Redeemed!

Psalms 31:1-5

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; 

let me never be put to shame; 

in your righteousness deliver me! 

Incline your ear to me; 

rescue me speedily! 

Be a rock of refuge for me, 

a strong fortress to save me! 

For you are my rock and my fortress; 

and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; 

you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, 

for you are my refuge. 

Into your hand I commit my spirit; 

you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 

...............

Daily life can be a battle.

The enemies are without and within. When I wake up each day, there are troubles and temptations waiting for me. Every hunger, every discomfort, every annoyance, every complaint, every broken plan or broken promise, every desire for something more, something better, every opportunity to speak poorly of a co-worker or think negatively of my dearest friends & family, every chance to blame others and play the victim - the day holds these enemies in store for me.

But I have two secrets that can keep me safe from these enemies. 

One, I know the war exists - I am not resigned to fall into these pits and despair of life itself. I know there is more. I know I can see victory and joy even in the midst of all this. 

Second, I do not fight alone. I have a partner, a fellow soldier, a friend in this battle, a rescuer and redeemer who is both willing and perfectly able to protect and restore me. He is faithful, and I can commit my life into his trustworthy hands and know that my path is sure. I will look to him and cry out to him and he will hear me in my distress. He cares for every detail and listens to even my trite and trivial fears.

He helps me see how worthless are the idols which clamor for my attention. He replaces them with himself and meets the deepest desire of my heart.

When Jesus hung on the cross, his last breath was used to quote this psalm:

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" (Luke 23:44-47)

This quote from Jesus could be easily overlooked. Short, and simply describing his acceptance of the end. But, when you see the context of Psalm 31, you realize that Jesus was making a bold claim of confidence in his Father, right in his darkest hour, when anyone else would have despaired and cursed God. 

The second half of verse 5 of the psalm says "You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God." Jesus' confidence in his redemption was so strong that he could use the present-tense to describe what was really a future reality. He was dying, drawing his last breath, but he was so sure of his "faithful God," so sure he would breathe again and rise from the tomb, that he could say "you have redeemed me."

I pray that I can walk in such confidence, knowing that he is faithful, that he will be with me in the daily battles against sin and death, and that my victory and resurrection are so certain that I need never worry or fear.

For, you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God, and I will walk in your faithfulness with a certainty and a hope that cannot be shaken. Amen.

Realism and Hope

Matthew 24:8

All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

...............

If you've ever been involved in the birth of a child, then this short sentence may shed a lot of light on this passage for you. Jesus responded to the disciples interest in the building of the Temple by telling them that it will all be destroyed. In turn, the disciples wanted to know when this would take place (Note: see how the disciples ask the wrong question, much like believers today who get obsessed over the symbols and chronology of the end times). Jesus does eventually answer that question (24:44), though not in the way they had hoped for. He will be coming back at an hour that they will not expect.

And that is a no-brainer if you remember the birthing analogy. The evolution of childbirth by on-demand cesarean section is a very recent development in the history of labor and delivery. The rest of us are fully aware that babies come into the world at an hour that no one will expect.

Here's a second parallel between the end times and the birth of a child: it has always been excruciatingly painful, yet filled with hope. The pain is a result of the Fall (Gen. 3) and will continue to accompany childbearing until all things are made new (Rev. 21). The hope is a result of the image of God in us that has not been completely destroyed by the Fall, and which is progressively renewed and reformed by the Spirit of God in the lives of those who believe in Christ. The hope is real, just as much as the pain.

This is difficult for us today in the "Christian" West. We read about pastors being unfaithful to their wives and to their congregations almost every week. We hear about abortion doctors being shot to death in the pews and we wonder what impact the gospel of peace is really making on individuals and on the broader culture. These questions, when left unanswered, can easily turn into an undercurrent of pessimism and cynicism.

But, we must remember that Jesus saw all this coming. He told us there would be wars, famines, earthquakes, tribulations, martyrs, betrayals, false prophets, and overall lawlessness, even among the supposed members of the church. The news headlines should shock us and grieve us, but we must always remember that justice will eventually be done, that these atrocities were foretold, and that somehow they are part of the birth pains which will eventually give us a new heavens and a new earth. Let us read this concluding statement and remember to mix our saddened realism with genuine hope. The kingdom will prevail, and His true children will endure to the end.

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 24:12-14)