LOCKET VERSES             WEEK 17

Have you ever wondered if there is truly a reward for doing that which is right?  Have you ever wondered why the wicked and sinful sometimes seem to prosper in this world?  You are not alone, the Psalmists wondered about the same questions.  As they wondered, they considered God and His righteous judgments.  They thought about the true character of God, Himself.  Then they knew the answer.  Yes, God will reward the righteous and He will judge the wicked.  Our problem is that we so often look through totally human eyes and fail to see through the eyes of the eternal.  Even if it appears that others gain by scheming and deceit, God will judge their actions and in the end they will certainly be the losers.  In eternity’s values, we know that their goods will perish and that they will be held accountable for all that they have done.  Not one action or thought escapes our God.  He is the Judge of all the earth.  Likewise, He will reward the righteous and the faithful for what they have done for Him.  Even if godly actions sometimes seem to produce a loss in worldly goods, God will amply bestow rewards when the Christians stand before Him at the Judgment and He shows the true value of our actions and deeds.  Most Christians are acquainted with these facts, but living with them as a motivating reality is not always easy.  We are human and even though it would be ideal for us to live constantly with eternity’s values and rewards in view, we so easily focus our eyes on the present.  How wonderful to know that our God is the God of the present also!  Some people only think of God in relationship to life after death, but praise the Lord, as born again Christians, we can be constantly persuaded that our God is intimately involved with our earthly life.  In that respect, we can be assured that God will presently reward the righteous.  Not all our rewards are those we will receive in Heaven.  It is true that there are many actions we will never see an earthly reward for.  It is doubtless the heavenly reward for those things will be greater than that which we might have thought to receive on earth and certainly more precious.  But there are a multitude of earthly rewards that the Lord will also grant to us.  We will have peace and joy that the world and the wicked will never know.  Our consciences will bear witness with our spirits that we have done the correct thing.  Our children and families will be blessed in the knowledge of righteous actions and we will see those repeated in the next generation.  What a comfort and motivation that should be!  I want my children and grandchildren to follow the Lord and do His will.  Some of that will be determined by how I live my life in the present.  We must desire to leave a good example!  The loss for not so doing, is greater than we can imagine.  Sometimes, God will even bless us materially for righteous actions.  However, that must never be our primary motivation.  God wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Part of that worship is living our lives with spiritual values as a priority and in the principles of honesty.  Yes, God will judge the wicked, even in this present world.  They will lack peace, never know true godly love and even the gains they make will seem somehow hollow and empty.  Don’t ever be discouraged in this world for doing that which is right.  God knows all about our every action and thought.  He will reward the righteous.  Live with both eternity and the present in view.  Live for God!

David appears to have written Psalm 60 right in the middle of a great battle.  The editor of my Bible noted in the heading to this Psalm that it was the enemy land of Edom that David’s troops were fighting against.  The battle appears not to have gone well for the Israelites at first.  David says that they were scattered and astonished and that the Lord had shown His people "hard things."  Then comes verse four.  Even as they appeared to be in difficulty, David declares that the Lord had given His people a banner to be displayed because of the truth, a banner from the Lord for all the people to follow.  It is easy for some people to follow the Lord when all is going well, but set them in the midst of difficulty and it may be a different story.  David knew that the banner was given to them regardless of the situation, regardless of how the battle seemed to be going.  The saying goes, that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.  It is also equally true that the faint hearted flee at such times, or at least give up.  The strength of the character of a man is most often demonstrated in what makes him quit or not quit.  The same is true in the Christian life.  God has given us His banner, that mighty standard floating ahead of us in the spiritual battle, that declares us to be soldiers of the King.  He expects us to follow that banner through victories and trials, over mountain tops and through valleys, through the brightest day and the darkest night.  The banner never changes, God never falters.  It is His soldiers who have the choice of whether to follow or not.  How many Christians do you know that have gone AWOL?  Some have even deserted.  How interesting that even in worldly armies when a man deserts a battle, he is still a soldier in the employ of his commander, just a very disgraceful one.  While his comrades face difficulties and possible death, he runs from his responsibilities and that is why he must give account.  The heroes of our country’s battles were most often those who stood and fought courageously even in the face of incredible odds.  Whether in life and victory or in death and honor, we hold them in high esteem.  God is never pleased with a spiritual "quitter," a deserter in the heat of the battle.  He desires those to follow Him who fear the Lord, who have total respect and obedience to the Commander-in-Chief.  They do not have to know the sure result of the battle, but just decide to trust and follow their Leader.  How often does the devil tempt you to give up when what he is really asking you to do is to turn tail and run!  Of course, the devil would not ever use such words as those!  Oh, no, he will make you feel that you have a right to quit in some area, that after all you have had enough.  But he is just like that enemy agent that tries to brainwash a soldier to betray his unit.  His ultimate goal is to not only destroy you personally, but to weaken the entire spiritual unit you are in, whether it be your family or your church.  When one man falls, the entire company suffers.  God displays His banner of truth.  He never lies to you.  He never deceives you.  He always remains faithful.  In your life today there will be many battles.  With each one, the devil will in one way or the other whisper, "Desert the commands of the Lord."  But at the same time, God will faithfully hold His banner high for you to follow.  Let’s be on the victory side.

