The Persecuted Faithful

Psalm 44

Introduction

Please view the video in this link about a massacre at a prayer meeting.

            This material comes from the organization International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, which every year at this time encourages churches and Christians to pray for fellow Christians in other countries who are being persecuted.

            Psalm 44 was written at a time when God's people were suffering. Although there is no clear indication as to when it was written, it may have been during the time of Hezekiah. He was a faithful king who had to deal with threats from the Assyrians at a time when much of the country was overrun by them and many of the people of Israel were taken captive. Whatever the setting, the words allow us to think about what it means when God's people are being persecuted.

I.     God's People Suffer?

            Persecution is difficult for us to understand because we believe that God is the almighty Lord who loves His people.

A.   We Expect God To Act

            The Psalmist begins by speaking about our expectation of what God is like. He speaks to God about all the things that God has done in the past. He speaks of times in the past when God acted so that the people did not even have to fight, but God fought for them.

            We could think of many such stories from the history of Israel. We could think of the time, recorded in Exodus 17:11-13, when Israel was fighting against Amalek. As long as Moses prayed, Israel prevailed and by the end of the day they defeated the enemy. We could think of the time when the children of Israel entered the promised land and God led them to Jericho. For six days they marched around the city once a day. Then on the seventh day they marched around it seven times and after the seventh time they blew trumpets and the wall fell down and they destroyed their enemies at Jericho. These and many other stories were in the history of the people and they knew what God had done.

            Verse 8 indicates that this is a reasonable and perpetual expectation. We read, "In God we have boasted continually…" Since God is all powerful and has chosen His people for Himself, God's people can always expect that this is how God is going to act.

B.   But There Is Suffering 9-16

            After such an encouraging beginning to the Psalm, the writer now acknowledges that at the present time of their history this is not what they were experiencing. The current experience of God's people was a time of defeat. The feeling of the people was that God had rejected them, as we read in verse 9. An enemy had defeated them and had taken away their belongings. The enemy had scattered them by taking them captive and forced them to move elsewhere. The writer also describes how all the nations around them were laughing at them and mocking them. They were ashamed because of their defeat and embarrassed by the mockery of their neighboring nations. The feeling was that God "sold them cheaply" and did not fight for them or protect them at all. What was most difficult to take was that the present experience did not fit at all with what God had done in the past, nor with what they thought they could reasonably expect from God.

            What they were experiencing fit with what could be expected by those who had rejected God. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses warned the people that if they would reject Him, he would defeat them and send them away. If we read Deuteronomy 28 alongside Psalm 44:9-16, there are a lot of parallels. For example, Deuteronomy 28:25 says, "The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies…" and Psalm 44:10 says, "You made us turn back from the foe." Deuteronomy 28:33 says, "A people whom you do not know shall eat up the fruit of your ground…" and Psalm 44:10 says, "…our enemies have gotten spoil." Deuteronomy 28:36 says, "The LORD will bring you…to a nation that neither you nor your ancestors have known…" and Psalm 44:11 says, "You…have scattered us among the nations." Deuteronomy 28:37 says, "You shall become an object of horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples…" and Psalm 44:13, 14 say, "You have made us the taunt of our neighbors...a byword among the nations."

C.   Even Among The Faithful 17-21

            The expected reason for such a defeat as described in Psalm 44 seems to be explained by Deuteronomy 28:45, "All these curses shall come upon you, pursuing and overtaking you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God, by observing the commandments and the decrees that he commanded you."

            The confusing thing is that they had not rejected God. In verses 17-21 the Psalmist indicates that they had been faithful to God. He indicates, "We have not forgotten you or been false to your covenant." In other words, they had maintained a relationship with God and they had been obedient to the promises they had made to God. They had been obedient to the law and they had observed the worship practices which God had told them to observe.

            We have probably observed that guilty people sometimes maintain their innocence even when they have been caught red handed. Is the writer self deceived about his innocence? If that were the case, he would not declare what he does in verse 20 that God "…knows the secrets of the heart." He knows that you can't fool God. God knows if we have been guilty. With a statement of such transparency, it is clear that the nation has been innocent and has not violated the covenant. This makes it very hard to understand why they are experiencing the difficulties they are currently experiencing.

            As we look at the persecuted church today, we have a similar puzzle. People in a place where Christians experience opposition are not usually casual about their relationship with God. They will not likely be people who are only cultural Christians or who claim to follow God because they can gain an advantage by it. Yet in spite of faithfulness to God, they experience persecution and this is a thing that is hard to understand. Why do God's people suffer? How can God abandon his people? How can God's kingdom be the eternal kingdom when the enemies of God prevail over His people?

