Is your help in the name of the Lord?

Psalm 124:1–8 (ESV):  

1  If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— 

let Israel now say— 

 2  if it had not been the Lord who was on our side 

when people rose up against us, 

 3  then they would have swallowed us up alive, 

when their anger was kindled against us; 

 4  then the flood would have swept us away, 

the torrent would have gone over us; 

 5  then over us would have gone 

the raging waters. 

 6  Blessed be the Lord, 

who has not given us 

as prey to their teeth! 

 7  We have escaped like a bird 

from the snare of the fowlers; 

  the snare is broken, 

and we have escaped! 

 8  Our help is in the name of the Lord, 

who made heaven and earth. 

You wouldn’t be where you are right now if it were not for God’s intervention. You wouldn’t have; survived, been as successful, as peaceful, as whole, or as strong as you are right now, if it were not for God’s hand upon your life. 

You may not feel strong, whole, mighty, free or at peace, but can you imagine what your life would be like if God wasn’t looking after you? Imagine what a mess you’d be in. You could be defeated, destroyed, in greater pain and distress, encompassed by sin, bound and swallowed up by anger. What kind of life would that be? Yet, ‘the snare has been broken’ and you have not been ‘swallowed up alive’! Not because of luck, your own quick thinking or actions, but because The Lord has been on your side. He has saved you from the ‘raging waters’, the full force of people’s anger, and you have escaped being prey ‘like a bird’ because your ‘help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’

Therefore, thank God! Thank Him that He is on your side, and that He helps you, and all of His followers. He has not allowed you to be overcome or defeated, He has facilitated your escape from trouble on this Earth, as well as rescuing you from the wages of sin for eternity - ‘the snare is broken and we have escaped’! What an incredible promise! It is God who has done this, all of it! It is not your own ideas or capability, strength or knowledge that has helped you out of trouble, but God has saved you. God has healed you, protected you, recused you, intervened for you and saved you from the wages of sin! He has helped you in more ways than you can count. 

So, simply and honestly, all you need to do is thank Him. Show your gratitude, sing praise, give to him, tell stories, shout and cry in triumph if you want to! Store up the stories. remember and tell others of the times you have ‘escaped like a bird’.  Acknowledge that God is the greatest help you have. You wouldn’t be the person you are today, having accomplished and survived what you have ‘if it had not been the Lord who was on our side’. Hallelujah!

What do you do when wickedness seems to be winning?

Psalm 94:1–23 (ESV): 

O Lord, God of vengeance, 

O God of vengeance, shine forth! 

 2  Rise up, O judge of the earth; 

repay to the proud what they deserve! 

 3  O Lord, how long shall the wicked, 

how long shall the wicked exult? 

 4  They pour out their arrogant words; 

all the evildoers boast. 

 5  They crush your people, O Lord, 

and afflict your heritage. 

 6  They kill the widow and the sojourner, 

and murder the fatherless; 

 7  and they say, “The Lord does not see; 

the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 

 8  Understand, O dullest of the people! 

Fools, when will you be wise? 

 9  He who planted the ear, does he not hear? 

  He who formed the eye, does he not see? 

 10  He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? 

  He who teaches man knowledge— 

 11  the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, 

that they are but a breath. 

 12  Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, 

and whom you teach out of your law, 

 13  to give him rest from days of trouble, 

until a pit is dug for the wicked. 

 14  For the Lord will not forsake his people; 

he will not abandon his heritage; 

 15  for justice will return to the righteous, 

and all the upright in heart will follow it. 

 16  Who rises up for me against the wicked? 

Who stands up for me against evildoers? 

 17  If the Lord had not been my help, 

my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 

 18  When I thought, “My foot slips,” 

your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 

 19  When the cares of my heart are many, 

your consolations cheer my soul. 

 20  Can wicked rulers be allied with you, 

those who frame injustice by statute? 

 21  They band together against the life of the righteous 

and condemn the innocent to death. 

 22  But the Lord has become my stronghold, 

and my God the rock of my refuge. 

 23  He will bring back on them their iniquity 

and wipe them out for their wickedness; 

the Lord our God will wipe them out. 

Do you ever ask God to destroy the wicked? You can, it is allowed. Many of the psalms ask for God to destroy the proud, the wicked, end evildoers. Not for no reason though, nor just for their own relief, but so that God’s people and His kingdom benefit. The psalmists are concerned not only with their own situation, but also for God’s reputation and the welfare of His people. So when you pray for evil to end - what is your reason? Is it just so that things are better for you? If you pray for evil to end because you wish to stop suffering that is too narrow-minded. God’s vision is beyond your own life and circumstances, His vision is wider and further, and so should yours be.

