IN THE SHADOW OF THY WINGS | JUNE 2020 PROMISE WORD

 
                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                       

 Among all the books of the Holy Bible, if  I ask you to pick up your most endearing and most appealing book, many, invariably, will choose the Book of Psalms.  We often run into Psalms for solace in times of trouble, comfort in periods of loss and hope in seasons of despair. Therein we see, not only a reflection of our own life, but even answers that shape our living.   Psalms is a compendium of songs, poems, sonnets compiled by the sweet Psalm writer of Israel, King David and few other hymnists.  Truly these songs, strengthen our spirit, sustain our hope, stumbles our adversaries and most importantly teach us to offer the right kind of sacrifices to God ~ songs of praises and thanksgiving

The Psalms not only capture the  essence of  our emotions in every day life viz., joy, delight, passion, sorrow, pain, worry, loss, fear etc.,etc.,   it also points to us the great comfort, consolation, deliverance, promotion, victory and such other blessings which comes from God in the midst of all confusions and chaos.It is a fact that these  were written by men of God in different seasons of their life. Yet, the spirit of God treasured in these psalms is also a fact, which no man can hide. Every other psalm is a pearl which preaches to us the principles of Godly life.  For June 2020, as led by the Lord, we will meditate Psalm 57. Let us, together, explore and unearth the riches of God's blessing in this timeless song.

 Fugitive's Frailty

The title words of Psalm 57, reads like the headline of a modernday newspaper: 'Israel's sweet singer on the run, chased by his own father-in-law'. Green-eyed King Saul wants to eliminate David,  God chosen successor.  Now crown prince is gone into a cave. But this racer is truly not a coward.   He has, in the past, wrecked lions, bears and even giants in his life.   But  now he is demoralised by his own father in law. Many a time, our loved ones, our family members turn out to be our enemies and evil-wishers. Husband against wife, wife against husband, father against son, son against father, brother against brother, daughter-in-law against mother in law and vice versa.  Relatives are there to love and care for each other.  How could there be an enemity, hatred, animosity between the members of the same family, born of the same womb?  Elder sibling hates the younger.  A cold-blooded murder follows a  generational curse on this family.  Descending from that family line, even we also suffer the effects of the curse in our lives. Abel was righteous. But his blood was shed by his own blood relative.

 Tongue is sharper than knife! (verses 3, 4, 6)

 Psa 57:4  My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 

 Piercing a dagger into somebody may lead to instant death.  But pricking somebody with words would cause daily death in him.   A path which many of us tread.  As children of God, we may not hesitate to suffer for the Lord in our ministerial endeavours. However, as witness of Christ, we often fumble and falter when faced with fiery verbal and emotional attacks.  Disgrace, dishonour, false accusation, slander, humiliation and the like grind our spirits and buries our temperance. We are unable to count it as joy (Mat 5:11) and end up displaying our lament, anger, frown, frustration, despondency and defeatedness. The one who tore the jaw of  lion is now  troubled by the teeth of men ~ harsh words of men ~ whose tongues are set on fire.  Like a sharp-edged knife, their tongue, their reproach is cutting the heart of David into two.  David's calamity is neither covid 19 pandemic nor swarming deadly locusts. He is hurt by the deadly verbal abuse of his own (vs., 2,3,6).  Maybe you are also walking in the same path and much troubled by the words of your near and dear ones. Distressed by their acts of  hatred and bitterness you may have wanted to run away, escape from their world, and your own world too!  In Psalm 57 David is seen running toward a cave.  Are you running towards some cave or are you in there already?

 Cave to Wings

.. in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast (Psalms 57:1)

 Even though David found a cave to hide himself, he never remained a cave-man for long. Even though darkness was shrouding him, he confessed that God will be his light, even in darkness (Psalms 18:28).  Inside the cave, he cleaved to his God.  He realizes that not any cave, but everlasting God is his only hope.  Not only here, whenever he was faced with a crisis, his soul thirsted for God, his whole being sought the shadow of almighty.  As an eagle that guards the eaglets under her  sprawling feathers, under her mighty wings, he affirms that the God whom he loves would protect him under the shadow of His wings.  What did David find  in his 'shadow of wings' experience?

