Chris' Corner -- Sunday, April 25, 20121
We have seen walls about to fall due to age or poor construction. They are crumbling or bowing and don’t look like they will serve their purpose for very much longer. We can picture the fence in disrepair or damaged. Posts are broken, rails or boards are missing. Regardless of the original reason for building it, the fence is neither keeping something from getting out or in.
During some trying times when his enemies were attacking David, he wrote, “How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence” (Psalm 62:3).
The original word for “attack” (NKJV) in this verse is not found anywhere else in the Bible. The old King James renders it “imagine mischief.” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines it partly as “assail, break-in, overwhelm.”
Although David was under attack, he knew God was with him. All attempts to bring him down would fail. Instead of David seeing his life come to an end, they would see theirs—just like the leaning wall and tottering fence. David leaves us with an encouraging message.
We have been talking for some time now about the increase of Christian persecution in our nation. This is a disturbing and frightening thing. After living our comfortable, peaceful lives for so long, we are now thinking about the actual personal dangers of being a Christian. Yes, we know what Jesus said about it (Matthew 5:10, 11; 10:22, 28; John 15:18-20). Paul affirms this truth (2 Timothy 3:12), as did Peter (1 Peter 3:12-15).
After reading these passages, we can see the glimmer of hope we have in Christ. We have a Father in heaven who loves us, sees our troubles and will respond accordingly. Will He save our physical life? Maybe. Will He help us to bear the trials of suffering, even unto death? Definitely. Will He save our souls in eternity? We can be confident of this.
Paul wrote, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31–39).
David’s words give us hope. Our enemies may attack us, but they will not win. They will not overwhelm us and take away our hope. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5, 6).
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