II.  Explaining Persecution 22

            Persecution still happens today and it is just as difficult to understand as it was in the Psalm. How can it be explained?

A.   God's People Will Be Persecuted

            This is not a theoretical question because persecution happens.

            Jesus Himself was persecuted. In Isaiah 53:3 Jesus is described as one who would suffer greatly. It says, "He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity..." After the death and resurrection of Jesus, when Stephen was defending himself just before he was martyred, he declared in Acts 7:52, "Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers." In this statement, he recognized that Jesus had been persecuted and killed by the Jewish religious leaders.

            Jesus indicated that those who follow Him will also experience persecution. In John 15:20 He said, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you..." Paul affirmed this reality in 2 Timothy 3:12, "Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." There are many other passages which also let us know that persecution is not something that should be surprising to Christians. How can this be?

B.   We Suffer For God's Sake

            Psalm 44:22 answers this question when it says, "Because of you we are being killed all day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter." The reason that God's people experience persecution is on account of God Himself. It is because of our relationship with God that persecution is a likelihood.

            In this Psalm the truth is simply stated and not explained, but a very good explanation of why it happens is given in Revelation 12. In this passage we have a picture of the entire scope of human history and God's relationship to it.

            The vision begins with a woman who is about to give birth. Alongside this vision is another image and that is of a great red dragon. As the woman is about to give birth, the dragon stands before her with the intent of destroying the child about to be born. When we read, "she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron," it is very clear that the woman is Israel and the child is Jesus. The dragon is Satan. The mention that "her child was snatched away" describes two stories from the life of Jesus. It describes the story at the beginning of his life when he was protected from the attempt of Herod to destroy him and it describes the end of his life when he was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven instead of being defeated by death. These images speak of the battle that is going on, but verses 10 – 12 speak of the victory that Jesus has accomplished. But although the war is won, the battles continue. In the rest of the chapter, we have the further story of God's people after Jesus ascended to heaven. It speaks of the persecution of the Jewish nation. This happened when Israel was destroyed in 70 AD and has continued in the present times with things like the holocaust and other atrocities done against the Jewish people. Interestingly it also speaks of the persecution of Christians in verse 17 where we read, "Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus."

            Psalm 44:22 simply says, "Because of you we are being killed…" Revelation 12 explains why. There is an enemy who is trying to destroy the work of God and is constantly at war with God and with the people of God. This is the reason why even those who have been faithful to God have experienced oppression and persecution.

III.          How Do We Respond? 23-26

            We need to know this and knowing helps, but we also need to know how to respond when we suffer persecution. It's reality may not be very intense for us, but it is present among us nonetheless. This week, our new chief of police indicated publicly that what was needed in the battle against crime in Winnipeg was prayer. He received opposition for that statement. The Free Press did a survey asking people, "Could the collective power of prayer help combat violent crime in Winnipeg?" 23% said yes and 18% said, it couldn't hurt; but 16% responded, "not through divine intervention, but it might help people be more mindful;" 15% said unlikely and 27% responded, "I find this suggestion inappropriate or offensive." Gordon Sinclair wrote, "…his responsibility is to serve and protect, not to preach about the power of prayer."

            The opposition he received is precisely because of the very reality we are talking about today. How do we respond? How do we live with persecution in our world? How do we deal with it in the awareness that some of our brothers and sisters in the world experience persecution in a much more intense way?

            There is a well developed theology of suffering in the New Testament. I don't want to go into great detail about it, but just to point to some of the things which the Bible says about it.

            The New Testament speaks about the meaning of suffering in such places as Colossians 1:24, "I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." This verse tells us that we should not be surprised that God's people will suffer persecution. It also helps us recognize that the advance of the church is somehow tied to the suffering of the church.

            Revelation 2:10 also recognizes that God's people will suffer but encourages endurance in that suffering. It says, "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." As we saw in the video, some people fall away from Christ when they experience suffering, but Jesus encourages His people to keep on being faithful.

            Endurance becomes victory as we see in Revelation 12:11 which says, "But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death." The strength for victory in persecution is found in Jesus who has already overcome by His blood. It is found by continuing to speak about Jesus in spite of opposition and it promises that if we will remain faithful even if we have to die, we will conquer the enemy and will not be defeated even by the threat of martyrdom.

            These are just a few things which are taught in Scripture regarding the reality of persecution. Psalm 44, adds another important lesson. The final four verses are a prayer.

