Author: Proud Mpofu

By Nelson  Vhukani

Article from The Gospel Coalition Africa

When I was growing up, I regularly witnessed the dead being consulted. It is a reality of my background. This practice has been going on for centuries, sadly even in African Christian circles. This is what prompted me to write this article. Many questions around this tradition need answering: Do the dead influence the living? Can they speak to God in an intermediary role, or on our behalf? Do they have the power to protect us if worshiped? Will they punish us when not worshiped or appeased? But there is one major question I have come across that brings everything together: As Christians, whom should we consult or go to for protection and guidance?

3 Misconceptions That Lead to Consulting the Dead

In my home area, and many other parts of Africa, people believe that the departed remain part of the family. Thus they remain active in the life of the living, impacting their descendants. Death is not the end of human life. Below are three areas in which the dead are said to be active in the life of the living. These then lead to the pressure of consulting them.

1. The Dead Protect, Guide & Bless their Descendants

It is believed that the dead live on after death. They are responsible for protecting their descendants from harm, witchcraft, and other human predicaments. On the other hand, they are also said to bring blessings such as employment, a bumper harvest, and guidance to their descendants. As a result, the living will consult the dead through the ‘spirit medium’ (Svikiro in Shona). They seek advice from mediums on how best they can appease the dead. At the same time, they ask what must be done to attain blessings, guidance, and protection.

2. The Dead Will Avenge their Death

Then there are ‘avenging spirits’ (Mweya weNgozi in Shona). This is one of the most serious and scary matters, making many consult the dead. It rests on the notion that there is no such thing as a natural death. There is always a suspect. Therefore the spirit of the dead will come back and seek vengeance. This vengeance will come in different forms including mysterious deaths, bad luck, and family troubles. Avenging spirits seek to harm others in response to their own death. Therefore many are trapped by fear and the need to appease malicious spirits. So they consult the dead through the spirit mediums, looking for ways to pay back or atone the deceased.

3. God is Unapproachable

It is also believed that the living cannot approach God directly. He is unapproachable. He is very far, too strong, and much too superior to entertain mere humans. As such, he cannot be seen and can only be approached through a spirit medium. These spirit mediums claim have some spiritual or magical powers. They can transfer information from the living to the dead, and from the dead to the living. Therefore, the dead are consulted in order to hear from God, or take requests to him.

What the Bible says About Consulting the Dead

These three misconceptions need to be scrutinised and uprooted by the gospel. Satan, being “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), deceives us in his attempts to wrest control from God. He does this through the misconceptions above, which are foundational to the practise of consulting the dead. Below I will argue that whenever this is practiced, it is no more than disobedient idolatry

“There is One God and One Mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5)

Consulting the dead is not God’s idea. Nowhere in the Bible do we see God commanding his people to do so. In fact, he expressly forbids it (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). To speak with the spirit of the dead is prohibited and the punishment for such practices was death (Leviticus 20:27). Whenever we practice this, we should bear in mind that we are not worshiping God but evil spirits.

So, when we need mediation between us and God, in times of trouble or when seeking protection, turn to Jesus. For he is our perfect mediator (Hebrews 9:15). He can sympathise with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15) during the times of suffering, anxieties, fears, and the pressures of this life. Therefore, let us draw near to God with great confidence in Christ (Hebrews 10:19-22). Only Christ continues after death because he lives forever to intercede (Hebrews 7:25).

“The Dead Know Nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5)

Consulting the dead is contrary to biblical teaching about the dead. While it is true that there is existence after death for both the believers and non-believers, there is no relationship between the living and the dead. Those who die in Christ will be in the presence of God. They will live on with God eternally (Luke 23:43, Philippians 1:21-23). On the other hand, non-believers will be separated from God (Luke 16:22-26), awaiting their final judgment. Besides, Job 7:7-10 says “he who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come back to his house again.” Thus, death is final, and after death no one can return to this life.

Therefore there is no way in which the dead can communicate the needs of the living to God. Nor can they reach the living. Luke 16:19-31 presents a story from which we might draw some truths about life after death. Humanity is divided into two groups at death. The dead cannot come back to the living for a great chasm is fixed between them. In the case where we have wronged someone, and that person dies, as Christians I think it is proper and consistent with the Bible to humbly seek peace by asking forgiveness of the departed’s family. But we have no need to fear the dead.

