Worse than battles of a visible war, can be the secret and sly attacks of others.  Selfish pride and ambition can cause many to hurl poisonous arrows our way, to set traps for us to fall into and to mount air assaults of hurtful words.  It is interesting that this verse shows God hiding and keeping us when others thus attack us.  It does not show Him equipping us to fight back or to arm a new offensive.  This is because we are not to fight pride in our own strength or enter into a strife of tongues with our own fiery instrument.  Perhaps one of the hardest things for one to do, is to endure these kinds of attacks and not enter into their sinful warfare.  Insult for insult, slight for slight, hurtful words for hurtful words, will never truly win.  You might be able to get "one up" on someone but in the end you will only be the loser, because you will have become a defector into the company of the enemy, using his weapons to fight against your opponents.  The enemy is always better acquainted with the use of his own weaponry, weapons that we are supposed to be ignorant of use as Christians.  Instead of standing for the Lord’s banner, you will have become a standard bearer for the wiles of the devil.  There are times to speak up and always there is a time to stand up.  But when the battle involves pride and the strife of tongues, a struggle of envy and self supremacy, God wants us to allow Him to fight the battle for us.  During the encounter, He will hide us in the secret of His presence, secretly in His invisible pavilion.  It is a secret place because the things of God are hid from all those that do not know Him.  Only the redeemed can know that special hiding place prepared for God’s own children.  While all else around us is strife and envy, we can have peace and confidence in His pavilion.  The idea of a pavilion usually brings to mind a lovely garden retreat.  There, in the beauty of His presence, we can find rest for our souls.  I Timothy chapter six, addresses the same conflicts when it speaks of those who do not teach the same doctrine and "consent not to wholesome words."  Whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (I Timothy 6:3-5)  Only a truly mature Christian can endure such onslaughts without falling for the temptation to use the enemy’s weapons.  Don’t be a defector today.  Remain true to the Lord.  Others might think that they are winning a battle by hurling their weapons of words and schemes, but the Captain that we serve has already declared us the victor in Him.  Don’t let pride or hurt feelings allow you to be defeated or to join in a battle that is being fought behind enemy lines.  Fully trust the Lord for His protection.  Serve Him with unwavering faithfulness, for He is the One who will decorate you with a medal of honor in His presence at the end of it all.

What a wonderful combination of words is contained in this verse: his marvellous kindness.  They are certainly words of praise and blessing to the Lord, for He alone can give kindness that is truly marvelous.  The Hebrew word used for marvelous shows that distinction.  The word is "pala," which carries a unique set of implied meanings.  It is used in reference to things that are too high, too hard or too hidden for the ordinary.  It includes the miraculous and those things that are done in a singular, wonderful way.  God’s kindness is done in a singular, wonderful and unique way!  It is far above the kindness of the world, it is too high, to hard and too hidden for those outside of the Heavenly fellowship to understand or enact.  He alone can perform the doing of it and He alone can teach us to show the same type of kindness to others.  That gives verse such as Ephesians 4:32, a new and loftier goal for us to attain: And be ye kind one to another.  Could we glimpse more of the meaning if we add a phrase from the end of the verse: even as God...  His kindness is not just simple acts of gracious sociability.  His kindness fills the need of the aching human heart.  Every human being craves kindness, the need for it seems built into our souls.  Only the unique kindness of God, so wonderful, so superior to any other, can meet that need.  It is this kindness that the Psalmist describes as his marvellous kindness.  It is this kindness that causes David to sing, Blessed be the Lord.  David was filled with praise as he recognized the fact that God showers us with His abundant, rich and marvelous kindness.  My Bible does not have a footnote giving a special time to the writing of Psalm 31, but the entire Psalm speaks of God’s deliverance for David.  At one point in the Psalm, David mentions that he had thought himself to be cut off from before thine [the Lord’s] eyes but then he knew that nevertheless God heard him and answered in His marvelous kindness. (verse 22)  Perhaps, David had thought that he would be delivered up unto death in the hands of the enemy.  It is possible that the Psalm was written when David was fleeing from the pursuit of Saul.  He had taken refuge among the Philistines, Israel’s enemy.  David found himself living inside of Gath with King Achish, in the midst of a strong enemy city.  Despite the fact that at any moment David’s life could have been taken, God protected him and showed David His marvelous kindness.  Despite all troubles, dangers and the darkness of the hour, God’s kindness was greater than all.  Isn’t He just like that with us?!  No matter what the circumstances, no matter how strong the enemy appears to be, if we put our confidence in the Lord, He will do great and marvelous things.  In His perfect will and plan for us, He might not immediately deliver us from the trial, but He will minister to us during it.  Whenever we feel the walls of a strong city of discouragement or confusion, grief or fear, closing in around us, let us turn to God in full confidence, trusting in His marvelous kindness towards us.  That kindness is higher than any flood of onslaughts by the enemy.  In His marvelous kindness, He will lift us higher than any effects of the enemy’s attacks.  Are you burdened with the weight of care today?  Think of God’s marvelous kindness to you in your life.  Then place yourself in His care and ask for the fullness of His presence.  Just as a little child in need of comfort says, "Hug me, Mommy," come to the Lord to be wrapped up in His marvelous kindness.  Then, no matter how high the walls of trial, how strong the attacks of the enemy, you can abide safe and strengthened within.