            They are a request for God to act. They are a plea for God to wake up and reverse the current situation and bring peace. They are a request for God to restore the people from the condition of feeling rejected.

            The prayer also includes a declaration of the difficulty of suffering. As they experienced the enmity they felt as if God was absent. Their difficulties were experienced as "affliction and oppression." Such experiences are very difficult. I watched another video this week from the IDOP website which featured a song written by a man whose father had been a pastor and had been killed for his faith. The son, now living in the US, had written this song as a memorial to his father. It was a tribute to what God had done, but it also contained a description of the difficulty of experiencing persecution. He stated that for those who are imprisoned there is loneliness and fear and worry and all the normal human emotions surrounding such persecution. We should not be surprised that those people experiencing persecution, experience all of these feelings. It is never easy to lose a spouse or a child, to suddenly find yourself face to face with someone who wants to kill you or to live in a place where danger is ever present. Those who experience persecution experience all of these things and the Psalmist expresses these feelings before God clearly and intensely in verse 25 when he says, "For we sink down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground." This verse describes the low feelings, the hopelessness which comes with great suffering. Those who are persecuted experience this and the prayer expresses these things before God.

            The last part of the prayer is a request for God to act. In the last verse we have words like, "help" and "redeem." God's deliverance is needed for those who are being persecuted.

            The final words in the Psalm reflect on the ground of hope which is ours in all of life and also in times of persecution. They remind us that we can always ask God to act because of his "steadfast love." In spite of the battle and in spite of the difficulty of understanding why sometimes God acts with mighty power and sometimes allows persecution to happen, our confidence and hope is in His steadfast love. We can count on that and on the surety of His ultimate victory.

Conclusion

            As we read Psalm 44, we are brought to acknowledge the reality of persecution. As we reflect on it Biblically, we come to understand that it happens, why it happens and that it could happen to us.

            As we read this Psalm we also must be aware that even though it has not been something we have experienced deeply in our world up to this point, there are many places in the world where it is a very significant reality. If you are interested, I would encourage you to look at the website of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. You can find it at www.idop.ca. There you will learn more about the plight of suffering Christians around the world.

            As we read this Psalm, particularly the last few verses, we are also called to join in prayer for those who are suffering today. As we conclude this service, we want to spend some time in prayer for the persecuted church.

I Keep The Lord Before Me

Psalm 16

Introduction

            What do you get excited about? In August I took sailing lessons for the first time and I got really excited about sailing. Since then I have been thinking about how I can rig my canoe in order to make it into a sailboat. There are a lot of other things that I get excited about and I am sure each of us has something that we get excited about. Some people get excited about reading or tennis or shopping or music or the latest technological gadget.

            When we read Psalm 16, we have to conclude that there is nothing more exciting, nothing more meaningful than a relationship with God. Yet I have to confess that all the things I enjoy sometimes distract me from my excitement about God. I have to confess that sometimes I can be much more enthusiastic about some of these other things than I am about my relationship with God. I suspect that I am not unusual in this. That is why I want to look at Psalm 16 with you this morning. I hope that as we think about this Psalm, we will open our hearts to allow God to draw us more deeply into relationship with Himself. I pray that as we hear God's Word in Psalm 16 something will change in our hearts so that our greatest joy will be God.

I.     Fully Committed to God

            Perhaps the problem is that we have not fully grasped what a relationship with God is all about. Perhaps what has happened to us is what happened to the church in Ephesus when Jesus warned them in Revelation 2:4, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." Perhaps at one time we declared faith in God, but since then our life has become more about us than about God? Perhaps we are so overwhelmed by doubts about God's goodness because we believe He has not answered our prayers that we have a hard time entrusting ourselves to Him? If our commitment to God is nominal because of these or some other reason, it is no wonder that we are not excited about our relationship with God. Psalm 16 is the testimony of one who is excited about God and in the first 5 verses the writer gives us some great phrases which describe a commitment to God.

A.   Rest in His Care

            The Psalm opens with a prayer for help but it is not certain what the crisis was for which he was asking for help and, in fact, he does not mention it again. What is clear is that the request for help reveals his heart regarding his relationship with God. He prays to God because, as he says, "O God…in you I take refuge." He declares that God is the one to whom He goes for help. God is his hiding place of protection.

            When I interviewed my grandmother in order to record some of her life experiences, she told me that her life verse was, Isaiah 40:11, "He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep." As a woman widowed and leading 4 children out of Russia during the second world war, she had personally experienced that God was her shepherd. Such examples inspire us to look to God as our refuge. If we do, we will rest in His care.