“You Shall Not Make for Yourself an Idol” (Exodus 20:4)

Consulting the dead is disobeying God. In my conversation with some people about this issue, some cite 1 Samuel 28 to support the view that the dead can speak to the living. In that narrative, the spirit of Samuel speaks to the living Saul. But this can be treated as an exception, not a common practice. Furthermore, we should not miss the point of the text, found in its context: Saul was spiralling into increasing rebellion against God.

As I said above, evil spirits can find ways to manipulate us into disobedience. Saul was supposed to seek advice from God, but God refused because of his mounting disobedience. The consequences were disastrous (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). We must not allow Satan to take charge. For every time we sin we do not only disobey God but give Satan a foothold to gain power over us. We should therefore be aware that consulting the dead is one of the weapons Satan can use to attack our faith.

You Don’t Need the Dead To Reach God

There is nothing wrong in seeking guidance, blessings, relationships, and protection in our day to day life. But the means in seeking these things must be proper; corrected and informed by God’s word. We approach our heavenly Father through the one and only mediator, Jesus Christ. God commands his people not to consult the dead, regardless of the circumstances. We are instead invited to consult God himself. He really is approachable and relational.

God covenants with man. As Michael Horton writes, in The Christian Faith, “God is personal not an abstract principle”. God desires fellowship with us. This is why he came to dwell among us through his Son Jesus. So when we are in need we are able to freely consult him. Christ mediates, so too does the Spirit, presenting us to our Father.

By Eddie Lombard

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:14-15

Who will be in the kingdom of God? Who decides who will enter the kingdom of God? King Jesus has a revolutionary answer!

People were bringing children to Jesus. His disciples, like the culture of the day, did not think this was a good idea at all. Children had no rights and were mostly overlooked.

The disciples thought: Here is our Christ, our King! Why bring the lowest of people to the King! Take them away, the King’s time needs to be used for kingly work and they are not worth the King’s time.

Jesus was indignant with His disciples and said:
“Let them come to me for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Jesus explains who will enter the kingdom of God and His answer is revolutionary. Entry is reserved only for those who come to Him. The disciples did not understand this. In effect, the disciples were choosing who would enter the kingdom. This made Jesus indignant because His disciples, the very ones that should be helping people to see the way in, were stoping “such as these” from getting in.

If the children had something “good” in them, something good that could be worth the King’s time just by being children, their entry would be on merit. Jesus had just shown in Mark 10:1-12 that no one has anything “good” in them that can give them entry into His kingdom.

“Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like these little children” that came to him “will never enter it.” Vs13

The emphasis of this section is not on being like a child but on coming to Jesus as the only way in. It is only those who put their trust in Jesus and His way, who will ever enter the kingdom of God.

Prayer points:

• Ask God to help us see that no one has merit to enter the kingdom of God.
• Ask God to help us see that Jesus is the only way in to the kingdom of God.
• Thank God that the door is open to anyone who comes to Jesus.

By Martin Morrison

“I know you will understand”, said the message on the kitchen table. Well of course you don’t. Your heart is pounding. Your mouth is dry. The thought of your betrayal is raw in your stomach. You invested all those years in the relationship, and now it’s gone with the stroke of a pen.

Betrayal by someone you trusted is a bitter pill to swallow. Betrayal by your own kith and kin is more like a rock to swallow. Psalm 3 was written by King David when Absalom his son orchestrated a coup against his own father and nearly pulled it off.

2 Samuel 15:1 – 14 is the background. Perhaps it would be good to read it right now. In 2 Samuel 14:25 – 26, we meet Absalom the first metro-male in ancient Israel. 2 Samuel 15: 1 we meet the original David Beckham or Kanye West. He is very concerned about his image, the trappings of power, the flashing blue lights. It was all premeditated, working the crowds, ingratiating himself with the people. Four years pressing the flesh, kissing babies and opening old-age homes. In fact he had become immensely popular. Voted the prince most likely to succeed. By verse 10, Absalom reckoned that he had kissed enough babies. His premeditated plan was ready to roll, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then everyone say, Absalom is King at Hebron”.

A New York Times article reported a court case in which a seventeen year old teenage girl called Kristi Koslow was found guilty of murdering her step-mother, Karen Koslow a forty year-old oil heiress. The mother was killed and the father survived the slashing of his throat. Kristi’s boyfriend was the co-accused and responsible for the actual murder. The prosecutor called Kristi, “a woman consumed by hate”. Unsurprisingly, the motive was to inherit the fortune. Both accused were given life sentences.