Instead of just asking God for vengeance or judgement on a person or situation because they bother you, let God hear your concern for the widespread problems of wickedness. The oppression of those God cares about like the widows, strangers, fatherless, His people. Tell God what you see and why it is not ok. Sure, tell Him your experience too and how tough it has been on you, but don’t limit your vision of what God can do. He can work on a much bigger scale than you expect, He has the future of a whole kingdom that He is concerned about.

If you are oppressed by wickedness in the workplace, then consider who else is affected. Petition God for them too, ask Him to see and hear and make Himself known in the whole of the workplace, for His kingdom to come there - imagine how many people would be impacted by the love, mercy and justice of God then! The same is true for any area of life you are seeing evil influence. Whether it be in your family, community, country, friendship group or neighbourhood. Pray and rely on God for the solution. 

In times when wickedness seems to reign there is often little that you can do to change the circumstances. You do not have to fix it. Often you cannot as it is a spiritual battle. So the most powerful weapons are prayer, dependence on God and love. You do not need to be the one that is trying to resolve things in your own strength, plotting and scheming the downfall of the wicked or digging the pit for the evildoers to fall into. Let God lead. ‘For justice will return to the righteous and all the upright in heart will follow it’. God is responsible for justice, you are responsible for remaining 'upright'. So make sure you are doing your part. Pray and pursue righteousness in the way you are living your life, even when you are encountering trouble and wickedness. Otherwise when God comes to judge wickedness, will He need to pour out His judgement on you too? 

When you feel overwhelmed, upset or angry, allow the thoughts of who God is for eternity comfort your soul, ‘When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.’ Consider God when you are afraid, worried, concerned, when you are facing a battle or seeing persecution. Approach God, and allow the truth of who He is and what He is capable of bring you comfort. Remember what God has said, and allow His words cheer you up. For His Word is everlasting and always true. Allow Him to take care of your heart, and trust Him with the hearts of those around you. Difficulties are an opportunity for your faith to be displayed. This involves being less dependent on yourself, less swayed by emotions and more invested in your relationship with God. He can become your stronghold and rock of refuge (v22), whilst also cheering your soul and taking care of your heart (v19). God sees and hears it all and, ‘the Lord will not forsake his people’. Trust Him. Not just for your protection, salvation and comfort, but trust that, ‘the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.’

Keep praying, Keep believing. Keep being upright.

The Lord on high is mighty

 Psalm 93:1–5 (ESV):

93 The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; 

the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. 

  Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 

 2  Your throne is established from of old; 

you are from everlasting. 

 3  The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 

the floods have lifted up their voice; 

the floods lift up their roaring. 

 4  Mightier than the thunders of many waters, 

mightier than the waves of the sea, 

the Lord on high is mighty! 

 5  Your decrees are very trustworthy; 

holiness befits your house, 

O Lord, forevermore. 

The writer of this psalm has had a revelation of the greatness and mightiness of God. They repeat the sense of His greatness as they explore the fresh revelation of the kingship of God. How powerful are the simple, oft repeated truths when they are deeply revealed.

1) The Lord God is King. He is adorned with majesty - no other monarch carries or is cloaked with such beauty, magnificence or authoritative presence. God’s throne, authority and kingdom are everlasting. His leadership will not cease, His power not wane. He reigns, will reign and has reigned from the beginning of time throughout all eternity! God is the true and ‘great King above all gods’.

2) God’s magnificence and might is so great that His strength is merely a belt! When you and i strengthen ourselves it is not a piece of clothing we put on, but it involves our whole body and mind which carries the power, the confidence and stress of displaying that strength. Yet God is so powerful that it does not require His whole being to be strong, it is merely something He demonstrates almost as an accessory! As a result of the truth of God being the universal and eternal great King, He displays strength. Yet this is not His main characteristic. God is magnificent, majestic and strong because He is King. We can admire and be fascinated and enthralled by these aspects of God, but they are not His total being. God is strong, but He is not only supremely strong. 

3) No matter how mighty, powerful and life-changing a flood can be, or a storm with raging waters where the power drowns out all other sound, God is mightier! He can drown out the flood, ‘mightier that the thunders if many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty’! A storm may be powerful and change lives, but the Lord God is mightier! No force of nature or storm of life can outrule, outwit or overpower Our God.