B.   Declare His Lordship

            I received an email from someone the other day and the email began, "Hi Mr. Toews, I don't know if you remember me…" When Carla calls, the tone of her conversation is quite different. The difference is that the person who emailed was an acquaintance whereas Carla has a claim on my life that is closer than anyone else on earth. What is the nature of our relationship with God? Is He an acquaintance or is our relationship to Him much more intimate than that?

            The Psalmist states "I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord." The two words for Lord in these verses in Hebrew are two different words. The first is the word which speaks about God as the one who has made a covenant with His people to show His everlasting love for them. The second is a word which means master. If we say that the one who has first loved us is the master of our life, we are saying something very important. We first of all acknowledge God's prior love for us and declare gratitude for it. Then we respond with a statement of deep commitment to God as the one who has the first claim on our life. Because God has loved us, we are called to obey Him in everything. Because of all He has done, He has invited us to live our lives for Him as the one who rules in all we do and think. If we treat God as a distant relative or a mere acquaintance, it is no wonder that we are not excited about our relationship with Him. If we declare that because of His love we will serve Him, it is much more likely that we will also be excited about our relationship to Him.

C.   Know He Is The Best

            We will also get excited about our relationship with God if we recognize that there is nothing better than God in our life.

            There are a lot of things in life that we can enjoy. At one level, we recognize that whatever we enjoy, whatever we are good at is a gift from God. Eric Liddell, the Scottish runner said, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." Sometimes, however, we stop at the pleasures we feel and the things which give us joy. The Psalmist goes further when he declares, "I have no good apart from you." It is OK to rejoice in all the blessings which God gives us, but it is much more important to recognize not only that our pleasures are a gift from God, but that our greatest good is Him. Surely if this is something that we choose and commit to, we will naturally be more excited about Him than about anything else.

            In a Moody Bible Institute Devotional, we read, "This didn’t mean that David wasn’t thankful for his family, kingship, and other blessings. It simply meant that God Himself is incomparably greater than any of His gifts--that He was the all-sufficient, all-satisfying joy, truth, and purpose of David’s life."

D.   Love Those Who Love Him

            When the Psalmist says in verse 3, "As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight." he acknowledges that there is a connection between our love for God and our love for others. It is another way of saying what is stated in 1 John 4:8, "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love." Love for God is demonstrated in practical ways in our love for one another. If we do not love our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is evident that we do not love God. If we do love our brothers and sisters, it shows that we love God and if we love God, then we will also be excited about our relationship with God.

E.   Reject Godlessness

            On the other hand, loving God means that we will not serve anyone else. Psalm 16:4 says, "Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips."

            At the time when this was written, the nations around Israel served a host of other gods. Many in Israel were tempted to follow those other gods. They made offerings to them and they declared their allegiance to them. The Psalmist recognizes that such a path leads only to sorrow.

            Today the same thing is true. If we follow the gods of materialism, secularism, consumerism and selfishness it leads only to sorrow. Excitement about serving God will come into our lives when we have a single hearted allegiance to Him.

F.    Choose Him

            In ancient Israel when the people entered into the promised land, the land was distributed among the people by lot. Everyone received a piece of land and they had to go and settle the land. The Levites, who were the priests and servants of God, however did not have any land given to them. Deuteronomy 10:9 says, "Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance with his kindred; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him." It is likely verse 5 reflects such a blessing. There we read, "The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot."

            God has chosen us as His people. If we embrace that choosing and declare that He is the one in whom we trust, the one we rejoice in and serve that is the way in which we will also come to a true and deep excitement about God.

            If we know what it means to take refuge in God, to call Him Lord, to be thankful for His blessings, to rejoice in His people, to reject any other way and to accept His call in our life, then we will be excited about God and His way.

            Is this your commitment? Do you want it to be?

II.  The Blessings We Have From God

            The other thing which will get us excited about God is when we realize how much God has given to us, how much He has blessed us. The rest of Psalm 16 records some of the great blessings which God has given to us.

A.   Good Life

            We have reason to get excited about our relationship with God because He is the one who has given us every good thing we have in life. God has blessed us so abundantly. He has given us a heritage of people who have taught us to follow God. God has also given us so many other good things. We have warm homes, good food, friendships, jobs that are meaningful and so much more.

            A little attitude of thanksgiving will soon reveal that we are truly blessed by God. This is the meaning of verse 6, "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage." James 1:17 says, "every perfect gift is from above." We are the recipients of so many of those gifts. Since God has blessed us so abundantly, we have every reason to get excited about Him.

