RELATIONSHIP

How often did you date when you were courting your spouse—once a year?  Once a month?  I venture to say it was weekly at the least, not including countless phone calls, numerous letters, and the daily black hole fog that settled around your head, impairing your ability to think clearly—or even at all. 

How often do you go on a date with God?  Once or twice a year?  Once a month?  Once a week?

Daily involvement with your fiancée had its privileges, and daily intimacy with your Lord will benefit you likewise.

When you love someone, you let them know how well you know their various qualities.  Naturally they respond with gratefulness.  God is no different.  You experience the peace of God when God has a piece of you—and He’ll look out for both forms of that word as well. 

The indoor mini-golf we had was about 90 miles north of the arcade we owned.   Because of the distance between the two businesses I relied on others to run it for me.  Our manager was horrible, and when it came time to fire her I really didn’t relish the idea, especially as I figured she’d try to get others to cause me physical harm. 

In the great ‘Live free or Die’ state of New Hampshire, people are allowed to conceal guns they have permits for.  Before entering the mall, I put my Colt .38 revolver into the back of my pants and lowered my shirt over it.  While waiting for my now ex-manager to show up and get her final check, I decided to play one of my favorite arcade games—the shooting gallery.  I liked the game but I didn’t excel in it—but today was different.  I couldn’t miss—literally, a perfect score.  As I was shooting I heard a few big guys talking just outside the arcade.  One said to the other two, “No, guys, he’s too good.  Don’t fool with him.”

I presumed they were talking about me, and rightly so, but I couldn’t understand to save my life as to why three guys would be afraid of me.  Just then my new manager called me over.  “Did you know that your gun is showing?” he asked.  I didn’t.  I had been so active in the shooting game that the real gun had come out of its hiding place.  I began to leave the arcade—so did the three guys; we wound up going opposite directions.

Because of the relationship that my God and I have, He saw fit to preserve my life, and without my having to fire a single shot.

Proverbs 16:7 says that ‘When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him (KJV).”

Before and since that fateful day in 2002, the Lord has repeatedly seen fit to deliver me from other enemies as well—and I likewise see fit to continue a daily walk of intimacy with Him.

b(Les)sings

IN GOD WE TRUST

Trust.  It’s the best place to start in a relationship.  It is true for people, and it’s even more true for God—not that He needs to trust us, but us Him.  Psalm 118:8 says it most succinctly:  “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man”—KJV.  Verse 9 continues that it’s even better to trust the Lord over those He establishes in authority over us (Rom. 13:1).Proverbs 3:5-6 remind us that we’re to trust Him with all our heart, and not lean upon our own understanding—that we should acknowledge God in all we do, and He will direct our paths. 

Have you ever been through one of those huge mazes?  They have someone watching over things from above, to help direct those that may have lost their way.  That’s God.  As we travel the maze that is our life, we can trust One whose vantage point is higher than ours because He sees the things we don’t, and can direct our steps accordingly.  David begins Psalm 7 discussing his trust in the Lord—therein is true peace.

One of the two businesses we owned in New Hampshire years ago was an arcade, located inside a major mall.  Unfortunately it was about 90 miles south of our other business, and management in absentia allowed for those with evil intent to flourish.  One incident in particular involved a youth that I’d caught stealing money from us.  I told him he was fired, and he pled for his job back—he was really, “sorry”. I thought long and hard about it and finally acquiesced.  “Ok”, I said, “just give me back the $40 you stole.”  “What?” he asked, shocked, “I thought you said I could get my job back.”  “I did,” I responded, “But that doesn’t negate your responsibility.”  He decided being fired was better than working.  This was a youth who, unlike the psalmist, was unwilling to take responsibility for his actions.  Even though he maintained a sense of innocence, David was still willing to be subjected to correction if his deeds were found to be evil.  That’s peace on two levels—that he was not wrong, and that even if he was, he was confident that God’s correction would be loving and beneficial.

The psalmist seeks the Lord’s intervention against their mutual enemies, assured that He’s fully capable of delivering it.  He is trusting God to make the best decision on his (David’s) behalf, and we can trust Him for such decisions in our lives as well.

Road rage is just one modern day example of an aggressor positioning himself on life’s throne, so that he may execute vengeance on another, yet there is peace in allowing God to do the work in your stead (Romans 12:19—“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”—KJV).

Do you want real peace?  It’s available to all those that choose for God to sit upon the throne of their lives, rather than themselves.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 7

1 O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

2Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

3O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;

4If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)

5Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

6Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.

7So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.

8The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

9Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

10My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

11God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

13He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

14Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.

15He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

16His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

17I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

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