"Am I a soldier of the Cross, A follower of the Lamb?

And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies, On flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign; Increase my courage Lord;

I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word."

(Hymn: "Am I A Soldier of the Cross?" by Isaac Watts)

Throughout Psalm 60, David has called upon God for deliverance during a time of great battle that had not always gone victoriously for David’s troops.  In spite of the difficulties, David knew that the Lord was the Only One that could deliver.  In verse five, he said: That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.  David knew what we also need to be constantly reminded of: the fact that God is in the business of delivering His own.  Even when the battle looks to be the fiercest, even when we begin to feel overwhelmed, God is still in control.  David’s assurance came from his knowledge of the character of the Lord.  He knew God and he knew God’s Word, which is so full of promises.  He declared: God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice... (verse 6)  The Israelite army knew that their help in war would not come from an alliance with another country.  They had learned that lesson many times before and would learn it again in the future.  Every time that they asked another nation for help in fighting an enemy, that nation eventually betrayed them.  No man can give the help God can.  Even in our lives, we need this reminder.  Though the help of mere mortal man is vain, God working through a godly man is different.  When our pastor, our saved family member, or our saved friend gives us advise and help consistent with the Scriptures, we can be sure that the help is the same as if God was standing directly in front of us and working without an intermediary.  It is a challenge to consider that everyday God seeks to use us as vessels unto honor, as servants doing our Master’s bidding.  However, when the "help" is from men of the world, or from Christians who use either their own wisdom or that of the worldly system, that help for us is indeed vain.  The devil seems to delight especially in misleading Christians into using the wisdom and counsel of the world.  God does not want us to be confused or misled.  He has left us an absolute measuring stick, a test of sterling quality: Christian, does what we have heard match the Word of God?  The test is not: does it make sense or is it "reasonable?"  Not: is it convenient or will it be easier this way?  It does not make any difference if others are doing it a certain way, or if some famous psychologist recommends it, or if someone has read it in the latest magazine.  The defining mark is whether or not it matches the Scriptures.  God’s help does not always come from the expected place or in the expected way, but it always comes to those who wait and trust.  We must be wise servants of the Word of God if we are to discern which advise to take.  Every day we need to remember that the help of man, without the leading of God, is absolutely vain and will only result in our injury and defeat.  What a difference it makes when we have the confidence and decision of David to follow the Lord.  He could say: Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. (verse 12)  Every day we are faced with decisions.  Today you will have to choose what advice to take: the Lord’s or the world’s.  Remember that the devil will always be there to whisper in your ear.  You need to determine to be a spiritual "proofreader," to look at the counsels and choose only that which is consistent with the Word of God.  With a big red spiritual pencil, mark out all other advise as being wrong.  If we would but heed David’s advise, the number of heartaches and tragedies that would be avoided in Christian lives can only be imagined.  Let us determine to follow only the help promised from God in time of trouble, remember vain is the help of man.

