and mercy toward redeemed sinners. Each breath we take is under His loving care. The Christian’s soul is forever preserved because Jesus willingly and obediently suffered in our place. We will suffer in our various trials for a little while on earth. The Bible says we are to expect hardship. If we are to share in Jesus’ glory we will also share in His suffering, whether it comes through forms of persecution or the everyday irritants meant for our sanctification. But it is nothing compared to the eternal weight of glory we will enjoy one day at Home. Praise God!

Grace upon grace,

April

‘If thou but suffer God to guide thee’ hymn by Georg Neumark

Growing deeper: 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10; Isaiah 43:1-7; 1 Peter 4:12-19

“I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow Your righteous laws.” -Psalm 119:106

An oath is binding. This kind of promise carries serious weight. The psalmist is not carelessly boasting with a half hearted attempt to please God. His desire is sincere, with a whole hearted devotion by God’s grace, to live out a life of holiness as commanded in Scripture. The aim of every believer is to please God. Here the psalmist is commenting on the direction of his heart as God is changing him. His desires are conforming to God’s will. What peace and happiness for the child of God who turns over his own plans and accepts God’s ways instead.

Every Christian can declare an oath like this before the Throne of God from the moment He calls you to be eternally His. We lose our lives to find a better one in Christ. All in Christ have been anointed and therefore possess the power to follow the Lord, to obey His commands. We are sinful creatures tied to the flesh, but only for a short while. There are spiritual victories over sin when we trust in the Spirit’s power, Jesus’ prayers on our behalf and the Father’s promises to help us to the end (1 Corinthians 1:8-9). I don’t believe the Lord gives us commands He doesn’t expect us to live out. Human strength is futile, but God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses. His Holy Spirit will enable us to obey, binding our hearts to His with the everlasting covenant He made to all who love and know Him. Praise God!

Grace upon grace,

April

‘Before the Throne of God Above’ by Kristyn Getty

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” -Psalm 119:105

God’s Word helps us see. The spiritual realm unseen with human eyes is illuminated to eyes of faith. We become aware of the very real spiritual war happening all around us (Ephesians 6:10-18). God reveals Who He is in this cosmic drama unfolding and that He wins in the End. He is The Great I Am, YHWH, Adonai. There are over 200 Hebrew names alone for God in Scripture, not to mention the names and titles for Jesus which bring the number to approximately 700. God has allowed Himself to be known through the Bible. We can know who Elohim is through His Living Word.

God gives us absolute Truth with the Bible to mercifully show us our sin and need of a Savior. Only Jesus Christ the Messiah can redeem the broken, healing our eternal disease of rebellion. In Jesus you can be forgiven completely and forever if you place your faith in His work on the cross to pay your sin debt. Nothing else will do, only the sufficient blood of Jesus (John 14:6).

The Lord also graciously shines truth in the dark corners of man’s heart which need refining. Like a lighthouse beaming over the stormy night sea, the Bible lights the way to steer our tongue, thoughts and actions. The world does not love Jesus and will attempt to throw Christ followers overboard, lost to the sea forever (John 15:18-21). But God will not allow one hair to be harmed on His beloved children without His consent. Can we trust the Lord who is perfectly good, perfectly wise and perfectly loving even in affliction? 

His Word will be our anchor, security, hope and salvation. The longer we walk with the Lord, the more our eyes adjust to the brightness of Truth (John 3:19-21). We gain discernment by God’s grace. His precious Book is sure to guide us day by day when we completely trust and obey what it says.

Grace upon grace,

April

‘Day by Day’ hymn