B.   Counsel

            Another blessing is that we never have to be bewildered about life's path because God directs our path. In verse 7 we are reminded about "the Lord who gives me counsel." and in verse 11, we are encouraged that "You show me the path of life."

            How does God counsel us? He shows us the way to go through His Word. He shows us the way to go through His Spirit. He shows us the way to go through other believers. In verse 7 we have another way in which he directs our path when it says, "in the night also my heart instructs me." This can happen through dreams or when we are awake at night and quiet enough to actually listen to what God may be saying to us.

            The way that God shows us is always the path of life. God does not lead us down the path that will lead to death or destruction. How exciting to know that if we are willing to follow God and accept Him as Lord, He will always lead us into those things that will bring about life.

C.   Confidence

            With God before us, we also have the confidence that there is nothing that we need to fear. Some fears we have might be classified as irrational fears. Some as reasonable fears, but none of these fears need to overwhelm us. God is right beside us and therefore we do not need to be afraid.

            When you see a young child hiding behind its mother you see fear, but you also see confidence that mother will protect. In a similar way, we have confidence that there is nothing that can shake us ultimately because God is near to us because He is always at our right hand.

            Yet that confidence is conditional upon keeping the Lord always before us. If God is our choice and we keep our eyes on Him, then not only do we have no reason to fear, we also will not fear. What a great blessing which is ours in God.

D.   Joy

            If God is our God, then the blessing which God gives us, as stated in verses 9 and 11 are great joy. The Psalmist writes, "my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices" and "In your presence there is fullness of joy."

            Why do we so often lack joy? I believe it is because we do not keep the Lord before us. We are trying to make our joy out of things that do not satisfy. If on the other hand, we will make the Lord our joy, then He will add joy to us of every kind and we will experience the gladness of heart spoken of here. I have found it to be very true, and unfortunately I am still learning what it means. When we pursue joy, there is often disappointment. When we pursue God, then He gives us joy. Our fear is that if we pursue God, it will be a life of discipline and hardship. That is Satan's lie and yet we keep on believing it. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." The God who cares about our rest, will certainly also be the one who gives us joy. This also is the blessing of being God's followers.

E.   Security

            Some people believe that God is only concerned about our spiritual selves, and that our physical self is a curse that will be buried so that we can go to heaven as spiritual persons and serve God there. Yet this is not a Scriptural concept. Verse 9 says, "my body also rests secure." If the physical body was cursed, then how could Jesus have come to earth as a human being and how could he have been raised as a human being and how could the Bible promise a physical resurrection? So another blessing we have is that even our physical body is secure.

            The problem is that we misunderstand that it is secure not from illness or death or earthly destruction. God does bless us with health and life and preservation, but ultimately everyone will die. The blessing of a body that is secure is that in the end we will be preserved from eternal destruction. Therefore, even though we may get sick and we will die, the promise is not lost. We still rest secure in the blessing of knowing that our physical bodies are in the care of God.

F.    Eternal Life

            This eternal perspective is also declared in verse 10. There are not many verses in the Old Testament that speak of the hope of eternal life, but this is one of them.

            This verse is quoted as Old Testament proof of the resurrection of Christ in Acts 2:25-28 when Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost. It was fulfilled in Jesus and because it was fulfilled in Jesus, it also is a promise that pertains to us. This is the final blessing which we have in God, the hope of eternal life.

            Spurgeon writes,

"Since Jesus is mine, I'll not fear undressing,

but gladly put off these garments of clay;

To die in the Lord is a covenant blessing,

Since Jesus to glory through death led the way."

Conclusion

            Is God the delight of our life? Do we get excited about God. Do we live our life with a manifest joy in God?

            Sometimes we get distracted or doubtful or fearful or filled with sadness, but Psalm 16 shows us the way so that we can have full joy and great excitement about God. There are two things which we need to do.

            First of all, we need to put God first in our life. When we recognize that He is our refuge, our Lord and our delight then we will have our greatest excitement in Him.

            Secondly, we need to recognize all the blessings which we have in Him. He has blessed us with life and He keeps us secure and He gives us great joy and ultimately He gives us eternal life. With all of that, how can we not get excited about God.

            Are you excited about God? If you are not, I invite you to take the steps which Psalm 16 shows us. Confess that these things have not been true and choose God and recognize His blessings. Will you take that step today?

The Unchanging In A World of Change

Psalm 93

Introduction

            As a family we used to play a game called Survive, which was one of Jonathan's favorite games. The idea of the game is that the island in the center is being destroyed by an earthquake and you have to get your people to the solid ground on the corners of the game board by using boats or by swimming.