This verse sounds like a song when it is read in our minds.  Lord, lead me to the rock that is higher than I!  How often have you felt that your heart was overwhelmed?  I have many times.  What a privilege as a Christian to know that wherever we are, whatever time it is and no matter what the difficulty, we can cry out to God and He will hear us.  The Psalmist’s cry was this: Lead me to a place of safety from my heart’s pain, to a sure defense that is higher and greater than my feebleness, which I feel so keenly right now.  Place me in a refuge that is solid and can not fail me.  When all around is crumbling, take me to the heights of the Almighty, far above my problems.  Lord, take me to Yourself!  What a beautiful Psalm this is.  David says to God: thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in thy tabernacle forever:  I will trust in the covert of thy wings. (verses 3-4)  Let’s read the remainder of the Psalm: For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.  Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.  He shall abide before God for ever:  O prepare mercy and truth, which shall preserve him. (verses 5-8)  What beautiful music and words the sweet singer of Israel made unto the Lord.  The amazing thing is that these very words can be spoken to God by each one of us, because we are part of that group that has the heritage of those that fear the Lord.  We can abide and trust and praise.  We can know God’s protection and shelter.  We can flee to the Rock that is higher than ourselves and taller than any mounting difficulty or enemy.  In Christ we are equal in availability to God’s strength as were the great heroes of old.  What an amazing truth!  Many times in the Scriptures, God calls Himself our Rock, especially in speaking of Jesus.  The world is often likened to sand or slippery clay.  We sing in church: "On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other help is sinking sand."  The picture of that song is really true and we need to firmly remind ourselves of it everyday.  How often have you suddenly been in danger, or had a deep heartache and your first thought was, "I want to go home."  When we need comfort and rest from trials, we just want to be safe within the four walls of our home.  There we feel accepted and protected.  I can remember the first "crisis" after my young family had moved to Washington state to attend Seminary.  My parents and friends were all in California.  I had lived there for almost twenty years.  The dear friends and familiar walls of our last church were there.  I was all alone, it seemed, in a foreign land and in my new little house I cried out (literally), "I just want to go home."  My heart ached for it, my tears cried for it.  In that situation, God wanted me to grow and mature and prepare myself for the mission field.  It only took a few minutes for me to look around at my three little children (and I had thought I was alone!  That certainly must have been a trick of the devil!), think of my husband at school and the Lord’s calling to us, and quietly tell myself, "Remember, you are home!"  But the feeling was very similar to what we should feel about our relationship to the Lord.  When the crisis comes, when trouble is around us, when our heart pounds and our mind races, we need to cry out, "Lord, I want to go to You."  When we can develop such a deep love for our Lord that our first response of the heart is to desire to be close to Him in difficulty, we have begun to grow more like what He desires for us.  "Lord, lead me to the rock that is higher than I," should be the heart prayer of every Christian.  When in crisis or in calmness, let the Holy Spirit lead you to that Rock so high and strong.  Let Him take your spiritual hand and lead you to the place of quiet prayer, where you can be close to the Lord.  I hope that your heart will not be overwhelmed today.  But if it is, remember to cry out David’s prayer.  Let God take you in the shelter of His loving arms and give you comfort, care and rest.  Come apart and be with Him and find His strengthening power.  Pour out your troubles to Him and find how sweetly He listens to what He already knows about us (how like a parent).  Walk away refreshed and calmed.  We have a spiritual home that we can run to any time of the day or night.  The door is always unlocked, the fire lit and burning inside, and a special place is set for us at the table.  Remember, Jesus said He would always be there for us.  In Revelation 3:20, He spoke to our heart need and said that He would sup with us and we with Him.  Home is where Jesus is, and He is that Rock that is higher than us, yet always there for us to climb onto.  Come up out of the difficulties of life; climb high into the pure clear skies of His love; come home to Jesus, Rock of Ages.

