When David is encamped on all sides by his aggressors, he prays and makes his appeal to God. He rests in the hope he has for his future.
Psalm 17:8-11 “Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Thy wings, from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies, who surround me. They have closed their unfeeling [heart]; with their mouth they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps; they set their eyes to cast [us] down to the ground”. The Psalmist’s conclusion through persecution is written in the last verse – “As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake” (v. 15).
Below are excerpts from Christianity Today, dated February 24, 2022. As Russia Invades Ukraine, Pastors Stay to Serve, Pray … a...... | News & Reporting | Christianity Today
“Please pray about Ukrainian Christians, that we will serve and live as the community of hope in a full sense of this term; that during these terrible times we would ignite more and more people to the relationships with God and His children, to the relationships of love, hope, encouragement, support; that our minds and characters would continue to transform into the character of Jesus Christ”, Taras Dyatlik.
Igor Bandura, vice president of the Baptist Union, conveys his supervisor’s two main prayer requests. “First, to stop the aggressor,” he said, “But then for peace of mind, to respond with Christian character and not from human hate.”
Vasyl Ostryi, a pastor at Irpin Bible Church 18 miles northwest of Kyiv, “When this is over, the citizens of Kyiv will remember how Christians have responded in their time of need,” he wrote for The Gospel Coalition. “We will shelter the weak, serve the suffering, and mend the broken. And as we do, we offer the unshakable hope of Christ and his gospel.”
The president of Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary outside Kyiv sent out this message to his students as they were instructed to shelter in place while military battled at a nearby airport, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?”, from Psalm 27.
The quotes and stories above are sobering. How often do we in the United States remember to thank God for religious freedom? We are allowed to share the gospel publicly, own Bibles, commentaries, and religious books of all sorts. We meet in homes and in buildings, gather in groups large and small, and worship God in song and prayer; we have access to in-depth teaching of God’s written word.
Notice the concerns of those in the above interviews. Little is about self and personal safety; nothing is about comfort; most is about opportunities to share hope and encouragement and to be a true witness of Jesus’ character.
This is the bigger picture, the greater picture. We can become so concerned and derailed by small inconveniences, that our focus and perspective is lost. Is our push, our ‘fight’, and our direction, the one given by God or is it fueled by personal affronts, fear of government encroachment upon our beliefs, and a sense of deservedness?
The believers in Ukraine are praying to survive real persecution. In Russia, speaking of the gospel and mentioning God in any public setting, other than in a designated church building which has been given permission to function by the government, is outlawed. And this is the country which threatens to subdue Ukraine.
As we pray for Ukraine, I wonder that we should take a close look at the example of those Christians quoted above. Right now the only real attack we face is the one which comes from selfishness and sin within. Would we be able to survive a real threat from the outside?
Please join me in prayer for Christians in Ukraine. As you read these passages from the Bible, consider your own response to difficulties. Through Christ, in all circumstances, we can have peace, comfort, confidence, security, protection, contentment, strength, assurance, perseverance, and hope. Let’s pay attention to encouraging one another in our time of peace; this practice will be a help in our time of trouble.
Psalm 23:4-6, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me”.
Psalm 27:3-4, “Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in [spite of] this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to meditate in His temple”.
Psalm 34:7-9, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him, there is no want”.
Isaiah 41:10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD”.
Read Paul’s words to the church in the midst of persecution and affliction – 2Thessalonians 3:3-5, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil [one.] And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will [continue to] do what we command. And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ”.
John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand”.
Focus Heavenward