Well, 2 Samuel 15 is not all that different. It makes your stomach turn. A beloved son, who wants to do away with his father. “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God”, Psalm 3:1 – 2. David didn’t need CNN or BBC to tell him that he was in deep trouble. It was a revolution, a major revolution.

Verse six tells us that Absalom had drawn in tens of thousands. Public opinion was clearly behind the young metro-male crown prince. Even the experienced political commentators in the Sunday papers shook their heads, “Not even God can get David out if this one”, verse 2.

I guess, in one way or the other, we have all been there. Perhaps you are there today. There’s been a major reversal in your fortunes. Perhaps the COVID has broken you, wiped you out. Perhaps your spouse has run off with your best friend. Perhaps a business partner has run off with your life’s work and savings. Perhaps an act of corruption has destroyed your business, your livelihood. You lie awake at night and say to God, “I can’t believe this. I’ve been destroyed; I’ve been dropped; How many are my foes. How many rise against me. My heart is racing; I can hardly breathe. I can’t sleep. I’m stunned”. So what to do? David mentions at least three things to do in Psalm 3.

Firstly, there is a time and place for justice. There is a time and place when we as believers are to look for the full force of the law to come into effect. “Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked”, verse 7. What we have here is Hebrew idiomatic language. David is asking God to see that justice is done, that law and order be re-established. David is not taking revenge. David is not taking the law into his own hands. David is not repaying evil for evil. No, he is asking God to see that justice is done.

For the believer, there is a very distinct difference between revenge (which God forbids), and seeing that the State administers justice. And if not the State then knowing that God will surely see that perfect justice is done on the last day.

When an injustice has been done, it is not unchristian for us to lay a charge, to open a case, to report the matter to the police. In Acts 22, when Paul was arrested in Jerusalem for preaching the Gospel, when the Roman soldiers were about to flog him, he appealed to his legal rights, “You cannot flog an uncondemned Roman citizen”. In Acts 25, when he appeared before the Roman Governor Festus, he appealed to his right to be heard in a court of law in Rome by Caesar himself. There are obviously times for us to report the matter to the police, or demand our rights, or seek for justice or prevent some major injustice. Christians are not meant to be soft on justice.

Just by the way, this does not exclude your responsibility to personally and subjectively forgive the person. This is not a contradiction at all. Christians are not soft on justice. When a crime has been committed, then we have a duty to alert the State to see that justice is done. That is our objective duty. At the very same time, we have a subjective duty to forgive the person for the wrong they have committed against us, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”, Matthew 5: 44. There can be no question that David forgave his son, even before he died fleeing David’s army, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”, 2 Samuel 18:33.

Secondly, David remembers that God is sovereign. “The Lord sustained me, I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all round. Salvation belongs to the Lord”, Psalm 3:5 – 6, 8. We don’t have to live in fear. We don’t have to live with superstition or unnecessary anxiety. God watches over us. God sustains us; God will deliver us. The son of David, the Son of God, promises us that he will never leave nor forsake you, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”, Matthew 28:20.

Thirdly, David remembers that God is a God who answers prayer. In Psalm 2:6, Zion is God’s holy hill. Zion is situated in Jerusalem, just outside the Old City, now often called the Temple Mount. Zion is where David was installed as King. Zion is often used in Scripture as symbolizing the presence of God. In Psalm 3, King David has been dislodged from his throne, from the holy hill, from Zion, by Absalom. However, Absalom has not dislodged God from the holy hill. God is still on the throne. God is David’s shield. God will vindicate David. God answers prayer, “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me”, Psalm 3:3 – 5.

Of course, Zion was also the place where the son of David died on a wooden cross. At Zion, we see the extraordinary grace of God in dying for his enemies. At Zion, we also see the extraordinary power of God as he raises Jesus from the dead.

What do you do, when everything has fallen apart, you can’t sleep, you can hardly breathe. You go to your room; your close the door; you read the Scriptures; you reflect on the greatness of God, the power of God, the love of God, the grace of God, the faithfulness of God, the cross of God on Zion. That is your rock, your refuge, your foundation.

Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, the Russian novelist and Nobel Prize winner, was sentenced to eight years hard labour in Siberia from 1945 – 1953, for opposing the Soviet regime. During hard labour he spent months breaking rocks and moving them. One day, filled with desperation and almost suicidal, he just sat down and stopped working. The tension was tangible. Solitary confinement or worse was the expected result. And then another Christian, walked by and drew a cross on the sand in front of him. Just a cross. And he stared at that cross and once again, hope stirred within and he went back to work.

You see, the cross on the holy hill, gives us hope that suffering is not the last word. The cross gives us hope that sin and evil is not the last word. The cross gives us hope that injustice is not the last word. No, God will ultimately triumph over all his enemies.

Read Psalm 84

This Psalm describes the journey of pilgrims to the sanctuary in Jerusalem. As they journey, they count their blessings. They are three times blessed – blessing upon blessing upon blessing.

First, they are blessed simply to have access to God in his designated place (v1). The God of heavenly armies (v1) welcomes the sparrow and the swallow (v3). He welcomes the humble. What a joy it is to be in his presence (v2).

Second, they are blessed on the way (v5). Not only does this God welcome them when they arrive, he gives them strength and security for the journey. And so, even though they are walking through the wilderness, its as if they are meandering through the land of plenty (v6).

The third blessing is the culmination: they are blessed to trust in the LORD (v12). To be the lowest servant in his kingdom is better than any status outside (v10). He lights their way, protects them, and showers them with good gifts as they go (v11). To trust him is to know blessing upon blessing upon blessing.

All of these blessings have an earthly custodian. The psalmist pleas with God to behold their shield and look upon the face of his anointed (v9). The Davidic King is the custodian of their journey and God’s agent in their blessing. He is also the way in which this beautiful prayer comes to us.

Jesus Christ is God’s anointed and in him we enjoy every blessing from God (Eph 1.3-14). We are humble sojourners – aliens and strangers in the wilderness of this life. But in Christ we are welcomed into the presence of the Father, we have ample for the journey, and we are assured of his welcome when we arrive home.

The question is, do we know it? Are we trusting him? Do we rejoice in him? Can we, with the Psalmist sing “My soul longs, yes, faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Are the highways to Zion in our hearts? Are we consumed with the road of discipleship that leads to glory?

If not, if you have lost your way, why not reflect on this Psalm and pray to the Lord of hosts. Ask him to help you count your blessings in Christ as you follow him through this day.

By Martin Morrison

“Regrets are the natural property of gray hairs”, so said Charles Dickens. It is certainly true that older people have lived longer and therefore have more to regret. However, I read in TIME magazine that people in their twenties are going through midlife crises!

Paul Tripp reminds us that whatever your age or station in life, you will look back with regret at some of the events and decisions in your life. Midlife at 20 or 40 or 60 means that the leaves of the trees are off and there is no putting them back. The world won’t reverse on its axis. Clocks won’t turn back. The game cannot be replayed. You cannot delete that decision or that conversation, however much you would like to. You wish you could rewrite the script of that relationship, but you cannot. Whatever your age, we all live in a place called regret. Behind every regret is a longing for a better place.

Perhaps for years, you have convinced yourself that the problem isn’t you. Because we live in a fallen world, there are plenty of things and people who we can blame for our mistakes and failures. You have always been able to distort reality and convince yourself that the problem is with others. Your parents never really understood you; your spouse isn’t on the same wavelength; your colleagues are vindictive. You’ve convinced yourself that you are a victim of an unfair world. You’ve convinced yourself that the problem is outside of you.

Regret will only bear good fruit if we realize that God can use regret to break down our delusions of grandeur, our self-righteousness. If you are a believer, then God has replaced your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Not only has he placed his Spirit within you, but he has sharpened your God-given conscience. Regret can often be your God-given, God-sharpened conscience reminding you of your sin and self-righteousness.

When your conscience gives birth to those regrets, they correctly remind you that the problem is not out there but in here. They correctly remind you of your culpability. You do have a choice. You can either revert to same-old, same-old self-justification, that makes what is wrong acceptable to your conscience. Or you can find heart relief.

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1: 8 – 9.

I cannot state it better than Paul Tripp,

“What is confession? It is the freedom to say about yourself what both you and God know is true, without fear of rejection, condemnation, or punishment. Confession is more than an obligation; it is one of the wonderful freedoms of our new life in Christ. Because of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross, you and I can come out of hiding. We are free to own up to, without fear, the darkest of our thoughts and motives, the ugliest of our words, our most selfish choices, and our most rebellious and unloving actions. We are freed from our bondage and shame. We are free from hiding behind accusation, blame, recriminations and rationalizations. Confession is powerful and effective. It turns guilt into forgiveness. It turns regret into hope. It turns slavery into freedom”.

