Knowing the Presence of God in the Psalms

Scripture: Psalms 37:1-40

Sit Still and Be Quiet

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 37:7 (NIV84)

“Sit still and be quiet.” I can still hear my parents say these words to me. As a little boy of 5 and 6 years of age, being still and quiet was not my forte. I do not remember ever being still, patient, or quiet. In fact, my parents often referred to me as rambunctious. I had no idea what that long word meant, but apparently, I was the definition of the word. 

It would take me years to learn the value of stillness and even longer to learn how to be quiet and wait patiently for the Lord to speak and respond. Eventually, I discovered there are precious gems of life-giving truths deeply buried within the treasure chest of divine stillness and patience. 

Unfortunately, neither of these attributes is the default of the human soul. The idea and value of stillness and patience have become completely alien within our society. Fast food lines are frustrating when they are not. TV commercials need to be shorter. Two people standing in front of us purchasing groceries are two people too many. It is not difficult to understand why Christ-followers struggle to be still and wait patiently for him. 

David is not writing this Psalm as he faces a calamity or from a recent experience of heartache. He wrote it after living many years (see verse 25) and is sharing what he has learned along the way. He learned the value of what it means to “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” 

Interestingly, he handcuffs the behaviors of stillness and patience to each other. He is teaching us there is a direct correlation between being still and waiting patiently. If we are spiritually rambunctious, we compromise our ability to wait patiently. In other words, the second step demands compliance with the first step. To be able to wait patiently for him requires a stillness before Him. 

The Hebrew word David used for “still” means to stand still, be quiet, to cease all motion. In my imagination, I can hear David teaching this principle to a group of young people, saying, “When you are unsure of what to do, be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. He knows what you do not and will tell you at the appropriate time. When facing an uncertain future, be still before him and wait patiently for him. He is certain of your future and will guide you at the appropriate time.” I can see him gesturing to his audience, imploring them to find a place in their home to sit in stillness, seeking the presence of God. I can imagine him illustrating this behavior by sitting in a chair, bowing his head, closing his eyes, focusing his mind on the Lord, and being still. 

When my parents told me to “sit and be still,” I did so out of obedience driven by the fear of the consequences of disobedience. But I was a whirlwind of activity internally. Waiting patiently was as foreign to me as being still. Waiting patiently for him means the heart and soul sit at rest with confidence in the Lord’s timing and sovereignty. It is an inward assurance that the Lord will respond to our needs. In the sacred moments of stillness and holy patience, we are better positioned to hear the whispers of His wisdom for our next steps. 

It takes practice to calm your mind and choose to wait patiently for the Lord, especially when you feel the pressure of a decision that needs to be made. The practice of being still before the Lord allows us to slow down, to pause, to step away from the noise of options, choices, and the demand for immediate action. 

Friend, I encourage you to find a place and time in your daily routine to sit in the stillness of God’s presence. It is a simple practice that takes practice to make simple. Sit down. Focus your thoughts upon Him and His Word. Ask the Lord to be present with you. Remain motionless and be quiet in His presence. If your mind wanders to the upcoming activities of the day, then do as my parents did to me. Say to your brain, “Sit down and be quiet!” Open God’s Word to Psalm 37 and read verses three through seven and verse thirty-four. Ask Him to help you develop this divine rhythm of stillness and patience. Direct your mind to stay within the guard rails of a conversation with the Lord. Take your time. Do not rush this conversation any more than you would rush a conversation with someone else. Breathe in His presence. Exhale your angst. Repeat this process as long as it takes to develop your relationship with Him. 

As you develop this spiritual practice, I am confident you will be able to say what the Psalmist said at the end of this Psalm, “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

You will see it.

Scriptures: Psalms 145:1-21, Exodus 34:2-8

Passing By 

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” 

Psalm 145:8–9 (NIV84)

These words of the Psalmist are a direct reference to a moment in the life of Moses, who had lived 500 years earlier. Moses had walked up Mt. Sinai to meet with the Lord when this happens: “And he [the Lord] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin…Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.” (Exodus 34:6-8 NIV84). 