1.God's Protection (Psalms 7:8)

2.God's Loving Kindness (Psalms 36:7)

3.God's Refuge (Psalms 57:1)

4.God's Joy (Psalms 63:7)

This list is not complete. You can experience even greater things under the shadow of His wings. Yes. Take a decision now to immediately leave the dark dungeon of depression and get under the the shadow of God almighty.

Defeated Decides

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise (Psalms 57:7)

Struck by words, he runs into a cave. Surrounded by darkness, he realizes that not this cave, but only the wings of the Lord God can protect him.   The young ones of a bird would find the warmth of the wings as a cozy place to rest.  It may seek not more than that. But to David, for the child of God, for the disciple of Christ, the wings are not a place to rest and lie down.  It  should become a workshop for realization and revival.   Cave echoes man's depression and despondency, but Wings(of God) expresses God's joy and deliverance (Psalms 63:7).  Beaten and bruised Paul and Silas, chose singing in place of wailing.   They became a channel of blessing to many.   If Salvation could bloom inside the prison doors, how much more it should under God's wings?  What was the story behind the wings?  An amazing transformation took place, not inside the cave, but under the wings, happened in the life of David.

 David….

v Arose (57:8)

v Called (57:2)

v Praised (57:9)

v Sang(57:9)

v Proclaimed(57:9)

Herein is no space to explain each of these five part transformation in the life of David.  Encourage you ro read and meditate. God will surely help you.

If we have put in one sentence, David did not chose to relax and lie down in the comfort of God's abiding presence,  he glorifies God with this acts (vs 11)

Even today, having coming under the shelter and wings of Lord Jesus Christ, do we feel satisfied in just enjoying His shadow, or do we glorify God by announcing him to others? Is not David an example to us? These are the words of a believer - one who believed : I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. (57:2).

An amazing change occurs in the life of the one who chose to glorify God by coming under His shadow. Fear gives way to confidence, mourning gives way to joy, one who ran to save his own life has now found new life in the life-giver. 

He knows that this calamity will pass.  Hallelujah!   The first part of the first verse might be prayer for mercy. But the later part is a 'faith confession', 'message of hope'. He does not ask for the calamity to the removed. His plea is to 'hide' until the calamities are overpast.  One who fell under the shadow of God's wings, becomes a warrior of faith.  That is the miracle found under the shadow of His wings!

Interestingly, in this Psalm, we don’t even find a single promise from God as to what he would do!    But we find the psalmist professing a number of positive statements about God and his doings. The Spirit of God has kept  this Psalm to not just applaud the faith of David, but to make him as an example to us!  The Davidical confesions must become ours! I believe that to be the promise of God.  In the sight of David, in his experience, under the shadow of His mighty wings….

God
1.Sends Salvation(57:2)                                                                                                                          2.Sends Grace(57:2)                                                                                                                              3.Sends Truth(57:2)                                                                                                                          4.Performs (Fulfils) all things (57:2)

Do you notice an interesting parallel?  Just put these four points together. Salvation, Grace, Truth and the God who finishes everything for us.  All these point toward our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He is the one who finished everything for us on the cross.  Under His mighty wings, we enjoy the sweet presence of our Lord. To the moabite woman Ruth who chose the God of her mother-in-law Nahomi, kinsman Boaz said,

 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust (Ruth 2:12) 

 Today I pray, I decree and declare the same word of promise upon each and everyone reading this and finding shelter under the shadow of His Mighty wings. May you receive the fullest reward and recognition  from the hands of the heavenly Boaz.

 Continue to abide under the shadow of His wings

 In His Service, Your brother in Christ,

Vinod Kumar

God's Shadow Ministries

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