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27. Unmoved

Psalm 16.8

I have set the Lord always before me:

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Another promise of immovability; standing firm, strength, and solidity is given by the Lord. He can promise that I shall not be moved because He is at my right hand; the right hand is a position of strength for the person that the right hand man is protecting and fighting for. Since the Lord is on our side I will not fear what man can do to me; I know that no one can be against us; I will not give in to temptation; I will not be moved to compromise my beliefs and the promises I live by. Jesus through his life sustained himself by maintaining a constant actual sense of the presence of the Lord. The combined powers of earth and hell could not move Him. The same presence and power is available to us His followers. It was so with David: God in David’s eyes was no abstraction, but a Person, real, living, walking at his side.

Whatever bad things come my way I will not give in to worry, anxiety, panic, fear or doubt. Nothing can move me from the position of hope, peace, joy, confidence and faith. Against all odds and against deceitful appearances I will be able to maintain a simple trust in my God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Nothing will move me from that position of security and strength.

I can count on His promise of immovability because He promises to be with me always, so I have a Great Warrior standing beside me to drive away the temptations to sin and despair by which my enemies seek to drag me down. Since nothing can chip away at the optimistic strength I have been given I do not need to complain, grumble, groan, moan, blame, become angry or irritated; my Shepherd is caring for me and my Victor is winning for me. I am free to enjoy God’s life and rich blessings.

26. Inheritance

Psalm 16:5, 6

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:

Thou maintainest my lot.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;

yea, I have a goodly heritage.

 The Promise of Land is an unconditional promise for the Israelite to whom the physical Promised Land was first given, conquered, possessed and apportioned. The Book of Joshua records the fulfillment of this promise. The Promise of Inheritance is an unconditional promise for the NT believer in Jesus Christ to whom the spiritual and eternal Kingdom of God was (and still is) given. This “Kingdom Land” is eternal in the heavens kept for believers in Christ. “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”   I Peter 1:3-4)

Also, you who heard the gospel and believed in Him were sealed with the Holy Spirit, “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.” Ephesians 1:14. The “Land, the Promised Land, and the Promise of Land” throughout the OT is meant for us in the NT. The physical geographical land becomes the spiritual Land, which is the spiritual Kingdom of God, the heavenly City, a better country, the New Jerusalem, Paradise, the new heaven and new earth. This transition of physical land to spiritual kingdom was announced by Jesus Christ and fulfilled in his life, death, and resurrection. A goodly heritage moves beyond land, place and temple to grace and the presence of God. Faithful optimism is a life lived in communion with God.

The further mysterious nature of this mystery and its fulfillment is the “already and not yet” aspects of the “Land.” The physical “by sight” enjoyment of the eternal land will not yet be realized until Christ returns at the Last Day. However, the “already” part of the promise has been fulfilled as heaven lives in the hearts of believers even now before that Day comes. This is the present “portion of mine inheritance, my lot,” the pleasant boundary lines, and a “goodly heritage.” All this inherited land is given to me, sealed in my heart by the Spirit, enjoyed by me here and now, and lives as a certain hope of future reality after death. “In your presence there is fullness of joy…pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16: 11).

Ultimately, God has given himself to us as our inheritance in such a way that we are always maintained in the enjoyment of the promise. If we have Him what more could we desire? Savonarola says, “What must not he possess who possesses the Possessor of all?” Paul says: “All things are yours…and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (I Corinthians 3:21, 23)

25. Unmoved

Psalm 15. 5

He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

 For the fulfillment of this promise of unshakable stability the same 10 requirements apply as in the previous conditional promise of #24, Psalm 15. The same “active obedience” of Jesus Christ applies also, in that “in Christ” the believer has met the perfect obedience requirements of the Law and so claims the promise.

