“The Lord also will be
a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble; and those
who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have
not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:9-10)
My wife works in Financial Aid for a college
and we recently went to the Agricultural Department of her school
for a plant sale. We loaded up a wheelbarrow and another wheeled
device with flowers and bushes we liked, paid for them and headed
for home.
When all was planted, something looked –
wrong! The balance of the long garden at the front of our house was
just not right. So we discussed it, and then carefully dug up a
rose tree that had been planted about a year ago, keeping the roots
as intact as possible. We moved the rose tree to the other end of
the garden, planted a small rose bush in its place and everything
looked – right!
But the rose tree was not happy with our
decision. The leaves sagged, it lost resistance to whatever was
making holes in its leaves, and the large, fragrant yellow-and-red
flowers stopped blooming. It has recovered now, though at one point
I laid hands on it and prayed, because it looked like it was not
going to make it. That rose tree was an anniversary present to my
wife a year ago and I want it to live!
To be transplanted is not an easy process - I
wonder: do you feel like you're being “transplanted” right now?
My mother does. A few weeks ago, she fell and
broke her foot in two places. It's obvious she can't simply go home
from the hospital and do things like before, but she's wonderfully
independent and wants to remain that way! A great place has been
found for her, and it's obvious the Lord is arranging this, but it's
going to be difficult. With prayer, with God's help, she'll get
through this and “blossom” in the new place even more than in the
old. Just like the rose tree that is producing flowers again, she
will ultimately bloom where she is planted.
A lot of our feelings of security are based on
circumstances. If we're “planted” in the “right” part of the
“garden” of this life, we can “bloom” - but uproot us even for a
moment, and we tend to wilt. Take us out of our comfortable jobs,
marriages, homes; remove good health and what have you got? --- For
the most part, nervous, frightened, even angry individuals, who
withdraw and no longer contribute to the needs of others.
You, of course, know that a compass will point
to magnetic north even in a forest or desert when it's not clear
where you are! If you follow that compass, you’ll be headed in the
right direction even when things around you don’t look familiar.
Our Compass, our Security, is the Lord. With Him, we’re going to
make it.
We receive emails from people who have lost,
from their perspective - everything! Those who have all kinds of
stability can suddenly be shaken to the core by a privation in some
of those areas. Suddenly, nothing in life feels right to the person
who is grieving great loss.
The “superscription” written above Psalm 9, the
Scripture for today, is interesting. It identifies this as "a
Psalm of David," and the New King James Version (NKJV)
additionally says it is written to “Muthlabben,”
which is literally "To the tune of 'Death
of the Son.'" When something touches our children (and every
part of David’s life was touched), nothing seems like it can ever be
right again.
David of Israel was wonderfully expressive in
sorrow. People chased him, took from him, made war against him,
ridiculed him, and generally gave him a bad time. On the other
hand, the Lord made him king and David was also revered, loved,
served and admired. Some days were good for him and others were
awful. His situation tended to change dramatically from
moment-to-moment on any given day.
Our Scripture is, “The
Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of
trouble; and those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm
9:9-10). David knew what oppression was all about. He had been a
refugee (on the run) and had been in trouble more times than he
could count. He had no guarantees that life would be any better
tomorrow than it was yesterday, except for the Lord. He trusted in
the Lord.
David was often “transplanted” from comfortable
circumstances. He became frightened frequently and was in danger
many times. He knew what it was like to lose - everything! Don't
get me wrong: David was a sinner like the rest of us and there were
times he seemed to deserve what he got! But, he was also open about
it when he made mistakes, admitting them and changing his ways when
he recognized his sin.
David had a Compass, and His Compass (the Holy
Spirit) pointed him continually to the Lord God, Maker of heaven and
of earth! In a forest or desert of confusion, he went to the Lord!
When he seemed to be planted in the wrong part of the garden of this
life, he looked to the Lord! When all seemed lost, he went to his
God.
Where do you go when you don't like what is
happening to you? When marriages seem to be in trouble, many will
go to another man or woman. In financial difficulties, some will
cheat or steal. If reputation is at stake, people tend to accuse
others. In sickness, most turn faces to the wall and become
troubled. Many simply run away, in one manner or another. But if
you trust in the Lord, you will (like David) look to God – and find
Him.
You WILL be transplanted. Your Gardener,
however, is the Leading Expert in His field, and you’ll ultimately
like what He does. My mother will be pleased and so will you. The
rose tree is going to make it. Even when things look bleak, your
Compass will show you the way. Just like in David’s life, the Lord
will be your refuge, and you’ll know His Name, which is Jesus Christ
– and you will put your trust in Him. When all seems lost, you will
find you have EVERYTHING you need – in Him.
Father, we trust in You. Thank You for giving
us the Son, that we may be forgiven, and for Your Spirit, in Whom we
know the way home. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