What a moment this must have been! Take a moment and step into the story. Imagine walking along, and the Lord passes in front of you. Your heart skips a beat. You can hardly process this magnificent moment. Your eyes, ears, and brain are strained to the max to grasp the moment. The hairs on your arm stand on end. A shiver runs down your spine. 

And then He speaks. 

What He says saturates your soul and sinks deep into your heart. His words put you at peace. The sudden shock suddenly dissipates, and you feel safe. You recognize you have been granted the highest of privileges, and you must bow in reverence. As He passes, you hear Him proclaim who He is and His heart for his people. As Moses did, you fall on your knees and bow in worship. 

The four characteristics of God’s personality revealed to Moses, graciousness, compassion, slow to anger, and rich in love, were music to his ears. They had endured 400 years of enslavement in Egypt. Every moment in Egypt was full of abuse and hardship. There was no compassion or grace. All they knew for 400 years was a taskmaster who they could never satisfy. The Lord was sharing everything He was that the Egyptians were not. The Lord was saying, “I will be to you what no one else has ever been to you. My Kingdom is the exact opposite of the kingdom you have endured.” I can only imagine how the words of the Lord must have washed through the soul and heart of Moses, leaving him strengthened, encouraged, and in awe. 

This experience of Moses is mentioned several times throughout the Old Testament. It is not surprising that David, the author of this Psalm, mentions it. It was well-known by the Hebrew people. 

It would take time for the people of Israel to become accustomed to a God who was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love, and to experience the goodness of the Lord. 

The human soul desperately needs every ounce of these divine attributes and choices of the Lord. Far too often, we experience moments in our journey that lack grace, compassion, and love. Far too often, we experience anger, wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Our reality reveals the undeniable evidence of our great need for the Lord to saturate our souls with His presence. We need Him to pass by us often. 

As Moses decided to walk up Mt. Sinai to meet the Lord, we must take a similar walk. We must choose to do what he decided. The Lord told Moses, “Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain” (Exodus 34:2). Moses decided to do just that. He got up in the morning. He walked to meet the Lord. 

Do you have a time and a place where you present yourself to the Lord? Have you carved out of your busy schedule a time and a place for the Lord to pass by you? I hope you do. If not, I encourage you to do so. You might find yourself in a privileged moment that will cause you to bow in worship because of the nearness of the Lord to your soul. As you present yourself to the Lord, begin by reading Psalm 145: 8 – 9. Then pray asking the Lord to do the following: 

“Lord, pass by me today with your grace. Grace for me. And your grace in me that I might extend your grace to others.” 

“Lord, pass by me today with your compassion. Compassion for me. And your compassion in me that I might extend your compassion to others.” 

“Lord, pass by me today. Be patient and not angry with me. Help me move towards you and your ways each day. Help me be an extension of your patience and strengthen me to be slow in any expression of anger towards others.” 

“Lord, pass by me today with the richness of your love. Love for me. And your love in me that I might love others as you love them.” 

“Lord, pass by me today and help me recognize your goodness towards me. Help me to experience the richness in the truth that you are my Creator and love me more than I can know.” 

As we experience the Lord’s presence passing by our hearts and souls, I believe we will say the same as the Psalmist said in the last verse of this Psalm, “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”

Scriptures: Psalms 5:1-12, Numbers 28:1-4, Genesis 1:5, Mark 1:35, Luke 4:38

Morning Time 

“Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

Psalm 5: 1 – 3 (NIV84)

It was an early Sunday morning when I arrived on church property to meet with one of the pastors to discuss my small role in the church service. The service was to begin within the hour. As I walked down the church hallway to the church office to meet the pastor, the office door opened. The pastor I was to meet with came out, wiping tears from his face. I was concerned, and my immediate thoughts were that he had just been informed of some tragedy that had occurred within our church community. I asked, “Are you okay?” Surprisingly, he smiled at me and said, “Yes, I was meeting with the Lord and spending some time in worship.” That moment occurred over 40 years ago. It left a powerful mark on my soul. That pastor and I would become great friends. He was an example of the truths recorded in Psalm 5. 

