persecution

Pray for Ukraine

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?”

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

Psalm 119:161-162

For the last several years, our women’s Bible study has been going through Psalm 119, verse by verse. It is rich in its description and value of the Word, one of God’s great gifts to His children.

Ps 119:161-162 Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Thy words. 162 I rejoice at Thy word, as one who finds great spoil.

Verse 161 begins our twenty-first section of Psalm 119. As there are only twenty-two sections, we are turning the corner to completion of this Psalm! The general theme throughout Psalm 119 is God’s Word – His commands, testimonies, ordinances, laws, and truths given to us through the careful and inspired writings of God’s children. God’s word is used as instruction and encouragement, as reminder and conviction. Our Psalmist, David, shares his struggles and his victories, always attesting to the value and need of God’s word in his life.

We move on to verse 161 which begins with the twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the letter SCHIN. This verse starts off with a negative followed by a positive.

First, “Princes persecute me without cause” is the complaint we read from our Psalmist. Truly, if anyone has ever been attacked, David can claim to be among the elite of that group. Earlier in Psalm 119:23 we read the same thought, “Even though princes sit and talk against me” and in verse 157 – “Many are my persecutors and my adversaries”. We see the addition of the phrase “without cause” in verse 161.

Consider. It is one thing to experience hostility toward yourself when you understand what you have done to offend others. It is quite another thing to have hostility directed toward yourself when you truly have done nothing to warrant a negative reaction. Our Psalmist is proclaiming his innocence. The wages of war against him are without reason on his part. This is difficult. You can almost hear the questions that may be going through David’s mind, ‘Why is this happening?’ and ‘What have I done?’

In Adam Clarke’s Commentary this explanation is given: “In reference to David, the plotting against him in Saul’s court, and the dangers he ran in consequence of the jealousies of the Philistine lords while he sojourned among them, are well known”. David did not give any cause for Saul to act against him but he was seen as a traitor and an enemy to the government which led to his persecution. Not only did the Psalmist have the king plotting to destroy him, but those who were in authority under the king and Saul’s army were employed in David’s demise.

Our expectation is that the government or those in authority would protect the innocent. It was not the case then and often it is not the case now. Corruption preys upon those who are weak and guiltless. Read Jesus’s words in John 15:25 – “But [they have done this] in order that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their Law, 'THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE”.

Philip Doddridge was a theologian and preacher born in the 18th Century. Here are his words contained in the Treasury of David in regards to the innocent persecution of saints: “Without a cause. I settle it as an established point with me, that the more diligently and faithfully I serve Christ, the greater reproach and the more injury I must expect. I have drank deep of the cup of slander and reproach of late, but I am in no Wise discouraged; no, nor by, what is much harder to bear, the unsuccessfulness of my endeavours to mend this bad world”.

John 15 tells those who live for Christ to expect persecution and insult and hate from those who do not know Him. Beginning in verse 18, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before [it hated] you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).

Back to Psalm 119:161. Here we have written for us the complaint of David as he is unjustly attacked by the governing authority in the land. David proclaims his innocence. He has a choice to make. Either he can fight and avenge himself or he can turn his eyes toward God who is in control of all things and who is more powerful than any rulers who have been appointed. The second part of Psalm 119:161 records for us David’s response and our example to follow – “But my heart stands in awe of Thy words”.

‘But my heart’ – everything about me, my heart, my will, my intellect, my feelings and my understanding.

‘Stands in awe’ – exactly what it says – an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration; a feeling of profound respect for someone or something; fear; reverence.

John Wesley’s Notes on the Old and New Testaments explains awe as fearing God’s offence and displeasure more than man’s wrath.

‘Of thy word’ – God’s spoken word, His actions, His commandments, His counsel, His glory, His judgment, His manner; anything and everything pertaining to God; His promises, His power, His provision, His purpose and His work.

Bottom line – David fears God more than man! The Psalmist had an opportunity to end his plight from Saul’s pursuit. Recorded for us in 1 Samuel, we see the choice David made was to honor God and do what was right rather than avenge himself and end his own misery.

