Safety in the Lord
"Who you gonna call" was the by-line in Ghostbusters. It was a line that promised safety and getting out of nasty situations with ghosts who were haunting you. But in reality, when we need a safety net, we should be calling on the Lord. Many times in the Psalms, David called out to the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. Psalm 143 is no different in this respect. But something wonderful is hidden in this passage - he calls upon the Lord to teach him in the way he should walk, to trust in the Lord to deliver him and to take refuge in the Lord. Notice that part of what is being said here is David making a call to understand what the Lord wants him to do in the situation. That is the teach part. David is affirming his trust in the Lord to direct and protect him.
Psalms 143:7-12 (NASB)
[7] Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
[8] Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
[9] Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
*I take refuge in You.
[10] Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level *ground.
[11] For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
[12] And in Your lovingkindness, *cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.
Likewise, in the book of Proverbs, chapter 18, the claim is made that the Name of the Lord is like a strong tower. It's like calling on the Lord's name delivers you as though you were in a very secure place. It says that the righteous run to it (the name of the Lord) and are safe. The trust is in the Lord to lead and to protect. That is, safety is in the Lord. Calling upon Him gives us our safety net.
Proverbs 18:10 (NASB)
[10] The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is *safe.
Notice that not only do we have a safety net in the Lord, but He causes us to have peace. Trusting in Him leads us to dwell in safety. This also indicates that it is not just religious aspects but our whole life as well. This might include our work, our relationship with our neighbors, and even our relationship with our enemies.
Psalms 4:8 (NASB)
[8] In peace I will *both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.
Strangely enough we might think that our enemies are getting away with things, but ultimately the Lord is the one who takes His revenge. When we call upon the Name of the Lord he goes to battle for us and leads us to safety.
Psalms 12:1-5 (NASB)
PSALM 12
For the choir director; *upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.
[12:1] Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
[2] They speak *falsehood to one another;
With flattering *lips and with a double heart they speak.
[3] May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
[4] Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are *our own; who is lord over us?”
[5] “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”
I have said it once and I will say it again - where are you going to hide if the Lord is angry with you? Who can stand before the fierce anger of the Lord? No one. He is the stronghold that we should be seeking and He knows His own and those that take refuge in Him. There is nothing that any of our enemies can dream up that can thwart the Lord's plans, nor can they rise again after the Lord takes action against them.
Nahum 1:6-9 (NASB)
[6] Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the burning of His anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire
And the rocks are broken up by Him.
[7] The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
[8] But with an overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of *its site,
And will pursue His enemies into darkness.
[9] Whatever you devise against the LORD,
He will make a complete end of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
So why are we always afraid? We should have confidence when we put our faith and trust in God. He is our safety net in times of trouble. He is also our protector from our enemies. We would do well to keep our eyes trained upon Him and to seek Him out for refuge in times of trouble.
Psalms 143:7-12 (NASB)
[7] Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
[8] Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
[9] Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
*I take refuge in You.
[10] Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level *ground.
[11] For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
[12] And in Your lovingkindness, *cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.
Likewise, in the book of Proverbs, chapter 18, the claim is made that the Name of the Lord is like a strong tower. It's like calling on the Lord's name delivers you as though you were in a very secure place. It says that the righteous run to it (the name of the Lord) and are safe. The trust is in the Lord to lead and to protect. That is, safety is in the Lord. Calling upon Him gives us our safety net.
Proverbs 18:10 (NASB)
[10] The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is *safe.
Notice that not only do we have a safety net in the Lord, but He causes us to have peace. Trusting in Him leads us to dwell in safety. This also indicates that it is not just religious aspects but our whole life as well. This might include our work, our relationship with our neighbors, and even our relationship with our enemies.
Psalms 4:8 (NASB)
[8] In peace I will *both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.
Strangely enough we might think that our enemies are getting away with things, but ultimately the Lord is the one who takes His revenge. When we call upon the Name of the Lord he goes to battle for us and leads us to safety.
Psalms 12:1-5 (NASB)
PSALM 12
For the choir director; *upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.
[12:1] Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
[2] They speak *falsehood to one another;
With flattering *lips and with a double heart they speak.
[3] May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
[4] Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are *our own; who is lord over us?”
[5] “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”
I have said it once and I will say it again - where are you going to hide if the Lord is angry with you? Who can stand before the fierce anger of the Lord? No one. He is the stronghold that we should be seeking and He knows His own and those that take refuge in Him. There is nothing that any of our enemies can dream up that can thwart the Lord's plans, nor can they rise again after the Lord takes action against them.
Nahum 1:6-9 (NASB)
[6] Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the burning of His anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire
And the rocks are broken up by Him.
[7] The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
[8] But with an overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of *its site,
And will pursue His enemies into darkness.
[9] Whatever you devise against the LORD,
He will make a complete end of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
So why are we always afraid? We should have confidence when we put our faith and trust in God. He is our safety net in times of trouble. He is also our protector from our enemies. We would do well to keep our eyes trained upon Him and to seek Him out for refuge in times of trouble.