The Prayer of a Hunted Man

Misery discloses who we actually are. It wrings us, bleeds us, drags the soul to the floor to account for itself. I’m the perfect me with a contented spouse, obedient youngsters, loyal mates, appropriate checking account, and (as a pastor) humble sheep. However when the kid screams inconsolably (once more), when the spouse is anxious, when mates and funds blow away, when sheep refuse to be shepherded, then who am I? Isn’t it best to “belief within the Lord with all of your coronary heart” if you don’t actually really feel any have to?

The satan thought so. In response to God’s celebrating Job, Devil sneers,

Does Job concern God for no motive? Have you ever not put a hedge round him and his home and all that he has, on each facet? You might have blessed the work of his arms, and his possessions have elevated within the land. However stretch out your hand and contact all that he has, and he’ll curse you to your face. (Job 1:9–11)

In different phrases, prosperity props up his righteousness. That twisted spirit is all the time incredulous about integrity. What occurs subsequent will reveal the spirit; the squeeze will spill the juice.

Predators and Pray

David was a person squeezed repeatedly all through his life — and aren’t we grateful? His psalms pour forth as sweetest wine pressed in adversity. As we (unwillingly) discover affliction and wander via nights of uncertainty, in every single place we go we appear to seek out the inscription: Right here stood David. Journey into the valley of loss of life, into utter despair, into conflicts of soul and with Devil — there he waits to sing to our griefs, identify our sorrows, and level us to the sunshine of hope in God. His music comforted the tormented Saul and plenty of Sauls since.

Psalm 27 is one other psalm juiced from the winepress. The precise circumstances stay unclear; all we all know is that vultures circle overhead; he’s being hunted.

When evildoers assail me
     to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
     it’s they who stumble and fall.

Although a military encamp in opposition to me,
     my coronary heart shall not concern;
although battle come up in opposition to me,
     but I can be assured. (Psalm 27:2–3)

He is aware of males want to homicide him. If he pens this on the run from King Saul, his adversaries are mighty certainly. If he writes this later as king, he is aware of males would step over his carcass to carry his crown. He imagines his opponents, huge and cannibalistic: “when evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh . . .” These males are beasts, omnivorous, arrayed, enamel bared and lurking.

What emerges from the inside man? A defiant religion in God. “The Lord is my gentle and my salvation; whom shall I concern? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). Right here is the shepherd boy who stared down the predator of Gath and returned with the top of the foe. And with the foul stench of loss of life’s breath upon his neck, he pens subsequent his life verse. Because the black canine chase, what man comes forth from the depths? A worshiper.

One Factor I Ask

Really feel how supernatural that is: as assassins lurk within the hall, David’s distracting need, his consuming ardour, is to be away along with his God. The hounds collect on the base of his tree, but see him gazing up at greater branches, longing to be nearer the heavens.

One factor have I requested of the Lord,
     that can I search after:
that I’ll dwell in the home of the Lord
     all the times of my life,
to gaze upon the fantastic thing about the Lord
     and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

When concern confirmed its crooked smile, he longed to gaze upon the fantastic thing about his God. Right here we discover no atheist within the foxhole, nor even a mere monotheist, however a lover of God whose thoughts, even on this nightmare, daydreamed about seeing the King in his magnificence. As Charles Spurgeon writes, “Beneath David’s painful circumstances we’d have anticipated him to need repose, security, and a thousand different good issues, however no, he has set his coronary heart on the pearl, and leaves the remainder.”

Whereas his personal life teeters within the stability, he teaches us what ours is about. Because the Miner sifts him, the sand falls via; the one jewel stays. He longs “to benefit from the fixed presence of God,” feedback Derek Kidner:

Notice the singleness of objective (one factor) — the perfect reply to distracting fears (1–3) — and the priorities inside that objective: to behold and to inquire; a preoccupation with God’s Individual and his will. It’s the essence of worship; certainly of discipleship. (Psalms 1–72, 138)

To dwell with God all the times of his life, to see one thing — see Somebody — “to gaze upon the fantastic thing about the Lord” and to talk with him in his palace — this was all the pieces to him. Life was to not rule, to slay giants, to marry and have youngsters, to amass wealth, to eat, drink, or be merry — the continuance of those was not his one request. Worship was. As evil males swipe on the silver twine, he, like Mary after him, chooses the nice portion that can’t be taken from him: to take a seat on the ft of his Lord.