“In the morning” meant more than you might know to the ancient Israelites. “In the morning” began to take on a more prominent importance in the days of Moses. The Lord gave him other instructions besides the Ten Commandments to pass down to the people. These instructions were the steps the people were to take to maintain a favored relationship with the Lord. They were instructions that would protect and bless them as they faithfully carried out each step as directed by the Lord. One of these instructions was about how to begin and finish their day. 

Numbers 28:1 – 4, “The Lord said to Moses, “Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘See that you present to me at the appointed time the food for my offerings made by fire, as an aroma pleasing to me.’ Say to them: ‘This is the offering made by fire that you are to present to the Lord: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day. Prepare one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight,”

The significance of “in the morning and the other at twilight” was a message to the Israelites that they were to begin and end the day remembering the salvation of the Lord. Every day was a day of grace. The daily offering of the lamb was a foreshadowing of another offering and a day of grace that would occur several hundred years later in Jerusalem on a cross on a hill called Calvary. That day would also be a day that the people of God were to acknowledge and remember daily and forever. 

The word “morning” appears in the first chapter of the Bible. God created the morning and the evening (Genesis 1:5). Ever since these realities have occurred every single day. God had a purpose in creating the morning, and the Psalmist did his best to align his life accordingly. Morning has a unique character that evening does not. It has been a special time of the day for many of those we read about in Scripture. Moses, David, and Jesus (Mark 1:35; Luke 4:38) aligned themselves with God’s creative intent for the morning. 

Specifically, what did David do In the morning? He aligned his heart and soul with the Lord. In verses one and two, he asks the Lord to consider my sighing and to listen to my cry for help. He started his day by offloading what had been on his heart throughout the night. Then, in verse three, his soul transitions from a cry for help to a declaration of faith. He affirms that God has heard his voice and received his requests. For the rest of the Psalm, nine verses, he writes with confidence and faith in the Lord. 

I have many friends who are genuinely morning people. They rise from their beds while the sun has yet to rise. I am not one of those people. I am more of an after-sunrise kind of person. For many, the morning is full of activity. Setting aside time to pray and be with the Lord before the morning activity begins seems to be a near-impossible task. And yet, a near-impossible task is not an impossible task. Friend, there is a rich blessing available to those who align themselves with the creative intent of God for each morning. If it were not important to spend time with the Lord in the morning, then the Lord would have never modeled the importance of doing so nor instituted daily spiritual practices for His people to observe. 

If rising in the morning to be with the Lord is a new practice for you or you feel it would be a near-impossible task, consider aligning yourself with God’s creative intention in ways you can achieve. Write a Scripture on a card and place it next to your bed. When you wake in the morning, sit up, and before you stand up, say to the Lord, “Good morning, Lord. I surrender this day to you. Lead me and guide me today. I read this verse in your presence to strengthen my faith and to walk according to your will for my life.” 

In the morning has become a special time of the day for me. I pray the following poem by an unknown in the morning Christ-follower encourages you. 

In the quiet of the dawn, Before the world awakes and yawns,I find a peace so deep and wide, With Christ, my Savior, by my side.

His presence fills the air I breathe, His strength in me, I do believe.Each morning’s light, His love anew, Guides me in all I say and do.

Scriptures: Psalms 44:1-26, Romans 12:2

King AND God 

“You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.”

Psalm 44:4–5 (NIV84)

Why do you think the Psalmist referenced his allegiance to the Lord as his King ANDhis God? Was referencing both necessary? Is there a difference between the two references? 