It is interesting how often David refers to God as his Rock, especially when you consider the life of David.  Often in the Scripture we read about David fleeing from his enemies, coming to a certain rock and hiding there.  These "rocks" that the Bible tells about, were most certainly particular mountains or large rocky hills trust out of the landscape.  There David and his troops could find caves and crevices in which to hide from the pursuing enemies.  Their footprints of escape would be disguised by the rocky terrain and they would have a good look out to see the approach of those chasing them.  The rocks of the land of Israel became places of refuge to the falsely accused David, the true anointed king of the land.  Think of how carefully David must have kept records in his memory of the exact place of every rock that could provide him with refuge.  No matter where he was in his travels, he must have always kept the location of the nearest mountain escape in mind.  David knew that when in danger, his life and the lives of his men could depend on fleeing to the chosen rock of defense.  Imagine David and his men fleeing to a rocky mountain, hurriedly climbing to a high cave and then quickly hiding within.  Can you see the weary ones dropping down to rest in the coolness of the cave.  Can you hear the long sighs of relief from each man?  They were safe, the climb was over.  "Rest, drink some water and eat the provisions, make certain a sentry is placed," the order must have been quickly spoken.  Then think of the joy when they were able to view the enemy passing by below unaware of their location, and the assurance of knowing that their safety was secure.  Yes, David knew the value of the rocks of safety in the land.  But more important than that, David knew that his only sure defense, his one and only certain Rock was God.  Even in the midst of a desert land, or within a great city with no mountain nearby, David knew he still had a Rock to run to.  In verse seven, David says of the Lord: In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.  When I read verse six, one word jumped off the page at me.  It was the word only.  He only is my rock and my salvation.  Even if David had possessed the best military defense of his time, his only real defense was in the Lord, and he knew it.  The question is, do we know the same truth in our lives today?  The way many Christians live their lives, it would be hard to imagine them writing the words of this psalm.  Even though they claimed Jesus as their Savior and gave their hearts to Him in salvation, the question remains, have they really decided to follow Jesus in every area of their lives and acknowledge that He is their ONLY rock, their ONLY strength, their ONLY glory?  That really cuts to the heart of the issue in many lives, yes, even in our own.  If there is anything else that we place higher than Christ, in any area of our lives, then we can not say He ONLY is my rock.  If there is any time that we doubt that we should do things God’s way, then it isn’t Jesus ONLY that we trust.  If we ever wonder if God can really do something in our lives, then God is not our ONLY strength.  If we launch out and try to do it on our own, then we have not decided to claim this verse.  If we glory in our achievements and worldly success, then God is not our ONLY glory.  This morning, we need to take stock and examine our lives.  We need to pray with straight forward honesty to the Lord and ask His help to search our hearts.  Lord, I want to know if there is anything that I have allowed in any area of my life that is replacing You as my first love and priority.  Lord, I know that You are to be the first priority in my entire life.  When You show me these things, help me to put them in proper order.  Thank You Lord, that You are my rock and salvation, that in You I can have safety and refuge.  I know that when You are the center of my life and I stand firmly anchored in You, I can claim the last part of the verse: I shall not be moved.  Go back and think of David’s men in the cave and then think of our own lives.  When we need that rest, shelter and protection, the Lord will be our Rock, and we can watch the enemy pass by.  With such a wonderful God, surely we will not be moved from our resolve to follow Him!

Turning to his people, those that have followed him into battles and fleeings from Saul, David lifts high his voice to encourage them.  Psalm 62:8 is a record of the words that he spoke that day.  They are words for our hearts also.  The Holy Spirit constantly speaks them to us, encouraging us to remain faithful and true, calling us to pray and trust the Lord with our deepest feelings and fears.  So simply we often tell others, "Just trust the Lord."  But God adds, at all times.  Just like the unique word only in verse six, the word all stands out clear and bold.  It seems that it is not so difficult to trust the Lord when all is going well for us.  But let illness or financial distress or family problems arise and as the going gets a little harder, the faithfulness is tested.  We are in one of the all times that we had not counted on, but they always come.  Think of David’s troops.  They had followed him with hopes of being with a great and mighty ruler who could give their land and families a nation to be proud of.  But at the time of the writing of Psalm 62, there is the great possibility that they were huddled in a cave, hiding from an evil king who wanted to destroy their leader.  They certainly were in one of those all times.  If only they could have looked down through time just a few years, they would have known the glorious outcome of their leader and army.  They would have seen Saul’s army lying dead on a field of foreign battle, and then further down, their David ruling as king, never forgetting those that had stood with him.  But they could not see down through time.  They could only see the present.  In our times of difficulty, we will be tempted to focus so closely on the present that we will often lose sight of God’s workings.  We need to so trust Him that we can look with the spiritual eyes that faith will give us, and know that He will have the victory.  There is the old song that tells us that further along we will all understand why.  One of the greatest tests of true-hearted Christianity is whether or not a person will trust at all times.  There will be times of gladness and times of sorrow, times of births and times of deaths, times of plenty and times of want, times of calmness and times of great anguish.  Just as in a vow, God tests our loyalties and love by our commitment, no matter what comes.  Many modern day marriages fail because folks have lost sight of that type of commitment.  More than once, my husband and I have heard of a man or woman who left their marriage partner because that person came down with a serious physical condition.  They failed the marriage test of at all times.  During war time many women were tempted to be unfaithful to their soldier fiancee...they failed the test.  Some men have eyes and minds that wander when their wife gets a little gray, they have forgotten the commitment for all times.  God often reminds us that marriage is likened unto our relationship with Him.  That sacred relationship demands our commitment to trust Him at all times.  Throughout life, in good times and in bad, we need to trust Him.  How easily some modern day Christians fall, having lost sight of commitment and loyalty.  Down through time, David cries out to us, Trust in Him at all times; ye people.  The interesting thing is that the part of all times that causes most people to fall are usually the times that they needed to trust the Lord the most!  The devil certainly knew that and, therefore, robbed them of the only refuge that they could have had.  In our all times, the Holy Spirit reminds us of our direct access line of prayer.  What dramatic words are used in this verse, pour out your heart before him.  God does not want just surface prayers, ritual prayers, memorized prayers or our everyday casual type of prayer.  He wants to hear the needs and desires of our heart.  As a youth pastor’s wife, I many times counseled a troubled teenager to pour out their feelings of fear and confusion to God.  He wants to hear, and He already knows.  We have nothing to hide from Him.  Have you ever been deeply troubled and gotten on your knees to pray to the Lord?  Has that prayer ever found you in tears, sobbing out to God all the deepest feelings inside, some you even were not aware of?  And then, do you remember rising from your knees with a new calmness and assurance in your heart?  In all of our times, we need to pour out our hearts to God.  Stop right now and take the time and love to come to the Lord and pour out your heart.  Whether it is a time of praise or a time of trouble, God will strengthen you within.  He will be a refuge for you.