4) Not only is the Lord mighty and strong, but He can also be trusted, ‘your decrees are very trustworthy’. When you think of leaders, other kings or politicians, no matter how good they may seem, are they trustworthy? Are they both powerful and honest? It is important to recognise thst although the leaders on Earth may be weak or untrustworthy, you cannot apply the same expectations to God. He is almighty, powerful, majestic, strong, mighty and trustworthy. God is honest. He will do what He says, always. This is why ‘holiness befits your house’. He is pure and completely holy. There is no fault or impurity in Him. He is totally trustworthy and good. 

When you accept God as King over your life and the universe, you are acknowledging that God is sovereign, He is mighty, majestic, strong and trustworthy. What a privilege to live life knowing that this is the tyoe of King you are living for. You are in His kingdom as one of His citizens. So, whatever you are fearing, worrying about, confused by or in awe of, compare it to this King, The Lord our God is a magnificent, eternal, majestic, honest and powerful monarch unlike any other. How is this truth impacting your life?

The armour of God

Our family has been going through tough times recently and so a fellow believer  challenged me to read about the armour of God everyday for a week. They felt it would be a source of encouragement and of guarding against what the enemy was trying to destroy in my life, and that of our family. So I thought I would take up the challenge and document my thoughts each day as I read this section of scripture daily for the week. Some days I may spend 5 mins reading, others may be more like half an hour of reading and contemplation, so join me if you will on my adventure of delving into these verses from Ephesians 6;

*The Whole Armour of God*

*10*Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. *11*Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. *12*For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. *13*Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. *14*Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, *15*and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. *16*In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; *17*and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, *18*praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, *19*and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, *20*for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. 

Ephesians 6:10–20.

Day 1

The first thing that stood out to me was the word ‘stand’. Sometimes, there is nothing more to do in life other than stand. When it feels like the battles of life are raging around you, you just need to stand. No movement required, God will give you the strength to do just that, stand. This ability to stand does depend on the strength of faith you have built beforehand. When you can do nothing else, you need to rely on what you know to be true about yourself and God when the warring season comes. There are often no indicators that it’s on it’s way, so you always need to be ready. To be building your faith through prayer, fasting, Bible reading, meeting with other believers and praying in the Spirit. 

Day 2

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might’. It is ok if we are not strong in ourselves. Before this section talks about putting on the armour of God, it speaks about God being our strength. We need to have strength in and through God because, this suggests that it is not for us to be strong. It is for us to depend on God being strong for us. 

It is an invitation or a command that we ‘be strong in the Lord’. This requires work on our part to depend on Him - to rely on God to be strong for us. Therefore it is ok to be weak, because then we can rely on his might and strength. 

Day 3

Today as I read these verses I see how important it is to be ready. Before you can stand firm, before you can stand and fight, you have got to be ready. As a soldier, equipped for war, before you get dressed and collect the appropriate equipment, you need to know what you are facing. This passage shows us that we face, everyday, ‘the schemes of the devil’. This is why you need the armour, this is why you need to fight, because you are daily battling, ‘the spiritual forces of evil’. This is why it is important to have the armour of God. That is why you need to pray, fast, read the Bible, declare the truth, belong to church. As this is how you can learn to stand when tough times come, and how you gather and realise the strength and might of the Lord. Are you getting yourself ready for the battles you will come to face in life? You do not need physical training, military schemes, but you do need a relationship with the God of heaven who will strengthen and hold you as you prepare to stand in the storm. Are you getting ready?

Day 4

No matter what you face in life, ’take up the shield of faith’. Faith can protect you and cover you ‘in all circumstances’. Without faith, you’d be unprotected and vulnerable. Therefore it is important to know what you believe. What are the foundational truths that you hold onto? If everything else falls apart in life, what happens to what you believe? Is your faith shaken, shaped or solid when troubled times come? The shield of faith needs to be taken up - are you working on your faith, are you losing it or are you taking it for granted? This sentence tells us to ‘take up the shield of faith’ it is your choice whether you pick it up or not. Are you developing and trusting in the faith you have?

Day 5

Prayer is essential. Is it part of your armoury?

‘praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints’. The armour of God is not complete without prayer. Praying in the Spirit, worshipping and requesting of God, praying to be prepared and praying for others of faith - all are covered in v18. 

Praying in the Spirit allows your spirit to connect with God’s Spirit - no wonder we need that! When we connect with God we connect with His power, His love, His strength, His mercy… 

We are invited to pray, which is a form of worship and to ‘supplicate’ - we are allowed to ask God for things. Not only asking, but asking as well as covering all the other things prayer is for.