The longing of regret can remind you of that place where regret has been replaced by forgiveness; regret has been replaced by freedom; regret has brought change and hope and joy. That place is actually not a place. That place is a person. And that person is called Jesus. “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. Matthew 11:28.

A devotion taken from the Gospel Coalition Africa

JULY 17, 2020  |  AFRICA STUDY BIBLE 

Why does a pregnant woman put a Bible under her pillow? She feels confident that God will never allow anything bad to happen to her or her baby during the vulnerable night. When the Bible is used in this way, it has become a fetish. If people think that God or a spirit works through a physical object, that object is called a fetish, charm, or juju. Fetishes are common across the world outside Africa in places like Haiti and Siberia and among Native Americans. Even in the United States, many people carry a lucky object like a rabbit’s foot to protect them.

Do Objects Have the Power to Protect?

Objects used as fetishes can be worn, hung on doors, laid in fields, or even tied under the steering wheel of a car. Some people mistakenly believe the fetishes have the power to protect life or bring good luck. Fetishes are also thought to guard against bad spirits and prevent attacks from malicious people. Fetishes are an important part of  traditional African life and religion.

In most African traditional religions, people live in relationship with a deity. They use fetishes to try to influence these gods so they will manipulate circumstances in a person’s favour or control the forces of nature. People often use fetishes for protection and healing. But they can also be employed to wield power over others.
People who use fetishes believe physical objects represent God’s power… They divert attention away from the true object of our worship

Warnings About Fetishes in the Bible

The Bible instructs us not to use fetishes. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against all your magic charms… I will tear them from your arms” (Ezekiel 13:20). Using fetishes violate the second commandment. People who use them believe physical objects represent God’s or gods’ power. As such, they divert attention away from the true object of our worship and help.

Fetishes are tied closely to fear—that something bad will happen. As Christians, when people use fetishes to try to harm you, you do not need to fear. In the same way, you do not need to use fetishes for protection. The Lord will protect you. There is abundant evidence in the Bible of God’s protection without the use of fetishes. The Bible promises that no power, including the power of fetishes, can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:37-38).
The Bible promises that no power, including the power of fetishes, can separate us from the love of God

God Will Protect Us

The God of the Bible is all-powerful, mighty and fearsome, the only true God. He is the only one who can truly protect us (Psalm 46:1-3). His angels surround those who fear him and guard them from danger (Psalm 34:7). Even though righteous people can be struck by misfortune, God promises to ultimately deliver them (Psalm 34:19). God watches over us at every moment of our lives. Even when we are hit by the devil’s attacks, God tells us to turn to him for help—not to any other person or power. The God in whom we put our trust provides us with all that we need to overcome all evil forces, including any fetishes used against us (Luke 10:19).

Holy Water, Holy Oil & Seeds of Faith

Some people talk about God as if  he can be influenced in the same way that African traditional religions use fetishes to try to influence their deities. Such people sell products that allegedly have powers. These are supposed to work in the favour of those who use them. The use of objects in our Christian worship such as “holy water”, water from the Jordan River, oil, mustard seed of faith, handkerchiefs or other objects that have received an anointed person’s blessing is similar to the use of fetishes in African traditional religions. Such objects have found their way into some Christian churches.
Our God is fully free and sovereign, and no ritual, object, or incantation has any influence over his actions.

However, selling or using such products does not honour or bring glory to God. Both those who sell them and those who use them are most often only seeking to manipulate God for their own selfish purposes. The “pastors” who advise people to use these kinds of objects rarely mention that “God is protecting you by his power… even though you must endure many trials for a little while (1 Peter 1:5-6).

We Cannot Manipulate God

Our God is fully free and sovereign, and no ritual, object, or incantation has any influence over his actions. Rather, the thing that merits his attention is when we call to him in earnest prayer. But what about when we fast or perform other actions like kneeling or prostrating ourselves before God? Well, in doing these, the actions or the posture of our body should be expressing our heart. Then God sees why we are fasting or kneeling and responds to our heart cry. God is not bound in any way in how he answers our prayers. Indeed, it does not matter what we do, what object we use, or the position of our bodies. He will listen and then act for our good and his glory.

