We Know God!

 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. 

Psalm 18:27
 
God rescues the humble. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word humble here means depressed, in mind or circumstances, afflicted, humble, lowly, needy, poor. Perhaps, when we look at a Godless world, we should feel depressed, afflicted, humbled, lowly, needy, and poor. However, we do not live according to how we feel; instead, we live according to what we know. 
 
We know God and His plan, and we can choose to be in the middle of His plan. We can choose to be at peace in the middle of the pain. We can prosper when we are poor, be thankful when we are needy, and enjoy our unique position as children of the King when we are humbled.  God rescues the humble, making that a unique position of honor. 

Those who know God, walk with God.

 The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. 

Psalm 18:4-7
 
But in my distress, I cried out. When there is nowhere to turn, there is somewhere to turn. When all hope is lost, there is hope. When we hit rock bottom, we can look up and see God ready to respond to our needs.
 
We are part of a broken world and live with its consequences every day. Yet, regardless of the consequences, we can turn to the one who is beyond our ordinary ,and know that our case has been heard and will be acted upon in due time.
 
Those who know God, walk with God, and talk with Him are never alone. 

Refuge

 

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3 (ESV)   In token of his gratitude to Jehovah for deliverance from Saul's malevolence, David wrote this Psalm, a glowing composition, in which martial similes abound. Thanksgiving is not only a national, but an individual duty. There are few today who seem to apprehend this obligation. With simple truthfulness it might be affirmed of most of us—"Prayers are many, thanks are rare. How many of us who, in critical moments and in sad emergencies, resorted to our God for deliverance and protection, sought His presence again when He heard our prayer and saw our tears?" Not without deep meaning and subtle experience of human perversity did David write, "I will pay Thee my vows which I spake with my mouth when I was in trouble." (Biblical Illustrator)

Observations

 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
 
"The ancient Thracians used to keep a box in their houses into which they dropped a white stone to mark the day when they were happy, as it was an event which so seldom occurred. Lord Nelson wrote to a friend, "I am persuaded there is no true happiness in this present state." Such was the mournful experience of one of the world's heroes, on whom plenty, pleasures and glory combined to wait and minister. Lord Byron writes to the poet Moore, "I have been counting over the days when I was happy since I was a boy, and cannot make them more than eleven, I wonder if I shall be able to make them a dozen before I die." (Biblical Illustrator)
 
Outside of the presence of God, there is no fullness, joy, or lasting pleasure in life. We can find that out by living life, or we can find that out by observing those who have lived and their conclusions about the life they lived.
 

Security

 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

Psalm 16:1-2 (ESV)
 
I have no good apart from God? Is this correct? Yes. David continues.
 
"I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure."
Psalm 16:7-9 (ESV)
 
I do not think you can ever get to the point where you always set the Lord before you until you realize that you have no good in yourself apart from God. To put any confidence in this flesh is a waste of time and will prove futile.
 
It is not our flesh that we need to make glad; it is our heart, and our heart can only be glad when it is right with God. When our heart is glad, our flesh "feels" secure. Our only security comes from God.
 

Who Can Fix This?

 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 15 (ESV)
 
Those who trust in God act like they trust in God. Those who do not trust in God find excuses as to why they must suffer such incurable mental anguish. Those who trust in God do not concern themselves with themselves, but are driven by opportunities to show others who God is.
Circumstances are good for showing who God is.
 
I cannot, and therefore, should not, spend my efforts trying to fix a broken world. I can show a broken world to my Father, who can fix it.
 

The First Step

 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Psalm 14:1-3 (ESV )
 
A fool is defined as someone who claims there is no God. That seems simple enough.
 
We seem to prefer a society and culture where definitions are not given so that we can believe what we wish. God's Word often defines its terms so we can know what He says.
 
Here, it is simple. Those who overtly claim there is no God, or live as if there is no God, are fools. This definition is simple, complete, and applicable to all.
 
Acknowledging God is the first step in moving away from foolishness. Anyone can begin the process.

God sometimes goes silent.

 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13 (ESV)
 
There are times when, for some reason, we do not hear God's voice. There are silent periods in life. This does not mean that God is not present, that He has no voice, or that He is not active, but that we do not hear Him.
 