Consider this: What was true in the ancient days of the Psalmist is still true today. In the days of the Psalmist, accepting the Lord as your King AND God meant surrendering your life and choices to the Lord as your King AND placing your faith in Him as your God. In our language today, we align ourselves with the same principle when we describe a Christ-follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ, as one who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord AND Savior. 

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and surrendering to His rulership is part of our spiritual journey. But they are two distinctly different aspects of our relationship with Him. Saviorship (not an actual word!) and rulership are distinctly different elements of our relationship with the Lord. As we grow in our relationship with the Savior, we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). As this transformation increases, His Lordship in our lives becomes an ever-increasing desire and pursuit. 

Imagine standing before the King and God of all Creation. Imagine being granted the opportunity to be in His presence to declare your love for and allegiance to Him. As you stand before Him, He greets you with a heavenly countenance. You sense and feel His grace, love, and affirmation. He nods to you to encourage you to speak. What would you say? What words would you use? I want to suggest the following. Since the Psalmist mentions rulership first, so shall I. 

KING: I declare you as the Sovereign Ruler of my life. I choose to bend the knee of my choices to you. I choose to live my life in allegiance to your direction and guidance. You are far more capable of ruling over my life than I am. Your wisdom and ability to lead me in all things is far greater than my own. I surrender, submit, and align my life according to your rule. Your ways are better than my ways. I will be happier and healthier because of your rule in my actions, attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyle. I bow in allegiance to you. I declare you as my KING. 

GOD: I affirm I have placed my trust in you as my God. You are the supreme being I worship. You are the Sovereign Creator of all. As my God, I bow down to you and worship only you. Holy, holy, holy are you, God Almighty, who was, is, and is to come. I will not place any other gods before you. You are the Most High God. All other created beings, both spiritual and physical, were created by you and are subservient to you. I seek you as my God. I choose to hear, see, and know you as my one true God. I declare you are my GOD. 

The Psalmist had learned the beauty and favor of such an allegiance. Look at verse four again. Notice there is a comma in the middle of the verse. The Psalmist could not finish his sentence without declaring the blessings (victories) he had experienced by having a King AND God relationship with the Lord! Furthermore, he could not stop his pen from writing about such a relationship. In four more verses, he writes about the blessings he experienced in his relationship with the Lord. 

I believe many of our personal struggles or the struggles of those we know are due to the imbalance of these two aspects in our relationship with the Lord. There are many who call upon God the Son (Jesus Christ) as their Savior but hesitate to align their attitudes, values, and behaviors with the rulership of His Kingdom. Therein is the struggle. Jesus said a house divided against itself will fall. While grace may have saved their soul, God’s ways and truth must be obeyed to overcome the damaging and unhealthy behaviors that have previously ruled their lives. His rulership leads to wholeness, healing, recovery, and victories. To deny His rulership is to accept a life of consequence instead of blessing. 

There is another story in this Psalm, the story of verses nine through twenty-six. It is a story of a season of life where everything that could go wrong went wrong. To complicate the situation, the Lord’s lack of intervention did not make sense to the author. He was clearly confused by the silence he was experiencing in his relationship with the Lord. What do we know about how this second story ended? Did God show up? Did He speak? Were the people saved from the abuse of their enemy? Why didn’t the Psalmist share the end of the story? Why did the Psalmist write of two completely different experiences within the same Psalm? 

Because life contains good days and difficult days, some days make sense, while others do not. Some are wonderful, and others are tragic. Some are like verses one through eight, while others are like verses nine through twenty-six. Through it all, God is still sovereign. That is the message of this Psalm. Our allegiance to Him as our King and God must remain the same throughout each day. 

The Psalmist finishes with a beautiful prayer we can pray when our days are full of confusion and hardship. “Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.” I pray you hold on to your allegiance to the Lord as your King and God because His unfailing love will always be the end of your story.

Scripture: Psalms 2:1-12

A Story in The Story

“I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.