Christians Should Not Use Fetishes

The New Testament never authorises or instructs us to use special objects in our service to God. But unfortunately this incorrect practice has tricked many people. As Christians, God is our protection and the only person in whom we should place our confidence. For He alone protects us and provides for our needs according to his mercy (Psalm 23; Matthew 6:25-34). Although our cultures may tempt us to turn to the use of fetishes, as Christians we should always say like David, “Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone” (Psalm 31:4).

The Africa Study Bible app is available on the Tecarta Bible App, the world’s best study Bible app, which is available to download on  Google Play Store  and  Apple App Store.

The Africa Study Bible (ASB) is an ethnically diverse, single-volume, biblical resource. Written by 350 contributors from 50 countries, it includes the Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Anglicised) and more than 2,600 features that illuminate the truth of Scripture with a unique, African perspective.
The Africa Study Bible has been built from the ground up by scholars and pastors in Africa who see the critical need to make Scripture relevant to our everyday lives. It’s an all-in-one course in biblical content, theology, history, and culture.
Find out more about the impact of this amazing resource at  africastudybible.com.

By Martin Morison

If I were to ask you, what are the marks of ungodliness, I wonder what you would say? I guess most of us would immediately think of moral sins like drunkenness, sexual immorality, racism, greed, the second half of the Ten Commandments.

Here in Psalm 27 David addresses three major marks of ungodliness, which we rarely think of. Autonomy, omniscience and control. We normally think of ungodliness in moral categories, not mental categories. These mental categories of ungodliness arise, when we fail to seek God’s face and merely contemplate our own.

Here in Psalm 27:9 – 14 David, corrects our mindset and reminds us of three marks of godliness. Dependence not independence, learners not masters, patience not impatience. In fact these three marks in some way reflects the first half of the Ten Commandments!

DEPENDENCE

In vs. 9 – 12, David, in five negatives, expresses his total dependence on God, by calling on God in prayer:

“Hide not your face”, “Turn not your servant away”, “Cast me not off”, “Forsake me not”, “Give me not up”. There is a clear note of anguished dependence. David feels alone, destitute and forsaken by God. He doesn’t respond in anger or wilful defiance against God, as we often do when we find ourselves up the creek. He doesn’t respond in withdrawal from God, which we also sometimes do, when we feel that God has abandoned us. No, he tells God exactly what he feels and calls on God in total dependence.

One of the tragic results of sin, is to cause us to buy into the delusion of independence. Independence is what the serpent sold Adam and Eve. It’s a lie and it goes like this. You can be whatever you want to be. You can do whatever you want to do. Tragically, the quest for independence never ends in independence. It ends in slavery. It ends in tears. It ends in some kind of addiction or worship disorder. We were not wired to be independent. We are wired to be dependent on God.

David models that dependence by beseeching God not to hide his face, not to turn away from him, not to cast him off, not to forsake him, not to give up on him. In New Testament terms, “Oh God, have mercy on me a sinner”. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.

LEARNERS

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies”, Psalm 27:11. Everyday, you and I hear a thousand voices at work, on TV, on You Tube, on social media. These voices are telling us who we are, what life is about, how to invest our money, how to invest our lives, how to conduct our relationships, what the good life looks like.

Too easily our affections are drawn to the Gospel of Netflix or Fortune 500. David urges us not to be sucked in by our world, our culture or our own sinful, self-sufficient hearts. Don’t be gullible. Don’t be taken captive. Deregister from the University of the World. You need to go to a different university, the University of God.

Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”. I like John Calvin’s paraphrase of that, “There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God”. One of the characteristics of being a student in God’s University is a healthy cynicism of our own wisdom and the wisdom of the world. The wisdom of the world started with the fall of our foreparents, Adam and Eve, which did at least two things. Firstly, it turned us into fools, because only fools think that there is no God. Secondly, it made us think that we were wise.

It’s a kind of double whammy. It is very much like the guy who drinks too much, which not only makes him look stupid and foolish, but he actually thinks he is very smart and funny! No doubt, you have often encountered him. What a joke! What a fool! That is what our self-opinionated learning at the University of the World does to us. That is what sin does to us, it makes us foolish and arrogant at the same time.

True wisdom comes through revelation and relationship. Revelation from God in both the written Word, the Bible, and the Living Word, Jesus Christ. And relationship with God the Father, through God the Son in the power of God the Spirit.