            Psalm 93:3 says, "The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring." In the middle of this Psalm this verse speaks of the turmoil of flooding waters which is an image that speaks of frightening and disturbing changes in our world. When that kind of turmoil is in our life, where is the solid ground?

I.     Ever Changing Turmoil

            We moved to Rosenort in 2000, three years after the 1997 flood. For about the first three years after we moved there we heard many stories about that flood. We heard about the personal care home which had to be evacuated, was flooded and was never rebuilt. We heard about people who worked hard for days in a row to try to save their home but were forced to give up the fight and let it be flooded. We visited people who lived in Rosenort in nice new houses, only to learn that the reason they had new houses and were living in town was because their house in the country had been destroyed by the flood.

            We also heard stories of floods that had happened in earlier years, particularly in 1950. Before 1950, many of the people had cattle. When we lived there, no one had cattle. The reason was that in 1950 cattle were lost because they couldn't get them evacuated in time because the water came up more quickly than expected. After that no one wanted to raise cattle in that area any more.

            During the time we lived there, we experienced several floods. By this time most houses had flood protection, as did an area of about 8 square miles around the village of Rosenort. Yet flooding still was a major problem. Some people who had dikes around their house still had to be evacuated or had to get around by boat, which was often dangerous when it was windy. One man lived about 5 miles from his place of work in Morris. When the flooding came he had to take a boat to get to his truck and then drive about 25 miles around the flooded area to get to work. Those who had dikes around their homes had to stay around to make sure the pumps kept going, while their families lived in a hotel in Winnipeg. During this time business and schooling was disrupted. After the flooding was over, there was almost a full summer of cleaning up the mess left behind by the straw and logs which floated in on the flood waters. I have seen mats of straw several feet thick, which have to be moved by hand quickly if you want to save the grass underneath and you can't use tractors because they would tear up the grass.

            Several years ago they put up a monument to commemorate the floods and it has markers showing the depth of different floods that have occurred over the years. As you can imagine, these people understand Psalm 93:3.

            Yet in spite of all the devastation they have experienced, few if any people have lost their lives due to the flooding. Several months after Hurricane Katrina, I was in New Orleans and saw the places that were suddenly flooded when the levy's gave way. The marks on the houses indicated whether people lost their lives in that home and many homes had such numbers on them.

            The turmoil of flooding is not the only turmoil which we experience in this world. Isaiah 8:7, 8 says, "therefore, the Lord is bringing up against it the mighty flood waters of the River, the king of Assyria and all his glory; it will rise above all its channels and overflow all its banks; it will sweep on into Judah as a flood, and, pouring over, it will reach up to the neck..." Here the flood waters refer to the instability and turmoil caused by the nation of Assyria.

            Some of you have an intimate knowledge of what that means. Some of you have grown up in countries that had political instability. During times of revolution and war families are uprooted, homes are destroyed and some people starve. Some of you experienced this in Russia during the second world war and came out of that country as refugees. Many of the people who are coming to Canada as refugees from Africa today have experienced similar instability. I can't imagine what it must be like to live in Syria today. I have heard gunshots in a residential neighborhood once when I was taking a course at the seminary in Fresno. That was frightening enough, but I can't imagine what it would be like if the whole country was in a situation of instability. Where do you go when the government can't control the rebel forces. What do you do when the efforts of rebel forces trying to bring about a new government create significant danger.

            For most of us the turmoil caused by flooding or unstable nations are not in our experience. Yet life still brings with it many other types of instability. There are always things changing and some of the changes are difficult. As a teenager in high school I remember the turmoil of trying to fit in. Just when you have achieved your goal by graduating, a new turmoil enters your life and you have to figure out what to do next. Even marriage, a good job or having children do not bring stability. Things are still changing. There is the possibility of losing your job, of illness or of an accident. When you begin to get older there is also much that is changing, particularly in regards to your health. Life is uncertain, things are changing and there is much instability in our world. If we interpret Psalm 93:3, broadly, and I think we have every reason to do so, we also understand what it means when it says, "The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring." We understand the changes, the instability, the fear and the dangers of life. Waltner puts it well when he says, "Every generation lives with the reality of unsettled areas of chaos not completely abolished in creation. Tumult and the raging of nations surround every attempt at an ordered world."

II.  Ever Certain Stability

            It is interesting to note that verse 3 is exactly in the middle of the Psalm. It may be in this position to state the obvious reality that in the midst of life there is great turmoil, but the presence of verse 3 in the middle of the Psalm has another significance. Surrounding verse 3 are verses which show that there is a solid and unchanging reality around us. I believe that the way to read this Psalm is not to focus on the instability in the middle, but rather the great pillars of certainty which surround us. The significant thing in this Psalm is the presence of certainty and stability which surrounds us at all times and to which we can go whenever we do experience instability.