1Sa 24:10-11 "Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but [my eye] had pity on you; and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed. "Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.”

Lu 12:4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

Are we steadfast in keeping our focus on God when we are mistreated or feel threatened? Do we honor God even above our own safety? Do we look to God for help and deliverance rather than trying to find our own solution?

Ps 119:86 All Thy commandments are faithful; they have persecuted me with a lie; help me!

Earlier in Psalm 119 David claims boldness in his speech, even before those who are against him. He doesn’t just tolerate their persecution and remain silent hoping for the circumstance to pass. He speaks of God’s truth.

Ps 119:46 I will also speak of Thy testimonies before kings, and shall not be ashamed.

God is jealous for His children. Let our resolve be to fear God more than man.

“Every gracious soul stands in awe of the word of God, of the authority of its precepts and the terror of its threatenings; and to those that do so nothing appears, in the power and wrath of man, at all formidable. We ought to obey God rather than men, and to make sure of God's favour, though we throw ourselves under the frowns of all the world. The heart that stands in awe of God's word is armed against the temptations that arise from persecution.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

“We are not likely to be disheartened by persecution, or driven by it into sin, if the word of God continually has supreme power over our minds.” Treasury of David

It is all too common for us to find a ‘reason’ for why we act in a way that is against God. We are all familiar with trying to explain away an angry word or action, a bad attitude or feeling of dislike against someone, and a general disposition of impatience with those who ‘bug’ us. In all areas we would do well to consider that when we sin, we smite God. Put in the proper perspective, when our ‘heart stands in awe of God’s words’, we will be reminded to keep God first in our thoughts, actions and words.

Ps 119:162 I rejoice at Thy word, as one who finds great spoil.

The word rejoice means to be bright, to be cheerful, to be glad, joyful, and to make mirth. Consider when something is bright, light is reflected. This is not a picture of a dim light but it is a brilliant light such as the afternoon sun shining in through a window. It makes me think of a feeling also of the sun as winter begins to turn into spring. Our dogs love to bask in the sun, soaking in all of its warmth.

Mirth is an uncommon word. Its meaning is great merriment, gleefulness and hilarity. Overall when combining these definitions, we get the idea of great happiness. God’s word causes great joy just as when you find treasure! The writer of this Psalm is able to proclaim his joy in God’s commands even while he is feeling distress.

We do not typically associate someone who is rejoicing with someone who is experiencing difficulties. Yet, this is the picture painted for us. Joy in the midst of trial. In the book of Matthew we read that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure that, when found, produces joy (Matthew 13:44). One commentary states there is peace found in truth and freedom from temptation also (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary)

When we are busy sincerely seeking God’s Word, we are unlikely to follow sin. Do we rejoice in God’s Word? Do we take pleasure in discovering the truths that have been written for us to understand? There is an active element in Psalm 119:162. It speaks of ‘finding’ great spoil. Consider what it means to find something. Searching involves determination. We read God’s Word, we hear it and we think about it when we seek to understand it and find the treasures within.

Ps 119:72 The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver [pieces].

Ps 119:111 I have inherited Thy testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

These words are from the Treasury of David: “He trembled at the word of the Lord, and yet rejoiced at it. He compares his joy to that of one who has been long in battle, and has at last won the victory and is dividing the spoil…Whether we come by the truth as finders or as warriors fighting for it, the heavenly treasure should be equally dear to us”.

“Then how much more apt and apposite are these high praises to the book of God, rightly called the Bible or the book as if it were, as indeed it is, both for fitness of terms and fullness of truth, the only book to winch (as Luther saith) all the books in the world are but waste paper. It is called the word, by way of eminency.” (Thomas Adams)

Read Psalm 119:161-162 again.

“Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Thy words. I rejoice at Thy word, as one who finds great spoil”.