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies”. “Jesus said to him, “I am the Truth”.

PATIENCE

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Verse. 14. I need to tell you that I hate to wait. I have an agenda for the day, things I need to accomplish, things I need do. So, I hate waiting. Ironically, I don’t mind when others have to wait for me from time to time. Obviously, they have no idea how busy I am!!

Behind that kind of attitude is an arrogant self-centered image. A self-image where I am the centre of the universe; where I have a wonderful plan for my life; where I am a legend in my own mind. That’s why I hate waiting.

But David teaches us to “wait for the Lord
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Waiting teaches me that I am not King. I am not Sovereign, God is. Waiting teaches me that I am dependent and not independent. I am not in control of either the details or the destiny of my life. It humbles me and makes me rely on God.Waiting teaches me that I am not the main actor in the story, I am not the hero of the book, God is.

I came across this quote, not sure by whom, probably Paul Tripp:

“You are not in control, your story is not ultimate. You have been created to be part of something that is larger than your wants, your needs and your feelings. You are connected to something that is bigger than your relationships, your situations. You are waiting, because God said you are part of his Kingdom”. It is his Kingdom and not your kingdom!

By Martin Morrison

It is possible for Christians to become disappointed with God. It is possible for Christians to lose their way. Perhaps life has turned out less like we had hoped or more like we had feared.

• I think of a twenty-five year old man who is in a wheelchair after a car accident. He has to cope with the loss of his fiancé, the loss of his job. He has to cope with the endless unhelpful comments of Christian friends who urge him to have more faith!
•  I think of the woman who has just turned forty-eight and is unmarried. She never imagined her future without a husband. She thinks there must be something wrong with her.
•  I think of a couple married ten years who have come to the private realization that their marriage is empty. They are trapped by their own vows in a loveless marriage for as long as they both shall live.

What are your disappointments in life. Perhaps unrealized desires. Perhaps unspeakable grief or regret. Perhaps an existential longing for more.

The Psalms answer our questions because the Psalms tell us the truth. The truth is that God is enough. Not God’s blessings. Not God’s protection. Not God’s peace. Not God’s created things. No, God is ultimately all I need. God is enough. That is the theme of Psalm 27 and especially vs. 7 – 8.

“Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face”. My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord do I seek”.

Life in the trenches, where you and I live, has the tendency to dull our ardour for God; to weaken our grip on God; to cool our love for God. Too often the desires of my heart wander again and again. Too often I choose my kingdom instead of his kingdom. Too often I have eternity amnesia and look for purpose and significance in good things which ultimately will not satisfy. Too often I echo the words of the hymnwriter, “Prone to wander Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love”.

You do have options when you are down in the trenches. Despair. Alcohol. Over the counter drugs. Or perhaps countless diversions such as TV, Netflix, SuperSport, video games or relentless social media.

David encourages us to get back to God. Take a long walk and tell him you are desperate! Tell him exactly how you feel! Don’t hold anything back. That’s precisely what David does in verse 7. “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud”. He is taking a long walk and crying aloud to God. In fact he feels as if God doesn’t hear, so he calls on God for grace and mercy, “Be gracious to me and answer me!”.

Paul David Tripp who has greatly helped me in understanding Psalm 27, wrote this poem.

I have no resume’ to hold before you.
No track record of my accomplishments.
No letters of commendation, no rights of birth or pedigree.
I hold nothing that would place you in my debt.
Nothing that could curry your favour.
Nothing that would obligate you.
I wish unbroken obedience would draw your attention.
I wish model wisdom and model love would convince you that I am worthy.
But I have none of these things to offer you. I stand before you naked and
undeserving, broken and weak.
I am quite aware of the duplicity of my heart, the evil of my choices
and the failure of my behaviour.

But I am not afraid because I stand
before you with one argument, with one plea.
This argument is enough. This plea is sufficient.
This argument is the only thing that could ever give me hope.
Your mercy. Your mercy is my rest. Your mercy is my hope. Your mercy is all I need.
Your mercy tells me you will forgive. Your mercy tells me that you will restore.
Your mercy tells me that you will answer.

David puts it like this, “You have said, “Seek my face”. My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek”. Psalm 27:8.