God has often challenged what we call "the heroes of the faith" to have good courage.  Joshua, David, Gideon and Paul all received this challenge from God.  They all had to face mighty opposition for the cause of the Lord.  Well we can imagine God speaking directly to each of them.  After all, they are famous and important men in the Bible.  But look again, Christian friend, this verse is for all ye that hope in the Lord.  This verse is for me and for you, if we are counted among all those that truly hope in the Lord.  Though we might feel small compared to the "mighty men of old," we are no less important in God’s sight.  Down through the ages, God speaks directly to each one of us through His Word.  No matter what obstacles face us, no matter how fearful we can be tempted to feel, God speaks to our hearts, Be of good courage!  Because much of what we have learned in history about courage concerns tremendous acts of heroism, some Christians may feel that they are not up to the task.  But real Christian courage involves the everyday living of our lives.  It is the courage to stand for God when those around us fail.  It is the courage to see our errors, resolve to take action and make them right.  It is the courage to say no to sin and yes to God.  Christian courage is, after all, based on the faithfulness of God and upon His workings in our life.  Though acts of courage are often seen as those where a person takes a solitary stand, in reality, the Christian never has to stand alone.  The Lord is there with him: For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. (Isaiah 41:13)  Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6)  There are several dynamic verses in the Bible that equate courage with manliness.  As women, we could insert the word "lady" for the word "man," remembering that a lady is a woman of true character.  Be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man. (I Kings 2:2)  Gird up thy loins now like a man... (Job 40:7)  God encourages us to take a stand and be of good courage.  Then comes the promise: He shall strengthen your heart.  The word "shall" in the Scriptures is always a word of promise.  Some of God’s promises are conditional, as is this one.  To receive the promise, you must be counted amongst those that hope in the Lord.  This hope is absolute trust in God.  Have you placed your trust in God for your eternal salvation?  Are you waiting for the sure hope to come?  Then you are amongst the redeemed of the Lord, heirs of His promises.  Are you trusting Him day by day with life’s needs, trials and opportunities?  Is your hope in the Lord complete enough for you to rest in Him with your most precious possessions, your family, your heart’s needs?  Then, when you need it most, when your heart is downcast, the Lord Himself shall come and sweetly whisper, "Be of good courage, child, I will strengthen your heart."  Then, no matter what valley we must walk through, we can go as stout-hearted Christians, full of hope and trust that our loving Heavenly Father will work His eternal promise in us.  Be strengthened today and, in that internal strength, stand courageous for the Lord.

