Journal for Christ: His Protecting Presence

November 10, 2021

Worship in WORD

Ps 31:19-20

19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of the children of mankind!

20 In the cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

you store them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.

ESV

Ps 31:19-20

19 How great is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you,

which you bestow in the sight of men

on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from the intrigues of men;

in your dwelling you keep them safe

from accusing tongues.

NIV (1984)

Ps 31:19-20

19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

KJV

Ps 31:19-20P

19 How great is the goodness

you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,

blessing them before the watching world.

20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence,

safe from those who conspire against them.

You shelter them in your presence,

far from accusing tongues.

I. Hope – vv. 1-8

A. Action – v. 1

B. Appeal – v. 2

C. Acknowledge – vv. 3-4

D. Abandon – v. 5

E. Abhor – v. 6

F. Acclaim! – vv. 7-8

II. Help! – vv. 9-18

A. Sorrow – vv. 9-13

1. Soul sickness – vv. 9-10

2. Societal scorn – vv. 11-13

B. Sovereign – vv. 14-18

1. Surrender – vv. 14-15

2. Shine – v. 16

3. Shame – v. 17

4. Silence – v. 18

III. Hail – vv. 19-22

A. God, for His Great Goodness – v. 19

B. God, for His Sheltering Presence – v. 20

C. God, for His ds#j# Hesed – V. 21

D. God, Who Hears and Answers His People – v. 22

IV. Heart – vv. 23-24

Thought flow: Hope→Help!→Hail→Heart

Hail, interj. - An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation

B. Hail God, for His Sheltering Presence – v. 20

In verse 19, David extolled the greatness and wonderfulness of God’s acts of goodness towards those who fled to Him for refuge. Goodness, that may not be apparent at the moment when we are running to Him for protection. Yet we know He has stored it up for us and will shower it upon us in the time he has wisely chosen. This calls for patience on our part, and confident abiding hope in Him.

If verse 19 tells us what God does, in general, for His people who seek His shelter. Verse 20 begins to tell us more specifically where and from what. David starts to explain to us by using two words related to each other as verb and noun. The first word is the Hebrew verb sātar which means “to hide” or “cover.” The second word is the Hebrew noun sēter. This word refers to a “hiding place,” or “shelter,” or “covering.” There is a sense of secretness about these words. Hence the KJV’s translation: “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence.”

David is emphasizing the action God is taking on our behalf. He is saying:

You hide them in the hiding place...

You shelter them in the shelter...

You cover them in the cover...

You secret them away into the secret place...

This is the goodness of God towards His people in the sight of a watching world. More blessings may and will ultimately follow (see Romans 8:18-30), but His protecting presence is enough for the present.

Worship in Witness:

So what is the confidence we have when we run to Him for shelter and protection?

When we flee to Him, He WILL take us in!

That is, if we draw near to Him in “fear.”

How great is Your goodness

that You have stored up for those who fear You,

and accomplished in the sight of everyone

for those who take refuge in You.

Therefore, those who draw near in fear (a trembling yet trusting reverence) will not be denied entry to His fortress.

A Doubter’s Prayer

Lord,

I confess that confidence is not one of my strong suits.

How often have I prayed,

and my spirit

scrunches up inside with doubt.

My mind messes with me as I “make known to You” my need.

Fleshly fear dogs me as I pray for provision and protection.

Plans come to mind

as knee-jerk reactions to my situation,

rather than waiting for your answer.

Oh, that a holy fear would take hold of me.

A trembling but trusting attitude seize my soul.

Let me wait

with godly hope

for Your answer.

Give me discernment, and let me respond with wisdom.

—Amen

A Prayer for Proper Perspective

Lord,

Do not let me pray with false confidence.

May I not demand

Your provision and protection

and call it faith

when it’s actually pride and presumption.

Or say, “Thy will be done,” but mean, “MY will be done.”

May my confidence not be in me but You, Lord.

For my confidence and my privilege

to come into Your presence

are blood-bought and gracious benefits.

So, let me flee from me and run eagerly to Thee.

— Amen

Worship in Promise, Poem, Prayer, and Praise

https://wordbytes.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Slide70.png

No Locked Doors

Lord,

Let pride have no place in me

And give me a heart of humility

Wherever You reside

There is no room for pride

So let there be no locked doors

No place in me that's not Yours

Daily may I abdicate my heart's throne

To You Lord, to You alone

~ Amen!

Before the Throne of God: as sung by Selah

I chose this song, keying off the words from a line in “A Prayer for Proper Perspective.” The one that says, “For my confidence and my privilege to come into Your presence are blood-bought and gracious benefits.” Confidence that’s not born of myself, nor in myself, but in Him and through Him. To God be the glory, amen!

¹⁴ Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

Heb 4:14-16 NASB

VERSE 1

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea

A great High Priest whose name is love

Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hands

My name is written on His heart

I know that while in heav’n He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart

VERSE 2

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end to all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the Just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me

VERSE 3

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb

My perfect, spotless Righteousness

The great unchangeable I AM

The King of glory and of grace

One with Himself, I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood

My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God

Original words by Charitie Lees Bancroft (1841-1892), music and alt. words by Vikki Cook. © 1997 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved. Administrated worldwide at www.CapitolCMGPublishing.com, excluding the UK which is adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family. www.SovereignGraceMusic.org

Lyrics: https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/before-the-throne-of-god-above/

Video: https://youtu.be/4MUNywhsZPU

Further Notes:

Psalms 31:20

[Thou shall hide them in the secret of thy presence] That is, those that fear the Lord and trust in him; and therefore they are called his hidden ones, Ps 83:3; these the Lord preserves in times of trouble and danger, and when his indignation is out against others; and so the Targum is, in the time of thine anger; see Isa 26:20; the presence of God is their protection, he himself is a wall of fire round about them, his favour compasses them as a shield, and they are kept as in a garrison by his power; see Ps 91:1; and that from the pride of man, which otherwise would at once oppress, bear them down, and destroy them, Ps 124:1-5;

Psalms 31:20

Their life shall be so hidden with Christ in God, that their enemies shall not be able to find them out. To such a hiding-place Satan himself dare not approach. There the pride of man cannot come.

Psalms 31:20

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man. Pride is a barbed weapon: the proud man's contumely* is iron which entereth into the soul; but those who trust in God, are safely housed in the Holy of holies, the innermost court, into which no man may dare intrude; here in the secret dwelling place of God the mind of the saint rests in peace, which the foot of pride cannot disturb. Dwellers at the foot of the cross of Christ grow callous to the sneers of the haughty. The wounds of Jesus distil a balsam which heals all the scars which the jagged weapons of contempt can inflict upon us; in fact, when armed with the same mind which was in Christ Jesus, the heart is invulnerable to all the darts of pride.

* Contumely

Rudeness compounded of haughtiness and contempt; scornful insolence; despiteful treatment; disdain; contemptuousness in act or speech; disgrace.

Journal for Christ

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

His Protecting Presence

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