            What are the solid pillars which are available to us in life? What is the solid ground on which we can stand when the floods are threatening? In the verses which surround verse 3, we see seven unchanging pillars.

A.   God Reigns!

            On July 31, 2006, Castro delegated his duties as President of the Council of state, President of the Council of Ministers, First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party and the post of commander in chief of the armed forces to his brother Raúl Castro. This transfer of duties was described at the time as temporary while Fidel recovered from surgery.

            On April 19, 2011, Castro resigned from the Communist Party central committee, thus stepping down as leader of the party. Raúl Castro was selected as his successor.(Wikipedia)

            These are things that every country does. They do not want to be in a situation where there is no one in charge. I don't know if you have ever gone into a business establishment and not been able to find anyone there? It is an unsettling experience. If the turmoil of the world is the ultimate reality that is an extremely unsettling situation. It is not, however the reality. There is a solid ground, a pillar of hope in our world and that is the recognition which we find in Psalm 93:1 where we read, "The LORD is king…"

            Even if we don't understand everything God does, it is nevertheless comforting to know that He reigns. God is in charge of this world and if we know that, we can have hope that ultimately His will is going to be accomplished.

B.   God Has Power!

            In the Old Testament there are some very humorous passages which mock those who trust in idols. For example in Jeremiah 10:3 we read, "…a tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan; people deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move…they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good."

            We do not see too many people who make and worship idols in our society. At that time, people were tempted to trust the idols because they believed that they had power. We don't have idols, but we are still tempted to rely on various powers. We bow with desire to the monetary power of the economy. We bow with hope to the strength of the military. Yet all of these fail. The heavily supported military might of the United States could not prevent 9/11 nor has the war on terrorism stopped the threat of terrorism. The sudden and growing wealth of Research in Motion previously has not prevented its stock price from falling more recently.

            In light of this turmoil Psalm 93 gives us solid ground to stand on when it says, "The LORD ... is girded with strength." He alone has power to overcome enemies. He alone has power to provide all that we need and so we must bow down to Him alone. Reliance on God was the foundation which Paul recommended in II Corinthians 9:8 because he understood that God has the power to help. There we read, "And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance..." Reliance on God, even in the face of death was the hope which Abraham counted on as he was preparing to offer up his son because, as Hebrews 11:19 says, "He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead..." God's power gives us a foundation that is more than rock solid.

C.   God Is Creator!

            The end of the world has been a popular theme of movies such as Deep Impact and Armageddon in which comets or asteroids threaten the world. These movies are not entirely fiction. One website reported that "A new NASA survey has pinned down the number of asteroids that could pose a collision threat to Earth in what scientists say is the best estimate yet of the potentially dangerous space rocks. The survey found there are likely 4,700 potentially hazardous asteroids, plus or minus 1,500 space rocks, that are larger than 330 feet (100 meters) wide and in orbits that occasionally bring them close enough to Earth to pose a concern.

            Another danger to earth are the environmental disasters that threaten the world. Scientists are concerned that if climate change results in the melting of the polar ice caps it could have devastating results for ecosystems and for cities which are near oceans. We really have no idea how serious these things are and for many people they are very frightening possibilities.

            Yet once again both of these potential disasters need not be feared. Psalm 93:1 assures us, "He has established the world; it shall never be moved…" Although the evidence seems to indicate that we are damaging the world which we have been given dominion over and need to take better care of it, none of these disasters are outside of the rule of God. He is the creator and He is the sustainer of the entire universe and whatever happens will never be outside of the power or control of the one who has created it all. This is solid ground and we can rest on it secure in the knowledge that God is creator.

D.   God Is Eternal!

            I suspect that nearly everyone here remembers when digital cameras came out. We got our first one about 10 years ago and it instantly made our Olympus film camera obsolete. Before we got it, I remember seeing a couple taking pictures when we were vacationing in Banff. She was carrying a film camera and he was carrying a digital camera. We thought that we might do the same, but after we got a digital camera, the film camera went into the cupboard and I haven't used it since.

            I remember even further back when my parents purchased the equipment to be able to process color photographs in the photo studio. In 1950, black and white snapshots were still the norm, but by 1960 color was much more common, even though it was more expensive. Today black and white photography is a novelty used for art photography.

