Ultimate Security

This post is third in the Psalm 127 series "Live Like a King."

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Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
~ Psalm 127:1 (NKJV)

King Solomon knew peace and security as intimately as his father David knew war and homelessness. David surely wished to assure himself that his son's destiny would be different than his own, and likely took a census near the end of his life in order to assess military strength as the measure of security.

Coming from David, that census must have stung God. More than anyone, David understood that his ultimate security lay not in any might at his disposal, but in the name of YHWH (1 Samuel 17:45; Psalm 20:7).

Throughout Israel's history, this truth played out repeatedly: to turn away from the name of YHWH was to turn away from His protection; to call upon the name of YHWH was to call down His protection in every way. Israel's days of sovereignty opened with dramatic deliverance from Pharaoh at the Red Sea. They drew to a close shortly after King Hezekiah's miraculous deliverance from Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem, when Hezekiah called upon YHWH and 185,000 Assyrian soldiers mysteriously died overnight.

Of everything else the name of YHWH (Jehovah, Yahweh, "LORD") represents, it especially embodies deliverance from our ever present God.

The same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
~ Romans 10:12-13 (NKJV; also see Psalm 91)

In every story, every book, every physical act of the Old Testament lies a spiritual principle taught in the New Testament. The physical protection given to Moses, David and Solomon, Hezekiah, and countless other OT champions came through their willingness to call upon the Lord. As children of the New Covenant, we wage war in spiritual realms. Empowered by the Holy Spirit—God Himself living within us!—we possess spiritual might greater than the whole of America's military strength or any other king's army in history.

We tend to look for physical security first, and may think we have much to fear. Violent crime, economic upheaval, and hostile nations threaten physical security. New diseases and drug-resistant bacteria, environmental deterioration, and sedentary lifestyles menace health. Gross moral decay and spiritual apathy manifest the peril of living in the last days.

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
~ Franklin Roosevelt

If we put spiritual security first, we need not fear the above threats, we need not fear death, and we need not fear even fear itself. In contrast to FDR's words, Jesus says our ultimate security is found in fearing only God:

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
~ Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)

Most High God, Your wings are broad and secure. Please awaken us to Your presence.

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Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Soul Hangover

image source: goingout.urbanbacon.com

Last Thursday's post about "The End" (prognosticated for Saturday) received this comment:

"Everyone wants to know 'when' [Jesus will] come. But I just want to be ready ..."

It's easy for Christians to think that readiness came with a decision to "accept Jesus." But the Bible describes being "in Christ" as an ongoing relationship of abiding in Jesus and His words. Jesus also teaches that if we don't pay attention, our hearts can be loaded down and distracted to the point that we are unprepared for His return.

Here are Jesus' words of Luke 21:34-35, taken from the Literal Translation, with the original Greek amplified:

"But take heed [pay attention; as a nautical term, to hold a ship in a direction, to sail towards] to yourselves that your hearts not be loaded down [heavily burdened, oppressed, dull, stupid] with headaches [see below], and drinking [intoxication], and anxieties [distraction; a mind divided by worry and cares] of life, and that day [Isaiah 24:17] come suddenly upon you as a snare [spring on you like a trap], for it will come in on all those sitting on the face of all the earth."

The Greek word translated here as "headaches" (and in the King James as "surfeiting") is kraipalē. It is a headache, a hangover, a shooting pain or a confusion in the head from an overindulgence in alcohol, as well as in gluttony and carousing. It can be applied to the disgust and loathing experienced after excess in general.

The Christian who has sinned may experience a spiritual hangover in the pain which follows our lack of self-control. While such discomfort is helpful when it breeds disgust and loathing for our sin, Jesus admonishes us to pay attention lest our hearts be loaded down with it after its purpose has been served.

Tomorrow: Soul Intoxication
Wednesday: Soul Cares

Your comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are most appreciated. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Creation's Birth Pains

Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste,
Distorts its surface
And scatters abroad its inhabitants...
The earth is violently broken,
The earth is split open,
The earth is shaken exceedingly.
~ Isaiah 24:1,19 (NKJV)

I read Isaiah. I read the headlines. I see Christians and non-Christians alike experiencing unrivaled hardship.

I emerge from the valley of death's shadow and feel darkness licking at my heels. It still wants me.

Was life always this difficult and I never saw it? Or are we nearing the end?

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars ...
There will be famines and earthquakes ...
All these are the beginning of birth pains...
At that time many will turn away from the faith ...
many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."
~ Jesus describing signs of the end (Matthew 24:6-12 NIV)

Is it just me, or do I also observe unrivaled apathy? Have we, as a people, heard about so many disasters and diseases—have our eyes seen too many violent acts and victims—that we have found ways to desensitize ourselves to the pain and thereby also desensitized our love?

Must the Lord then allow the pain to become more intense, lest we either accept the brokenness of our world or believe that we are capable to fix it ourselves?

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
~ Romans 8:22-23 (NKJV)

I've birthed five children. I tried an epidural for the first one, but it didn't work correctly and caused far more pain than it relieved, so I didn't try to numb the pain again. I learned to pray through it, taking hold of necessary strength from God.

These are characteristics of birth pains: they get horrifically worse, you don't get out of them except by going through them, and they do end—with the most intense exhilaration life offers.

God's Word says the same of the birth pangs we share with creation. Efforts to mitigate suffering ultimately prove futile. We emerge not by running away, but by pushing through to promised joy and peace.

You will keep in perfect peace, The one fixed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength
[Rock of Ages].
~ Isaiah 26:3-4

Lord, whatever lies ahead, in our world or in our lives, we know we can persevere with the strength You supply. We trust You not to leave us. We look to You to preserve us in peace.

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This is the "rest of the story" connected to my testimony of gratitude posted at Everyday Testimonies.

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
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