Prayer can help us get ready for what’s coming, even if we don’t know what is, and it can help us persevere.

We are also encouraged to pray for one another. We are in these battles together, this is teamwork, therefore we need to work together in prayer too. 

So, today, I shall pray, being grateful for what I have, asking for what I need and praying for the grace to persevere as well as praying for friends of faith to have the same. We are in this together, and God wants us to talk to Him about what is going on, He wants to share His Spirit with you, it will help. How can you pray today?

Day 6

Paul writes that he is an ambassador in chains for the gospel. I know that he was imprisoned for his faith, tortured and persecuted for preaching that Jesus is the son of God. Many still are today. 

Yet for most of us, do we see the seriousness of this? Do you feel as if you are chained to the gospel? I think that is the point that is made here, not so much that Paul is in prison, but that he is chained to the gospel and that has led to his whereabouts. Do you live your life chained to the gospel? Wherever you go, does the gospel go with you? Are you acutely aware that the gospel is with you whatever you are doing? For Paul, and for others imprisoned and punished for their faith the gospel being chained to them is a reality. Can you live your life recognising that if you believe in Jesus, then you too are permanently connected to the good news of who Jesus is? If so, this will effect the way you walk, talk, work, play and rest. 

God, help us to realise that we are chained to you, and allow it to effect and influence us everyday no matter where we are or what we are doing. Amen

Day 7

Speaking boldly about who Jesus is is a real challenge, Paul found it so otherwise he would not have asked for the Ephesians to pray for him to, ‘boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel’. Therefore do not feel bad if you struggle with feeling nervous, or even terrified about sharing about your faith - you are in good company! Yet, there is something you can do about it. Like Paul you can ask people to pray for you to have courage. If you are someone that finds this easy, then please pray for those of us who find it difficult. 

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us

 Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. *14*Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? *15*Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” 

*16*Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. *17*If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. *18*But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 

Daniel 3:13–18.

'If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us....But if not...'

What an amazing faith these young men have! They are so confident and secure in their faith in God that they’ll bet their lives on it. They are not confident in the outcome of the situation, but they are confident in their God. 

Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego (also known as Mishael, Azaraiah and Hannah), are ready to stake their lives on the fact that God is the ONLY God worth worshipping. They have worshipped and honoured God through their lives, and we can read about how they have put God first since being in captivity in Babylon. Their faith is nearly deep-rooted, and for good reason. When they have trusted in God, not; themselves, their capabilities, or circumstances, they have found favour and been saved from death. They have a personal history, as well as a cultural history of seeing God move.  This is what they hold onto - their experience has formed an even greater knowledge of God, and nothing can shake the foundation of their faith, and lets face it - their faith is tested beyond what many of us will experience! 

Clearly these men had reached a certainty, a confidence in God that could not be changed - they have seen Him at work in sustaining them, preferring them and rescuing them from death before, so they rely on Him now.  Eventhough they don’t know what will happen next. They have not been given a revelation, any warning, or insight into what is going to happen, so they just go with it, and they confidently express their trust in God in the face of grave danger. 

Doesn’t that stir your heart and mind? I am left wondering if my faith is anywhere near strong enough to encounter even some of what they have. 

I know that in the culture that these three men were enveloped in, the position of King was considered the supreme, and even in some places, divine, authority. Some people groups worshipped their leaders as if they were gods. So, to refuse a kings edict was the same as being disobedient to a god. Nebuchadnezzar makes this clear when he asks, ‘who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?’. It is inconceivable to him, and probably most of his court, that there is any god stronger or more powerful than him. He is considered as the ultimate authority, so what he says goes, and no-one can stop him. Then these men disobey his orders. To many in society, these men must have been considered either brave or stupid, possibly insane. Yet they still stood up for what they believed. 

Shedrach, Meschach and Abednego did not know how this circumstance was going to end, but they did what they thought was right anyway. In the face of certain death, they were ready to accept it if necessary. They held onto the god they knew, and trusted him even when it seemed impossible for it to work out for them in this world. 

We face many unknown, and sometimes difficult or impossible situations in our lives too. We don’t know the end story either. But, we can know that there is a God who saves. A God who is more powerful and stronger than any other force. A God who cares and looks out for His children. 

Are you HIs child?

If so, what have you to fear? 

When you encounter the next battle of life, the next impossible situations, let your prayer, and your mindset be, like these three Israelite men, ‘our God whom we serve is able to deliver us’.