In our Locket Verses so far, we have had several verses referring to God as our hiding place or the One who will hide us.  Each one showed a different view of our special hiding place.  In this Psalm, God is seen as One who is Himself our hiding place.  Like a sheltered cave in the side of a mighty mountain, God provides us refuge.  Like a mother hen who covers her young from the approaching predator, God is our protector.  If He just provided us with a hiding place, we might think it was only temporary, but He is the eternal, never changing, always available hiding place, always sufficient for every need.  The wording of the last two parts of the verse is interesting.  First, thou shalt preserve me from trouble, could be understood in several ways.  From often means "out of."  Despite the fact that we are many times caught in trouble, God will surely preserve us out of it!!  Many immature Christians think God is no longer concerned for them if they have trouble.  Jesus told about the seeds that sprang up, then withered because they became entangled in the cares of this world.  When trouble comes it does not mean our Heavenly Father is any less real or any less concerned for us.  The devil will always attack God’s own.  But our Deliverer is always ready to take us out of the trouble if we call on Him.  It is an opportunity for growth in faith and trust that many cast aside.  But remember God knows the exact time of deliverance for His child, the time when they will have grown from the experience of adversity.  Preserve gives the sense of "keep," or "thou wilt keep me from trouble."  That gives another meaning to the word from.  In many cases, God will literally keep us from trouble.  He knows how much we can endure, He knows what things would be too detrimental and, in those cases, He will prevent the trouble from being our trouble.  When we get to Heaven and know all things, we will doubtless stand amazed at the discovery of the many times God prevented disaster in our lives.  On the earth we may never know about many of these times.  Often we view them as "narrow escapes" or have thought that there was going to be trouble but it seemed to pass from us.  Those are just little views of God’s mighty dealings.  What a hymn of praise will go to the Father when we realize all He has done for us!  Think again of the word preserve.  When something is preserved, it does not spoil or become rotten.  A Christian should be able to go through trouble and come out on the other side, untainted by it, not bitter, angry or vengeful.  Our only change should be increased maturity and gratefulness to our Deliverer.  How very sad when a Christian allows the experience of trouble to change him negatively, to spoil him.  What a marvelous opportunity is missed in not seeing their Hiding Place, not allowing the Lord to preserve them, not hearing the sweet and mighty songs of deliverance that have encompassed them.  It is as if God wraps the faithful, trusting Christian in an armor of deliverance when they call on Him.  It is an armor that cannot be penetrated by the evil effects of trouble.  Don’t be a shriveled plant today if trouble comes.  Be a mighty, victorious Christian, ready to stand in His encompassing songs of deliverance.  Selah.

This verse is one of the outstanding verses of the entire Bible that every Christian should have as an engraved plaque in their life.  What an amazing promise from the mighty God to us!  How often sinful man says, "If there is a God, He doesn’t have time for you."  Yet throughout the ages, God promises the believer that He will personally instruct, teach and guide us.  As a parent to a child, God will nurture His own.  He not only has time for us, He delights to use every moment for our good.  Just as a little child, we need to be taught every day.  The ways of the Lord are alien to natural man.  From the day we are saved, we need to enroll in God’s school of instruction so we can become learned in the knowledge of the Lord and able to make wise decisions for our lives.  Each new morning is like an open landscape before us.  There are many roads on which we can travel.  Some will lead through a valley of trial, some into dark places of temptation, others through smooth, sunny meadows, still others to lofty mountain tops of joy.  We can not discern which trail to follow, but God will show us if we ask Him to be our guide.  We don’t know how to walk, talk or act, but God will instruct us.  None of us are physical children anymore, but we know deep in our hearts that we need the Lord’s instruction even more now that we are adults.  Whenever a person feels that they are "big" enough to do everything on their own, they are very foolish.  Adult lives mean harder decisions, bigger temptations.  A few steps down the wrong path will not only affect us but our children, our husbands, our church.  As adults we need the Lord’s instruction every day.  Each day I want to be more like the perfected model of me God has in view.  I want to learn more about Jesus.  I want to understand more of His word.  Only God can instruct me in the way in which I should go.  When I attended the University of California, I was in one class where there were 900 students.  The professor stood behind a lectern on a huge stage in an auditorium.  If you sat near the back, he appeared to be a very small blurred figure of a man.  I never saw his face clearly, he was not really my personal instructor.  How differently God deals with us.  Even though the mighty stage of the ages is set, even though there are thousands of the redeemed, God steps down to walk by our side.  He sits with us as Jesus sat with the woman at the well, and deals with us individually.  He patiently takes the time we need to have our questions answered.  Dear Christian, all you have to do is come humbly to Him and ask for His instruction.  Sit a while beside Him at the well of His knowledge.  Allow Him to instruct you, teach you and guide you.  He is so personally involved in your life that He will guide you with His eye.  Come close enough to Him today to view His face and be able to follow His eye as He points the way for you.