The word of God is to be feared more than the actions of men. At all times we can find exceeding joy in God’s truth. What does this mean for us today? Perhaps we do not need to be so concerned what others may think of us or even what they may do to us. The important factor in our thoughts and actions should be the reverence we have for God’s word. This reverence will be evident in our thoughts, actions and words. We will be kept from discouragement when others speak or act poorly against us; we will avoid acting in a manner of retaliation toward unfairness; and we will speak with words that are true and helpful. Seeking to live in a way that honors God above all else will cause us to have joy in all circumstances. The joy we find in pleasing God will permeate our lives. We have a priceless treasure in the word of God!

A Voracious Appetite

The Bible is not a course we take and complete, it is a life-giving, life-sustaining gift from the very mouth of God. It is to be treasured, pondered over, and used frequently.

Ps 119:131 I opened my mouth wide and panted, for I longed for Thy commandments.

This is a very descriptive set of words. It paints a picture for us of the great desire the Psalmist has for Truth. You might even want to start at the beginning of Psalm 119 and mark each time God’s word is mentioned. There are several references used for the word: law, way, testimonies, commandments, precepts, word, judgments, statutes, and saying.

Below are the Hebrew definitions from Strong’s Concordance for a few of the words we’ll take a closer look at.

opened <pa’ar> to yawn, open wide

mouth <peh> can also mean mind, speech

panted <sha’aph> to inhale eagerly; desire earnestly, devour

Let’s remember the writer of this Psalm. David endures imprisonment, accusation and persecution because of his love for God. Throughout this entire Psalm, the love he has for God’s word dominates. David recognizes his need for Truth at all times in his life, whether he is in adversity or prosperity. In all circumstances, the Psalmist calls upon the word of God for his sustaining comfort and encouragement.

“I opened my mouth wide and panted” is something we can readily picture. Think of inhaling eagerly, desiring earnestly, and devouring – these words are indicative of serious need and want. Picture this: a newborn baby who has slept for six hours (probably 3-4 is a more realistic time ) then wakes with an insatiable hunger for its mother’s milk. It is impossible to appease the infant with anything but what is desired. There is nothing else that will fill its need!

Picture a puppy inhaling its food. It seems as though it just can’t get enough and the only thing on its mind is to eat. One of our dogs, Lily, is a French Bull Dog. The picture at the beginning of this blog is from Halloween a few years back, complete with a skull and crossbones tattoo – I couldn’t help myself! As sweet as she is, she is not at all loyal to any one person, rather, the hand that fills her dish becomes her temporary best bud. Food is her obsession. It is evident in the noisy way she eats, (I’ve often thought we should have named her piglet), and with the gusto she uses to inhale her food. When she was a puppy, we would have to put a rock in the center of her bowl in order to slow down her gulping the contents. Her appetite has never waned, it is still voracious! This behavior would not be welcomed in anyone of us, but when related to our appetite of God’s word, it is a good thing to desire.

David explains his words to us. Why did he open his mouth and pant? Because he “longed for” God’s commandments. His desire for God’s truth is strong. Think of the word yearning. I love this word used in connection with God’s word because it describes a prolonged desire or need, a need that is never completely filled. Let me explain: We can never get enough of the Truth. There is always more. More insight, more encouragement, more instruction, more conviction, more knowledge of God’s love for us and how unfathomable it is! Heaven forbid we ever get to the place where we think we are finished studying God’s truths or have it all together or don’t need more input. The Bible is not a course we take and complete, it is a life-giving, life-sustaining gift from the very mouth of God. It is to be treasured, pondered over, and used frequently. It is quite different than any other book we might have.

Textbooks are used for a time, learned, memorized, spit out on a test and forgotten. They also frequently become outdated as new versions are published. Cookbooks may be used frequently but most of us use them for quick reference then put them away. We don’t ponder what they mean or how a recipe can change our life! Storybooks or novels are read for amusement, for recreation. The Bible is always relevant, not meant to be forgotten and shelved, and hopefully referenced so often that it is always handy. It is meant for us to ponder and it absolutely changes lives as God opens desiring hearts to know Him.

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Tag: persecution

Pray for Ukraine

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Psalm 119:161-162

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A Voracious Appetite

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