What we have here is a critical principle for spiritual growth. You need to talk to yourself. You need to lecture yourself. Talking to yourself is not a sign of madness. We all have this internal dialogue. We all have an unending conversation with ourselves. No one is more influential in your life than you are. Because no-one talks to you more than you do.

So here in Psalm 27, we are eavesdropping on David’s internal dialogue. David is lecturing himself.

Heart, don’t forget God.
Heart, don’t withdraw from God.
Heart, don’t run away from God.
Heart, don’t avoid God.
Heart, run towards God.
Heart, pursue God.
Heart, seek God’s face.

The reality is that our hearts long for comfort, for ease, for power, for control, for security. But our problem is that we look in the wrong place. The things of this world. The possessions of this world. The experiences of this world. The relationships of this world.
The truth is that none of these things will ever deliver. They are all fallen, all flawed, all transient. None of them can carry the full weight of our eternal expectations.

There is only one antidote. There is no other.

“You have said, “Seek my face”. My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord do I seek”.

By Martin Morrison

I think the most surprising verse in Psalm 27 must be vs.4.

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple”.

If you had one thing to ask of the Lord, and know that your request would be granted, I wonder if this would be your request, “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord”. Can we honestly say that that would be our request! What makes it even more surprising, is when you realize the context in which David found himself in Psalm 27:1 – 3. He is under enormous pressure. He is facing evildoers who want to destroy him, “eat up my flesh”; he has countless adversaries and foes; he has an army encamped outside his kitchen!

I have no doubt that if it was me, my first request to God would be deliverance! Lord destroy these evildoers! Rescue me from these blood thirsty scoundrel! Give me peace or I die!

And yet his one thing is not power, or control or retribution, but to see the beauty of the Lord! Meaning to be right with God; to know God; to love God; to find his strength and purpose in God!

This begs the question for all of us. What is the one thing your heart craves? What is the one thing you cannot live without? What is the one thing that fills your dreams? What is the one thing that will make you happy?

Let me tell you the truth. Truth with a capital T. You better first sit down and close the door. My dear friend, if it is not the Lord, you will never find contentment in this world. You will never be safe. Nothing will ever ultimately satisfy. “One thing have I asked, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord”
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Paul Tripp teaches us that ultimately there are only two kinds of beauty. Source beauty and reflected beauty. Source beauty is true beauty. Pure beauty. Independent beauty. Timeless beauty. Divine beauty. The beauty of God. Reflected beauty is tainted beauty, dependent beauty, mirage beauty. Idolatry is when we put reflected beauty in the place of source beauty. But at some point it starts to fade, it’s a mirage, it slips through your fingers, the reflected beauty turns into a shadow.

It’s when we confuse consumption with satisfaction. We confuse sensual with joy. We confuse a full stomach with a heart that is at rest. This world has many, many beauties. The beauty of creation around us. The beauty of friendships and love, the beauty of enjoyment and pleasure. But remember, they are only signs of a far greater beauty. They cannot satisfy in and of themselves. They are merely pointing us to their creator, the ultimate beauty. They are merely signposts that point to a far, far more stunning beauty.

Be very carful not to confuse created things with the Creator. Created things can be used, enjoyed, but they never last or satisfy. Only the Creator can satisfy the longing of our hearts.

Before we look at the Psalm 27: 5, do not forget that Jesus is the fulfilment of this verse. Jesus is God’s house, Jesus is the ultimate temple, Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. He was speaking about the temple of his body”, John 2: 19 – 21. Meaning that ultimate beauty and satisfaction will only be found in the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

David ends off this section by saying, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock”. Here is the dilemma of our humanity. Clearly we are not in control of either the details or destiny of our lives. And yet we crave security and safety. We crave a rock which won’t fall or break or disappoint us. And so we try and carve out a rock or foundation to our lives. Be it money or status or family or relationships, which we desperately hope won’t break or disappoint us. The problem is that no created thing, no reflected beauty can bear the weight of our eternal longings. Only source beauty can. Only the Creator can. Only Jesus is our shelter. Only Jesus is our rock. Jesus, said, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest”. Jesus is the only one who can be our rock, that never changes or moves, or disappoints. Jesus is the only one who can give us true rest!

Let me close with that well known quote from C S Lewis,

“The security we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world. We have plenty of fun and even ecstasy, but we are never safe. It is not meant to be safe. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world. God will refresh us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home”.

For Further Reading: Anything by C S Lewis or Paul David Tripp.