Psalm 2: 6 – 9 (NIV84)

Psalm 2 is a poetic masterpiece. It is a powerful story in the bigger and more powerful story of God. It is the story of a man who became King of Israel, and within his story is The Story of the Coming King. The new King of Israel had recently come to power when this Psalm was written. In verses six through nine, he wrote what he believed the Lord had said to him as he began to reign over Israel. He is pledging to bring freedom and safety to all those who would threaten the nation of Israel. The Coming King, the Messiah, would do the same on a much grander scale.

This Psalm is more frequently referenced and, at other times, directly quoted in the New Testament than any other. It is referred to as a Royal and a Messianic psalm because it references the coming Messiah. While the Psalm does not explicitly reveal the author by name, many theologians believe its content identifies David as the author and the new King of Israel.

This psalm is a magnificent example of how the Spirit of God led the writer to describe what was significant to him in his era. Yet, it simultaneously foretells moments that would not happen for hundreds of years.

It is a glimpse into the “big picture” of God’s story of sovereignty. Thinly veiled in the story of the kingdom of David and Israel is the story of the Kingdom of God and his story of sovereignty. Thus, it is a story in The Story. Both are powerful stories, and both guide us in living our lives.

So, what is the value of Psalm 2 to you? How does the story of the King of Israel and the thinly veiled prophetic statements of the Coming Messiah apply to your life? I’m glad you asked! Interestingly, the Spirit of God does the same with you and me as with David. He enters our story so we can share with others the bigger story that is within us. While the story of God is being written in our hearts for us, it is also being written for the benefit of others.

David, the young shepherd of sheep and the least likely of his brothers to be selected to become King of Israel, who had little to no formal training for government work or leading soldiers into battle, became the King of Israel. Now, that is an amazing story. David quickly learned that he would need to learn how to hear God’s voice in order to accomplish the will of God for his life. In fact, for David to accomplish the story of God, he would need to hear the voice of the Lord to be empowered to do so.

Verses six through nine are the words David perceived the Lord to say to him regarding the trajectory of his life. He needed an encounter with God that would etch his soul and empower him with confidence to do what God had called him to do.

What are God’s purposes for your life? Where does God want to enter your story and speak a life-changing message to you and others to be blessed by? How is God creating His story within your story?

As you consider these questions, let me remind you of two truths from David’s life.

1. God was at work in David’s story far sooner than David knew. While he was shepherding sheep as a young boy, God was in the details and circumstances of his early years to bring him forward in his faith. Eventually, God’s grand plan would unfold, but not until many faith-building moments had occurred.

2. God’s plans for David’s life were God-sized and would require great faith. As David grew in his faith, the story of God in him grew bigger. The Bible contains many stories where God speaks, and His people are empowered to accomplish what they could not without Him. Hebrews 11 contains an entire list of people who, like David, lived into the big story of God as they grew in faith.

I believe Psalm 2 was written to encourage you to live a life that contains two stories—yours and God’s in yours. Henry Blackaby, a popular Canadian author and pastor, wrote, “Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes–all the time! It must be that way for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory.”

I pray Psalm 2 encourages you to know God is at work in your life, whether you realize it or not. I pray you begin each day asking the Lord to further His Story through your life. Pause for a moment and pray something like this: “Father, today I surrender my life to you. May your kingdom come, and your will be done in my life as surely as it is done in heaven each day”. Friend, live today knowing God has been writing and is still writing His story in yours. When you get the opportunity, share with others what great things He has done in you, for you, and around you.

Scripture: Psalms 62:1-12

The Secret Sauce of Rest

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:5–8 (NIV84)

For the weary Christ-follower, the exhortation of these verses is the heavenly secrets of rest and perseverance. These divine secrets are experienced in God alone. They are available nowhere else. If we need stability (rock), security (salvation), protection (fortress), and perseverance (not be shaken), then we must pour out our hearts to him and trust in him to be our refuge.