            It is interesting to think back about all the changes we have seen in our lifetime. Some of you have seen a lot of life and a lot of changes, yet in terms of human history, all of us are quite young and in terms of God, our lives are very short. Psalm 93:2 tells us, "your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting."

            What kind of stability does the eternity of God provide to us in the midst of turmoil? The eternity of God assures us that God has seen it all. There is nothing new under the sun for God. The eternity of God assures us that God is not subject to all the changes which create turmoil in our world. Many kingdoms have come and gone, but God remains and will remain for all eternity. Revelation 12 presents us with a cartoon like image of the entire history of the world including all the threats which have been launched against the reign of God. In the end of the story, God remains for He is eternal! The eternity of God assures us that just as God has always been reliable, He always will be reliable. He is the everlasting God and that is a foundation on which we can place our hope!

E.   God Is Majestic!

            About four years ago I was very happy to be able to accompany a man who had been a missionary to Paraguay on a visit to that country. We visited missionaries and saw the work which had been done in that country by them. His son was one of those missionaries and one day we drove with them into Brazil and saw Iguazu Falls, which are on the border of Brazil and Argentina. It is probably one of the most majestic places I have ever seen. There are a lot of beautiful places on earth. Mountains, rivers, oceans provide us with scenes that are magnificent. Yet Psalm 93:1 tells us, "The LORD … is robed in majesty…" and Psalm 93:4 compares God to the flood waters when it says, "More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD!"

            We have a propensity to be impressed with that which is the best. For example, there are no shortage of hockey games in Manitoba. If we want to see hockey, we can see hockey even without the NHL. But the NHL players are the best and because of that, we want to see NHL hockey.

            God is the most majestic of anything. He is the best in every respect and more wonderful than we can even imagine. He does not change in that majesty therefore hope in His majesty is a pillar on which to rely in the destructive turmoil often found in this world.

F.    God's Word Is Sure!

            I have on occasion had debates with people and with myself about various issues. For example, an issue which is currently being debated in various church circles is the issue of gay rights. We will no longer be able to ignore it or believe that people in church circles are not wrestling with it. Debates about what is truth and how we should live are not new in the church. Even in the New Testament we see that God's people were talking about many different questions and issues. Throughout that time and even in the current debate, the temptation among some is to allow the opinion of the many to determine their view. Yet Psalm 93:5 reminds us of another foundation on which we can rely in the midst of all turmoil. There it says, "Your decrees are very sure…"

            This is the consistent message of God to us. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that, "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Therefore, we do well to rely on this solid ground and to make sure that whatever opinions we may have are formed by the solid rock of God's Word. In the end it is God's Word that will judge us. Luke 21:33 reminds us that the Bible is not just ancient literature. It reminds us that, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

            If we are looking for guidance, the Word of God provides it. If we are looking for understanding, for clarity, for wisdom, for direction for life, God's Word is the source. It is the sure foundation on which we can build our lives in the midst of whatever turmoil life brings.

G.  God Is Holy Among Us!

            The final foundation, found in Psalm 93:5 is that, "… holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore."

            Holiness refers to that which is set apart. In regards to God, it tells us that God is perfectly set apart and without comparison in moral perfection and righteousness and that He is perfect and right always. What a wonderful foundation to know that God is holy. In a world of unrighteous judgments where great people are imperfect, it is wonderful to know that we have a God who is holy!

            The mention of God's house is a reference to the temple which adds another layer of wonderful to the holiness of God. It tells us that God's holiness is not so distant that we know nothing about it. God's holiness is present among us. It was present among the Old Testament people in the temple. It is present among us through the Holy Spirit who indwells the modern temple of God which is the people of God, individually and as a church. Imperfect as the church sometimes appears, yet the holiness of God is present in the midst of it. That also is a foundation on which we can rely.

Conclusion

            We were at the lake canoeing and a person who had not canoed very much was out paddling around. All of a sudden they capsized and were panicking as they floundered in the water. Fear was on their face because they had been suddenly overwhelmed by the water. From the safety of shore, we tried to get them to calm down and suggested that they only needed to stand up because the water was only about 2 feet deep. They were afraid because they were unaware of the solid foundation just a short distance away. When they stood up, everything was fine.

            There is turmoil in the world and in the middle of our life. Sometimes the turmoil threatens to overwhelm and we are thrown into a panic. Yet so near to us are these seven pillars which solidly provide a firm foundation. Our awesome God who reigns with power, who is creator, who is eternal and majestic, whose Word is sure and whose holiness is our sure foundation. May we quickly stand on this foundation and declare each day that He is worthy of praise.