Safety in His Presence
We read in Psalm 27:4-6 “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I 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 inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
Prevention is better than cure and healing comes in many forms. These verses remind us of the protection and safety we have as a direct result of remaining in God’s Presence.
David knew the safety afforded by abiding in the Presence of God. As a young shepherd, he had defeated a lion and bear with his bare hands when theses predators had tried to plunder his father’s flock. As an older man he experienced life threatening situations with King Saul trying to kill him (primarily) out of jealousy and his son Absalom wanting to usurp his father’s authority and take the throne.
In all of these circumstances and many battles with enemy armies, David, the one whom the Bible refers to as a man after God’s heart, knew the assurance of safety in living with an experiential knowledge of God’s Presence.
The same is true for each of us today. Whilst it’s fair to say not many of us will have to face a king trying to kill us with his spear, or take on lions or bears, we do have an enemy who only comes to rob, kill and destroy (John 10:10).
However the good news of which I remind you today is there is SAFETY in the Presence of God. The Bible declares “If God is for us then WHO can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). No one and no thing!
David gives us the key to resting in this place of safety. It flows directly from abiding in His Presence – dwelling in the house of the Lord, not just on Sundays for a couple of hours in church but abiding in His Presence and gazing upon His beauty and Majesty each and every day.
Then in the day of trouble He promises us safety, shelter, protection and further that we would be lifted above our enemies be they natural or spiritual.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Psa 46:1 There is safety in His Presence!