Recently, I shared this talk with a group of single mothers. Absentmindedly, I asked, “Have you ever taken a nap and woke up tired?” They laughed and said, “Who has time for a nap? Who has time to stop and pray as the kids are waking up and getting ready for school?” Many others have said, “How can I rest when I have so much responsibility that demands my every moment?”

The pace of an average person today is mind-boggling. Many attempt to organize their lives in hopes an organized life will lead to a more peaceful life. While there are many helpful articles and books that can help us organize our lives, an organized life does not mean the soul is at rest. In God alone, our soul can find rest. In God alone, single moms, single dads, married couples, students, and every other human being can find rest for their souls.

Rest for our soul has always been on God’s agenda for our lives. From the beginning, He has wanted us to live in the rhythm of rest and work. This is evident in the story of the very first human couple, Adam and Eve. God created Adam and Eve on the sixth day of Creation (Genesis 1:26). Before the sixth day was over, He told them they were responsible for all the plants and animals. 

Then, on the seventh day, God rested. 

What?? 

With all that needed to be done in the Garden, with all that God needed to teach Adam and Eve about the Garden, were they to rest and not work? Yes, the Lord was teaching them the importance of working from a place of rest. He created them to restfully work. He created us to do the same.

Tragically, with Satan’s entrance into this divine rhythm, humanity has forever suffered. From one generation to the next, Satan introduced and established his satanic principle of unrest. Satan’s scheme has become so successful that the world only knows unrest. Unrest has become the accepted reality of every day. Unrest in our schedules. Unrest in our hearts and unrest in our souls. It is as common among Christ-followers as it is with unbelievers.

Rest is not just the absence of activity. Rest is not achieved by having less responsibility, fewer tasks, or taking longer vacations. It is not experienced by just taking a nap! Divine rest starts from a deeper place within our soul.

Divine rest is experienced in the presence of the divine. Divine rest arrests the unrest that seeks to occupy our hearts, minds, and emotions. Divine rest strengthens our faith and settles the unrest that is stirring within us. Divine rest is to be the foundation from which we manage our lives in a divine manner. Unrest can manifest as anxiety, worry, and fear. In the Lord’s presence, David’s soul was strengthened out of unrest and into a state of rest. Likewise, our soul in the Lord’s presence will find rest, confidence, and stamina that is not available anywhere else. It is there where we find strength, hope, and faith. When you encounter life’s greatest challenges, you must pour out your heart to him (verse eight). When your day is full of exhausting “to-do’s,” you will navigate that day better if you work from moments of divine rest. We must make room in our day to pause and connect with the Lord, who is the only one who can place our souls at rest despite all the unrest around us.

When Jesus arrived on the planet, he exhorted his disciples to find their way back to the divine principle of rest (Matthew 11:28-30). I am attempting to do the same. Nearly every morning, I sit on my couch with my Bible and ask the Lord to energize the words I read. I ask Him to deposit strength in my soul as I seek Him in those personal moments. I pour out my heart to Him for the issues I am facing. I have discovered the presence of God within a soul can calm the heart even though the storms of life are raging.

Often, I am amazed at the influence His presence and His Word (the Bible) leave upon my soul. They affect my perspective, my outlook, and my attitude. They deposit stability (rock), security (salvation), protection (fortress), and perseverance (not beshaken). I enter my day with rest within my soul.

Friends, the secret sauce of divine rest is learning how to Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him…” When you create a rhythm in your life that allows you to pour out your heart to him, you will experience His divine presence, which will change how you navigate your day. As you do one day at a time, you will also say, “…for God is our refuge”.

Scriptures: Psalms 73:1-28, Hebrews 13:8, John 14:6, John 16:13, John 16:7

Doubts—I’ve Had Them! 

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

Psalm 73:2–3 (NIV84)

“When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”

Psalm 73:16–17 (NIV84)

Do you remember the last time you slipped and fell or almost fell? It is shocking how quickly you can be totally upright, and then bam, you are horizontal! In one moment, you are moving along, and in a split second, you are down. If you are lucky, you can pop back up, hoping no one saw you! Regardless of the presence or absence of an eyewitness, those moments are very unsettling. 