The promise for the one who does these things is that he shall never be moved, that he is unshakable, steadfast, solid, and never stumble and fall. This promise we need to apply all the time, but particularly when times are tough and life is wobbly we need to take hold of this “unmovable” promise. We may even be driven to a prostrate position on a sickbed in utter weakness, but we will still be able to stand firm and walk and not faint. Solidity and strength, like a “pillar of the church,” enables the weak believer to stand up in spirit on the solid rock and boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of enemy onslaught. After the battle the weak and prone believer is still standing upright, standing on the promises of God the Savior.

The fundamental stability is that of a righteous person abiding in the tabernacle of the Presence, which can be in public worship or in private devotion. He shall not be removed from God’s house but remain in the Presence. Even when the cosmos totters, Zion remains unshaken and the believer finds sanctuary from the collapsing world. And when the cosmos isn’t tottering, the Presence is still the place to be firmly situated.

24. The Presence of God

Psalm 15.1, 2

Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle?

Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

He that walketh uprightly….

 Abiding and dwelling in the Presence of God (His tabernacle, His holy hill) is a coveted prize and treasure that one would sell all that he has to obtain it. Heaven on earth is what we want, and it is what God promised. God dwells on earth in a particular location: on the Ark of the Covenant inside the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle (later, the Temple). This is where God could be found, invisible, with no idol or graven image to represent Him. This was His dwelling place; this was heaven on earth. The coveted promise was that human beings who loved and feared the Lord could dwell Him in His earthly Presence.

Psalm 27:4: “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 be in the presence of God is still a wonderful blessing and fulfilled promise, but the presence of God since Jesus came to earth, died and rose from the dead is in the hearts of those who believe in Him. There God dwells and we live in Him. The promise is that I may dwell and abide in the presence of God at all times and that I can enter into His dwelling place when in need. Can I go to heaven? Yes, I can “go to heaven” any time I need to. That is my hope; that is God’s promise.

But, as a conditional promise, the entrance qualifications are very stringent: it is given to the one who: 1) walks with integrity, 2) speaks the truth from the heart, 3) does not trip over his tongue, 4) does no wrong to his fellowman, 5) casts no slur on his neighbor, 6) despises a vile person, 7) honors those who fear the Lord, 8) swears to his own hurt and wavers not, 9) does not lend his money at interest, 10) does not accept a bribe against the innocent. The positive and negative aspects of thee commands completes a life characterized by active goodness and by the absence of evil.

Those who keep these 10 commandments may come into God’s presence and dwell with the Lord while living on the earth. But, as with all the Laws of Moses, the requirements are impossible for sinners to meet. Therefore, all are excluded. Ah, but One entered into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled his own innocent blood on the mercy seat of the Presence; by doing so, He gave to all who believe in Him the power to enter into the very Presence of God: in heaven after death, or in heaven on earth during this life. This Man, Jesus Christ, fulfilled all these 10 requirements in our place, took our disobedience upon Himself, declared us in complete compliance and obedience (he who is saved is one who has holiness). “Without holiness no man shall see God,” but with holiness he may see God. I may lay claim to imputed obedience and thus He opened the way into the Holy of Holies, the very Presence of God in heaven, both in the heaven in heaven and in the heaven on earth.

23. Preservation

Psalm 12.7

Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, 

thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

 The promise is for the poor and needy: the Lord will keep them and preserve them. All humans are poor and needy, the only difference being that some don’t know it yet. The sooner we admit to being truly poor and needy the sooner we can rest under the shadow of God’s promises: He will keep and preserve us. Those who are physically and financially poor and needy have an easier time seeing and admitting their dependence and helplessness; and for them, the sooner the promises come to pass. Psalm 121:8: “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even forevermore.”

Those who are not physically and financially poor and needy have a harder time recognizing their need for God and their dependence upon Him alone for peace, safety, health and wellbeing. To the degree that we “need” to that degree God helps, keeps us safe and preserves our life. Spiritual poverty and neediness is not so easy to see with physical eyes and with a mind of reason. Seeing our own poverty, emptiness, helplessness and dependency comes to our vision when we repent of pride and self-sufficiency and self-centeredness. Then the Holy Spirit reveals through the gospel that He will meet our real needs and fill the empty with good things.