God sometimes goes silent for whatever reason He chooses. During those moments, we need to trust what we know, instead of being destroyed by what we feel.

We need a refuge.

 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

Psalm 11:1-3 (ESV)
 
If the foundations of truth are eroded, the ethical structure will collapse. If we as a nation want to establish truth rather than discover it, we will end up being victims of our own ignorance and easy prey for the Godless.
 
We have attempted to legislate righteousness by establishing rules and regulations that adjust to and protect our sinful habits, which will eventually be our undoing.
 
Eventually, all will realize that they need a refuge and that the only safe refuge is God. Those who understand this early in life and hold to it are safe in this life and the next. Those who ignore it will never be safe, or even be able to enter the "rest" God offers those who take refuge in Him.
 

Circumstances can be good, bad, or neutral.

 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.

Psalm 10:4-5 (ESV)
 
It seems as if the Godless prosper at times, and the Godly cannot help but wonder why. Perhaps it is because our definition of "prosper" is not what it should be. Those who find comfort today are not necessarily prospering. Those who seek pleasure in the moment may find momentary pleasure, but be at a loss for any long-term hope.
 
Reality is only partially visible, and what we see is easily manipulated. Throughout history man has manipulated his apparent reality to make it look as if he has it all together. What happens behind the scenes is often cloaked in privacy, available to few.
 
However, God sees all. There is no "secret" reality to Him. Although we live through the lens of perspective, God has no perspective. He has assured us that those who listen to Him will enjoy success today, even if we do not see it as success. The key is listening to God, not manipulating the circumstances to make us look or feel successful.
 
Circumstances can be good, bad, or neutral. They can be byproducts of poor decisions or seemingly random. If they are byproducts of poor choices, I need to repent and make better decisions. If they are out of my control, I need to rest in the fact that my Heavenly Father is in control and He has a plan.
 
We should never allow our perspective to distort the truth.
 

God Never Changes

 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:1-10 (ESV)
 
God never changes. He strengthens those who obey Him and look to Him for strength. Those who look for strength in something or someone else will never find it.
 
For now, the choice is ours.

The universe has no will of its own.

 

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:1-4 (ESV)   In context, humans are large in purpose even though we are small in stature. In a massive universe, we are barely noticeable other than to the creator and sustainer of the universe, who seems to have created it for our benefit.   The universe is one way we get to see the glory of God and be trained on how to display the glory of God in our own lives. Night after night the universe speaks of God's creative and sustaining power. Day after day we can see His care, ability,  and love as He provides for us.   The universe has no will of its own, but I do. How do the choices in my life show God's love, faithfulness, and care?

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Vulnerable?

 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

Psalm 7:12-16 (ESV)
 
Bending the bow and having one in the archer's sites means trouble for the one being hunted. God does not miss. The arrow God fires will be on target and will take down the intended target. There is no way to fight Him, no defense, and no possible way to avoid His arrow.
 
To live our lives focused on ourselves makes us vulnerable to Satanic schemes as well as the arrows of the judgment of God.
 
For now, the choice is ours.

There will be an end.

 The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. Psalm 7:8-11 (ESV)

 
God is not tolerant; He is patient. Every day, He puts up with those who are created acting like they did the creating, making it impossible for the created to succeed, and causing God to feel indignation every day.
 
God does not just see our actions; He sees our hearts. We often see the actions and are incapable of judging the reasons, though we often try.
 
There will be an end to things, and the evil and wicked of this world will end. Only what is done, with the right heart, will last for eternity. In simple terms, those who are evil will have a wasted life and death.
 

Things are no different today.

 O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

Psalm 7:1-5 (ESV)
 
David had enemies who wanted to destroy him. He did nothing to deserve their hatred. Just as he did nothing to cause the hatred, he could do nothing to ensure his enemies would not destroy him.
 
He was very aware that he had to trust in God. He was put in a position at a young age to learn this valuable, life-transforming principle, and he learned it well.
 
Things are no different today. We, too, must learn to trust in God or face utter failure and defeat.
 

Out of Sync?