Have you ever felt your faith in God slipping? 

That can also be unsettling. 

Have you ever confessed to someone you were having doubts about your biblical convictions and confidence in God? 

Those are unsettling moments as well. 

The Psalmist nearly slipped from a stable place in his faith. He said he nearly lost his foothold. As he looked with envy upon the unbeliever’s wealth and prosperity, he began to question himself and his faith. For twelve verses, he articulates the questions and doubts that arose within his faith. His thoughts began to shake his faith and confidence in the ways of God. 

Let me acknowledge what many would say not to say: Christians can have doubts. There, I said it! It is true. In all honesty, there was a brief time in my life when I had some doubts about God’s ability, plans, presence, and especially His timing. Some of those moments shook my faith. 

This Psalm is an excellent example of what a Christ-follower should do when they feel their faith is slipping. 

First, be careful of what you focus on. 

Read verse three. His first mistake is what he focused on. There is a lie underneath every temptation and everything unaligned to the Kingdom of God. Sadly, our world is full of lies. You only need a few minutes watching TV (news agencies, commercials, talk shows, movies, TV series, spokespersons, politicians, organizations, etc.) to see how far our society has left what the Bible proclaims as truth. If we focus and pay attention to those who do not honor God and His ways, then our ability to correctly discern between right and wrong is at risk. Our capacity to distinguish between holy and unholy can be compromised. A poor focus opens the front door to doubt in our faith. As such, a poor focus is a dangerous focus. 

Secondly, the strategies of Satan and his kingdom are incredibly strategic and troublesome to the followers of God. 

Read verse 16. The Psalmist uses the word oppressive. It means troublesome. He was deeply troubled in his thoughts about the society and culture he lived in. The bad guys were winning, and the good guys were losing. The bad guys were getting worse and getting richer, while the good guys suffered more with less. He could not wrap his head around how and why people who seem to be very successful, appear to be healthy with few struggles, have few burdens and human ills, are full of pride, prone to violence, callous in their hearts towards others, evil in their thinking, scoff at others while speaking with malice to oppress—can continue to succeed without a care in the world (verses four through twelve)? Why do God-fearing and devoted Christ-followers suffer so much while evil people succeed so easily? I also struggle to wrap my head around the same. “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me…”

What do we do if the enemy’s oppressive influence has crept into our faith, thoughts, emotions, and understanding? How do we remain anchored in our faith in a world that seems to reward evil and penalize who and what is holy? How do we keep from slipping in our faith and confidence in God? 

We must do what the Psalmist did. He entered the sanctuary of God (verse seventeen), and so must we. What did he do in the sanctuary of God? He listened to the Scriptures that were read, prayers that were prayed, and worship songs that were sung. Maybe he sought out someone to talk to and pray with. Perhaps he sat down and journaled some of his thoughts, which eventually became this Psalm. 

Entering the sanctuary of God changed his focus and stabilized his faith. When we sense we are about to lose our foothold, we must give God time to speak to our understanding. We must seek Him who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). When we sense our confidence slipping, we must intentionally place ourselves in the presence of the One who is Truth (John 14:6). Furthermore, He who is Truth is also our Counselor (John 16:7). He “…will guide you into all truth…” (John 16: 13). In His presence, His stability becomes ours. His truth anchors us and stabilizes our foothold. 

I will finish with a sentence from the last verse of this Psalm. “But as for me, it is good to be near God…” When we seek the Lord, spend time in His Word, and worship Him in our homes, cars, and anywhere else, we anchor ourselves in His unchanging truth. We must remember the further we wander away from Him, the closer we wander towards doubt and uncertainty. Therefore, it is imperative we spend time in His presence to chase away every doubt and maintain our faith in God. We must enter our personal sanctuary of God. That place can be in your living room, kitchen, patio, or backyard. He is happy to be near you when you elect to be near Him.