“Generation” = all the people living on earth at a particular time period. Whenever we lived, or wherever we have dwelt in the world, that particular generation of people who lived then and there is in and of the world, and the world is an instrument of the Enemy to assail the children of God. The Lord promises to preserve us from the destructions that come to us through the temptations of the world. We need this promise to be preserved from going the way of the world.

22. Safety

Psalm 12.5

For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord;  I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.

 For the sake of, and for the help of, the poor and needy the Lord promises to arise and put the poor and needy in safety. First, we humble ourselves through contrition and repentance to realize that are poor and needy (dust and ashes). Second, we trust in the Lord to go to battle for us and rescue us and put us in the safe house, where the enemy can only puff at us but cannot bring us down. Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.

First, we are helpless and dependent; second, He fights and keeps us safe; third, we rest secure under His care and protection. The enemy oppresses us and we sigh because of the feeling of helplessness. Then God arises: arise means to get up and get ready for battle in spiritual warfare. He defeats the enemy and places us in safety where the enemy cannot harm us, behind the shield of faith and the armor of righteousness and under the covering and cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

The promise, “I will set him in safety,” is coming into the presence of God, which has been called a refuge, fortress, hiding place, rock, high place, strong tower, and such symbols of safe places where one can be kept safe and secure from the enemy. We live our lives surrounded by spiritual enemies all the time who may oppress us at will. In time of need when attacked or tempted the Lord promise to protect the oppressed poor and needs and make them safe. He promises rest, deliverance and salvation from the enemies of the humble and needy, who long for repose in the bosom of God.

And, by the way, in verse 6, following after this promise, it says that the promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace purified seven times. God’s promises are precious and reliable.

21. Love and Behold

Psalm 11.7

For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness;

His countenance doth behold the upright.

Once again, believers in Jesus Christ claim this promise for themselves because in Christ they are righteous and upright. The promise is for those who are right with God, which condition has been fulfilled by Christ. Jesus is “the Lord is our Righteousness.” (Jeremiah 23:6). The Lord is intrinsically righteous, dwells only with righteousness, and loves righteousness. The righteous Lord loves us but cannot abide our sin; therefore He sent His Son to take away the sin, which He abhors and put in its place the righteousness, which He loves. He is essential righteousness, and He would naturally love His own resemblance,p; He would love the beauty of holiness which has been worked inside the faithful by the Holy Spirit. With a face full of love He beholds and speaks peace.

Therefore we can be assured of this promise of God’s love. No matter who we are or what we have done God loves us for He sees Christ our righteousness in us. Of this promise we can be certain.

The Lord’s countenance also beholds the upright, that is, His smiling face is looking upon us with tenderness and loving care. His countenance is “lifted up,” (Numbers 5:26) meaning his face is grinning at us, the corners of mouth and eyes tilting upward in a smile of tender love and charming grace: He is happy with us: “He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love.” God’s countenance (face) means His presence with us to bless: the Lord promises His presence will be with us to give protection, provision and whatever we need. Nothing in life can rival God’s smiling, loving, peaceful and powerful presence in the center of our hearts and lives. And the promise is that He is looking on us all the time with interest and devotion;e is looking on us all the time with interest and devotion; His feeling and intention toward will never waver, and He will always be there for us to turn to Him at all times and any time.

All this “beholding” is God’s doing and comes from His eternal being; we only receive and believe this promise by maintaining faith in Christ through the hearing of the Gospel.

20, Try

Psalm 11.5

The Lord trieth the righteous.