 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long? Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

Psalm 6:1-4 (ESV)
 
Rescue me for your sake, God? Indeed. We were created to glorify God, not ourselves. Whenever we think this life is about making me "great" in some way, shape, or form, we are out of sync with reality. Being out of sync is dangerous and potentially destructive.
 
A car engine needs to be "timed." All the components in the engine need to work together, or they are in danger of sudden and disastrous destruction. Being a little off effects all the moving parts, and can render a valuable vehicle worthless.
 
There are signs that things are out of sync, both in a car and our lives. The most obvious sign in life that things are out of sync is when we make things about us. Correct it, or we face destruction.

Dependence

 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5:11-12 (ESV)
 
What is it in which we take refuge? Is it our position, health, strength, money, power, family, friends, etc.? What is it that will fail and prove that God alone is the one in Whom we can trust to take refuge?
 
History is clear and points to the fact that God alone is worthy of our trust. He alone can defeat the enemies, protect the innocent, guide the sojourner, and provide for the needy. He alone can give purpose to any journey and is always at the end of the journey, waiting to greet those who love Him-which means He alone is one in Whom we can take refuge.
 
Every person alive today started out dependent upon someone else and will continue to be dependent upon someone else. God is the common denominator for a life well-lived and well-ended.

We Need To Pause

 Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Psalm 5:1-7 (ESV)
 
David asks God to consider his groaning or meditation, not just his words. Man should ponder, for there is no other way to grasp reality. Constantly being a "busy mind" leads us to be a "busy body," more interested in what is visible, and less interested in the invisible reality.
 
We need to pause daily in the presence of the Lord if we are to gain the strength of the Lord.

Strategize or Obey?

 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

Psalm 4:4-5 (ESV)
 
"God made him inwardly happy, even in his poverty. He had lost for a time his palace and his kingdom, and was dependent upon the supplies of friends. Yet he was happy, and who made him happy? ". . .Thou hast put gladness in my heart." God alone can make us happy anywhere and anywhen. ". . .Although the fig tree shall not blossom," etc. (Hab. 3:17). What does Paul say? ". . .I glory in tribulation." Martyrs have sung in dungeons, and triumphed in flames." (Biblical Illustrator)
 
Angry people destroy themselves while trying to destroy others. Those who trust the Lord will gain strength, power, and purpose. The strength and endurance will increase as long as the "gaze" stays secure.
 
Circumstances cannot and should not control me, for that is a privilege reserved for God alone. In this fact, there is tremendous rest.
 
God did not make us to strategize; He made us to obey, and as we do so, we will win.
 

God Protects

 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Psalm 3:1-6 (ESV)
 
Those who fight against God will lose; there is no alternative. All fights have a moment when one might wonder what direction things are going to take, yet those who fight against God have a proven track record of disaster.
 
God protects those who come to Him for protection. His protection is beyond anything we could ever imagine. It may not be protection from the earthly dangers we face, but protection from the very Evil One, who would, in a minute, destroy both our life and soul should he have the opportunity.
 

Raging Leaders

 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.”

Psalm 2:1-4 (ESV)
 
The Lord holds those who ignore Him and who make plans to succeed without Him in contemptuous ridicule for their ignorance. Ignoring God is the same as disobeying Him.
 
All nations throughout history have the same struggles. Those who are given authority, if they are Godless, try to make all things about themselves. In the process, they are limited in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
 
The most outstanding leaders in history were the greatest followers of God and His directives.
The Godless create burdens and then try to legislate ways to carry them. The Godly experience burdens and give them to the only one who can carry them.
 
Without God, we are left with raging leaders who plot in vain to fix what they cannot.
 

Hearing God

 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Psalm 1:1-4 (ESV)
 
Sometimes, people focus on what we should be doing and avoid discussing what we should not do. That sounds good, but is not practical. To understand something, one must grasp the positive and the negative. God tells us in this passage that those who do not, which is the negative side, walk in the counsel of the wicked…stand…sit, but do something else (positive side) and who delight in God's Word are those who are blessed.
 
Being consumed by the rhetoric of the Godless diminishes our ability to hear God's voice.