Most of us won’t ever have individuals attempt to kill us. However we are able to be taught the precedence of worship from the darkish distresses of David. The item on the finish of his soul’s longing was a glory to be gazed upon. Touring again to David’s sport of thrones — life hanging within the stability, his image on the dartboard — we discover a man not solely after God’s personal coronary heart, however after God himself. On the caption to his personal wished poster, he scrawls, David, a person looking for the face of God, was right here.

Summons Behind Our In search of

I’m convicted by the singularity of David’s request and marvel on the circumstances from which it arose. When provided one factor, Solomon requested for knowledge; David, like Moses, requested to see God’s face. What am I asking for? As I audit my life, what’s the one factor I’m looking for after? Is it to see my God’s majesty all the times of my life? Do my wishes attain almost that top?

My tepid coronary heart warms to find that this seeing that makes eternally comfortable isn’t just the person’s need, however God’s need for the person. David’s obsession to see God was in obedience to his command. David sings the key later within the psalm:

You might have stated, “Search my face.”
My coronary heart says to you,
     “Your face, Lord, do I search.”
Cover not your face from me. (Psalm 27:8–9)

Our highest worship by no means climbs greater than a response. Behind our one request is all the time his command: “Search my face.” Christianity isn’t about us scaling to the gods and invading their heaven, however about God descending to us and giving us his. Which suggests we don’t persuade him to be seen; he persuades us to see. And at what value he makes his argument. When did Jesus intercede most ardently for David’s one request on our behalf? On the eve of his securing it on the cross: “Father, I need that additionally they, whom you will have given me, could also be with me the place I’m, to see my glory that you’ve got given me since you cherished me earlier than the inspiration of the world” (John 17:24).

Jesus Christ, David’s son and David’s need, affords us greater than a psalm or sympathy in our darkest moments. He offers himself. As we fumble in despair, he doesn’t simply level us to God; he tabernacles amongst us as God.

“Christianity isn’t about us scaling to the gods and invading heaven, however about God descending to us and giving us heaven.”

And in some way, he too was hunted. Devil protested of him, “Does he concern God for no motive?” The armies of males arrested him by night time, mocked him, flogged him, and crucified him. They did assail him to eat up his flesh. Sturdy bulls of Jerusalem surrounded him; they opened their mouths large at him like a ravening lion (Psalm 22:12–13). And who was he then, crushed within the winepress of the Father’s wrath? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Beneath the midnight of God’s wrath, within the valley of the second loss of life, see inscribed upon a tree: The Son of God, the son of David, was right here.

And he was there, Christian, so we could possibly be the place he’s to behold his glory without end.

We Shall See Him

O saint, you will note him quickly. How then lets wait? Make David’s prayer your personal in order that if you see him you might have confidence earlier than him and never shrink in disgrace at his coming (1 John 2:28). Think about that coming. The sight of him won’t solely bless however beautify; you shall be like him, for you “shall see him as he’s” (1 John 3:2). And we’ll see him as he’s, now not as he as soon as was in his agony. Let the prince of preachers warmth your coronary heart:

We will see him, not with a reed in his hand, however greedy a golden sceptre. We will see him, not as mocked and spit upon and insulted, not bone of our bone, in all our agonies, afflictions, and distresses; however we will see him exalted; now not Christ the person of sorrows, the acquaintance of grief, however Christ the Man-God, radiant with splendour, effulgent with gentle, clothed with rainbows, girded with clouds, wrapped in lightnings, topped with stars, the solar beneath his ft.

O Lord our God, heaven’s Radiance and our Need, one factor we ask of you and one factor will we search after: to dwell in your kingdom all the times of our lives, to gaze upon your magnificence and to inquire of you in a world remade. When our hearts at the moment are tried and crushed, might what comes out be a music that begs to see extra, that pleads to see, lastly and without end, your face, unveiled however not unrecognized — your face, a heaven of magnificence and the fantastic thing about heaven.