 Once again, believers in Jesus Christ are the righteous; God made us righteous in Christ; the promise is for us, the “made-righteous” believers. He promises that He will try us and test us. That doesn’t sound like such a wonderful promise, but it really is when we consider the alternative in the rest of the verse: “but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” The same fire that purifies can also be a symbol of judgment on the wicked who violently oppress. It appears that there is no promise that the Lord will test the wicked. God chastens those whom He loves, to refine them in the fiery furnace of trials. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:6)

The promise of testing is really a blessing, for when we are pruned, tried, and refined God is doing a work in our lives to enable us to bear more fruit, strengthen and purify us. This growth process cannot take place without trial; if we were not pruned we would not grow more fruit; if we were not refined in the heat we would not be strengthened and purified. At the moment all discipline seems painful and not pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:11). It is only in hindsight that we can see the loving hand of God through certain seasons and trials.

While we are enduring the trials we must simply trust God to know what He is doing and that the end result will be glorious. Therefore, this wonderful promise should be taken to heart with joy and hope. It is a promise. And God is good.

19. Judge

Psalm 10:17, 18

Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble:

Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,

that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

 It may not feel like much of a positive promise that the Lord will judge the orphans and the oppressed; but in the positive sense the word “judge” is used to render a positive verdict in their favor. The negative side of this positive word is that the oppressors will be judged, that is, convicted and punished.

The fatherless and the oppressed are examples of all those people that find themselves helpless, defenseless, and suffering injustice. If we are willing to be humbled and admit that “helpless” includes us as well, then God hears the desire of the humble that they may be restored to dignity and receive justice. He makes us sensitive to the need for help, He turns our sense of need into a desire for relief, our desire into a prayer, and then the answer comes. This God does for us when we humble ourselves in penitence and contrition seeking forgiveness and favor. In humble faith and dependent trust we also become like the “fatherless and oppressed” who need a righteous judge to rule in our favor over against the lies and accusations of the Evil Ones.

We may get tired of coming back again and again every day like the widow in the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge, who finally gets an answer because of her insistence. We do not have to be like that with our God, the Judge who will give justice speedily. Although it may seem like the wicked and unjust oppressors get away with their evil for a long time, it is speedy to the Lord. Jesus told us this to encourage us always to pray and not lose heart.

This Psalm is also given to us to encourage us to pray and trust and not lose heart. He will come and judge and deliver His humble and oppressed people from the oppressor, both physically and spiritually. Our God and Savior will not only come to judge on the Last Day, but He will also come to judge during the course of our lives in history. That is a promise. He is still King forever and ever and we can count on His promise to hear and act and judge rightly.

18. Not Forgotten

Psalm 9.18

For the needy shall not always be forgotten: The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

 The needy and the poor can take this as an unconditional promise: they will not be forgotten and their hope will not perish. The rest of us who are not physically poor may take this as an unconditional promise for our spiritual poverty. Once we admit that we are empty and needy, that we have nothing in our hands to bring, that we have no ability to be independently strong, and that we are completely dependent on God for life and health and every good, then this promise unconditionally includes us as well.

As a needy person I shall not be forgotten, and my needs shall not be forgotten. I may have prayed for daily bread and needs to be filled in the past and it seems the answer is delayed; but, rest assured, soul, you and your need will not be forgotten. God will remember, even if you forgot you prayed, and in his time and way he answers your prayer need. 1) God prepares the heart; 2) He suggests the prayer; 3) He hears what is prayed; 4) He answers the prayer. Have patience and wait for the Lord. God forgets your sin, but He remembers mercy. He will not always forget. The nations that forget God return to Sheol, but God does not forget his own

The hope or the expectation of the poor will not perish. Once the poor have placed their hope in God they expect God to come and answer. They may wait a long time, but the Lord may say, “Wait a little longer. Your hope will not die; your expectations will live on and you will live to see them fulfilled.” So it is for all of who have repented in humility and entered into a poverty of spirit by giving up striving for independence and control; we have made ourselves dependent on the Lord not only for forgiveness but also for everything good and needful. For the penitent, the spiritually poor and the helpless trusters God promises to hear their prayers and meet their needs. Even if it takes a while He will not forget, ever.