As a young Christian, I was perfectly astounded by this verse of Scripture.  To think that I should be able to bless the Lord at all times was mind boggling.  I knew that not all times would be easy or full of joy, some would be difficult, even sorrowful.  Yet, David says, I will bless the Lord at all times.  As God personally instructed me with this verse of His Holy Scripture, I realized that I should be able to claim it as my own and act accordingly.  To truly claim this verse could be a life changing decision.  Gone would be depression, gloom, resentment, fear, and bitterness.  We would view each circumstance as uniquely given to us by God for His glory and our growth.  Oh, we could still sorrow and grieve, those are not ungodly emotions, but not as the world would do.  Our emotions would not rage out of control because behind every circumstance we would realize: "God is still in control" and "I have entrusted my life to Him."  We would be calmer, sweeter, more victorious Christians.  Blessing the Lord at all times: times of joy, times of sorrow, times of ease and times of trial, means fully trusting Him with every detail of our lives.  Have you given Him every detail of your life?  Some folks think of Christianity as just a "Sunday go to meeting" type of thing.  But God wants us to give Him our family, our talents, our jobs, our concerns, our money, our home, our all.  Then because we have yielded all to Him, He can bring true blessings into our lives.  As we are given totally to Him, our lives will become an instrument of praise to Him and we will be able to bless the Lord at all times.  How it must delight the Lord to have a born again child who continually praises Him.  True praise must come from the heart.  It is like a well spring bubbling up.  The praise truly rooted in the heart must spring forth to the surface as we praise Him with our mouths.  As the spring water naturally flows to the surface, so will praise follow a natural course.  Instead of just "formal" praise words in a worship service, in the singing of hymns, or in times of prayer, our praise will become an integral part of our everyday life.  As we speak to others, it will become the natural thing to witness of the Lord as we speak praise of His dealing in our lives.  Isn’t that one of the things that blesses others most about a truly vital Christian?  He will make mention often, even continuously, of God’s blessings and workings in his life.  He will speak words of praise openly to others.  He can do this because he sees God’s dealings as dealings of blessing, at all times.  How often and how easily we speak with bitterness or resentment.  How many times have our conversations failed to bless the wonderful Lord who works daily in our lives through the lovely tapestry of His chosen plan for us.  He does not weave just one color or one pattern on our canvass of life.  He constantly picks up beautiful and distinct hues of many colors.  He weaves them in intricate designs known only to Him.  Yet, in the end, if we have not resisted Him, our tapestry will be one of beauty that will bring praise and blessing to our Creator.  If we resist and fight against Him, the world cannot fail to see a work with broken and frayed threads, where colors clash and designs are out of line.  Where then is the praise, how lost is the blessing?  Oh, Lord, help me today to bless You at all times, no matter what those times may bring.  I do not know what today may bring, how I bless You that You have full knowledge of every detail before it happens.  Fill my heart with blessing to You.  Lord, make my mouth an instrument of praise, that others might learn of Your greatness.  Help my simple words be an evidence from my heart of my love for You.  You do so much for me, help me to show You that my heart blesses You at all times.

The perfect Scriptural picture of this verse is found in an incident we have mentioned before in Locket Verses.  The prophet Elisha and his servant Gehazi were in a city surrounded by the enemy’s army come to capture them.  Gehazi was full of fear, but Elisha was calm.  He could see beyond the army to the more powerful host of angels that were encamped round about the entire scene.  Not only were God’s people delivered, but the enemies were blinded by the brightness of the Lord’s host.  What the fearful and unbelieving eyes could not see, the faithful saw in the fullness of reality.  While one looked on the circumstances of the moment closing in, the other looked beyond to God’s eternal purposes.  It is a wonderful and comforting thought to consider that God has employed His holy angels to minister to His children on earth.  But there is an even more marvelous defense system at work for us.  In Psalm 34:7, notice the singular personage described as the angel of the LORD.  When this phrase is used it speaks of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.  His personal Old Testament appearances were referred to in this way, perhaps to protect the mystery that would be revealed in the Son in the New Testament.  Let’s read the verse again with this understanding.  [The Lord Jesus, Himself,] encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them.  Oh, truth full of joy and awe.  The Lord Jesus, Himself, the mighty Lord of all Glory, encampeth round about me.  No foe, no weapon, no battle plan can penetrate or overthrew His mighty power.  I can have absolute confidence that He will deliver me.  That means I can live my life with boldness as I walk in His care.  But I must remember to be constantly counted amongst those that fear Him.  I must reverence, respect, worship and serve Him to be truly living in the fear of the Lord.  Being among those that properly fear the Lord applies to every area of our lives.  It is God’s holy requirement for each believer.  Deuteronomy 10:12 explains: ...what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  That kind of living means a life of obedience and faithful love to our Lord.  For those that live such a life, the Lord promises to encamp round about them, as the strong Lord of Hosts, the Captain of the army of the redeemed.  When an army makes camp, they set down stakes, pitch tents and settle in.  In John 1:14, when the Scripture says, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, the term dwelt means to tabernacle.  God is affirming to us that the Lord Jesus came to tabernacle (dwell) amongst us.  God’s tabernacle tent is permanently encamped around each of us that is born again.  Are you anxious today, concerned about circumstances, fearful of what the day may bring?  Relax in His care.  He encampeth round about you.