The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Psalm 55:1-8,
"Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
at the voice of the enemy,
at the stares of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering upon me
and revile me in their anger.
My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death assail me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest—
I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.'"
As we look forward to the wonderful hope we have in the resurrection,
many thoughts come to mind. We think of what it might be like living
in God's immediate presence, to live where "there will be no more
death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has
passed away." Revelation 21:4. We also look forward to an existence
that David describes as being filled with "joy in your [the Lord's]
presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11.
Eternal pleasures!
We also think of the treasure in heaven that Jesus spoke of in Luke
12:33 and Luke 18:22. We will be heirs of all that Jesus Christ
inherits from our heavenly Father as God's children, "Now if we are
children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if
indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in
his glory." Romans 8:17.
Additionally, we will enjoy a wonderful relationship with God in spite
of any shortcomings we may have had in this life, "he chose us in him
before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his
sight." Ephesians 1:4.
Something else I think of from time to time relates to David's
complaint in Psalm 55. He speaks of being troubled and distraught over
the wicked, of his being in anguish and his suffering in terror,
trembling and horror and his desire to "fly away and be at rest", to
be able to flee to a place of shelter from the "tempest and storm".
While many of us may never face the difficulties in this life as David
did, we all, nonetheless, live in a world that exists under the
judgment of God, fallen and filled with a collective sinful nature
that is destructive, hostile and dangerous. We lock our doors at
night, avoid dark alleys and certain parts of the city, we worry over
the influences our children may encounter. This world can be a very
hostile environment, a place that can easily be seen as a "tempest and
storm."
As David, we may have called out to God for shelter from the hostility
and dangers we face in this life. Here is a wonderful feature we have
to look forward to in the resurrection. Since evil and those given to
it will be banished to a fiery lake of burning sulfur, we will live in
a pristine environment where the hostility we face in this life will
be gone. As many do, I think of what heaven will be like, and there I
see the "place of shelter" David longed for. No dangerous areas that
need to be avoided. No need to lock the door. We can leave the keys in
the ignition - no need for keys. No danger from harmful people, no
concern for self defense, no concern for loved ones. No terrorists, no
nuclear weapons program.
As David, I suspect all of us have yearned for a "place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm." How wonderful will be that life we
find in the resurrection, an eternal life free from the cares we have
living in this current lost, fallen and hostile world.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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