In many of our churches we have had a children’s club called Bible Seekers.  Psalm 63:1 tells us that all Christians are to be seekers after God.  Seeking takes earnest effort.  It is not just stumbling on a treasure, but consistently striving and working toward our goal.  That goal as a Christian is to abide close and closer to the Lord, to become intimately acquainted with Him.  HE IS OUR GOD!  Early we must seek Him.  All week in our Locket Verses, we have become quite acquainted with David as he was in trials.  The notation for Psalm 63 in my Bible says this Psalm was written while David was in the wilderness of Judah.  In the dry and thirsty land, with enemies in pursuit, David is reminded of his need for the Lord.  Perhaps physical thirst and hunger reminded David of the deeper needs of his soul that only God could fill.  How vivid a picture God paints for us in this Psalm.  Just like a man that is thirsting in a desert land, so we must thirst for the Lord.  The world holds no life giving water, only God can supply that.  Without the spiritual water we will surely perish.  As all else around us is like a wilderness, our flesh must long after God, who alone can give us full satisfaction.  He is our God.  Think of that statement.  God, the Sustainer of life; God the Creator of all; God, the only Savior...He is our God...our all in all.  Early will I seek thee can have several meanings.  The most common one associated with this verse, is that of early in the morning I will come to God in prayer.  I can remember when I had a teenage foster daughter who was newly saved.  She could always tell if I had rushed into the day and neglected prayer.  How very convicting that was!  How mindful it made me of the difference morning prayer does make.  To start off the day with God, we must have a deep soul longing that comes upon us because of our love for the Lord and His Word.  There is also the possibility that early could be reminding us of causes: early in my trials, Lord, I will seek thee.  I will not wait until all has closed in and the end seems near.  I will seek You at the earliest hint of trouble, instead of first trying to solve it on my own.  Early in every situation and decision I will come to You.  In that way I know You will lead me through the wilderness.  Think of David in his wanderings each day, think of yourself.  Come to the Lord early, seek Him, thirst after Him, long after Him.  He will direct your path and refresh your soul in this dry land, made fresh and filled with growing things by the presence of His Spirit.  Remember Hagar, who thought to die in the dry wilderness for lack of water.  God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water... Genesis 21:19  God will provide what we need for spiritual life in the dry wilderness of this world.  Let each of us desire that God will open our eyes today to the abundant supply He has for us.  Lord, help me not to focus on the dryness of problems and be lost in a wilderness wandering like Hagar.  "Open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth Thou hast for me."  Open them that they may see You and the oasis You have prepared for my soul today.

This week there have been several verses that spoke of God as the Rock.  There are many songs that use that illustration of the character of God.  Hidden in our hymnal is one that is rarely sung that spoke to my heart:

        By Erastus Johnson and William G. Fischer

    O sometimes the shadows are deep, And rough seems the path to the goal;

    And sorrows, sometimes how they sweep Like tempests down over the soul!

    O sometimes how long seems the day, And sometimes how weary my feet;

    But toiling in life’s dusty way, The Rock’s blessed shadow, how sweet!

    O near to the Rock let me keep, if blessings or sorrows prevail;

    Or climbing the mountain way steep, or walking the shadowy vale.

CHORUS

    O then to the Rock let me fly

    To the Rock that is higher than I;

    O then to the Rock let me fly,

    To the Rock that is higher than I!

Whatever our need this week, let us fly to the Rock, Jesus!