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Pilgrimage of Life
There are many vacillations in the convoluted pilgrimage of life. Sunshine and showers; peace and pandemonium; calm and storm; joy and pain. There are many complex vicissitudes for the sojourner through this mortal coil, victory and defeat; honour and humiliation; hope and despair; respect and scorn. But what a comforting attribute of our Lord that He is my Defence and my Defender. He both defends me from the externals of life that pervade my peace and hope – and His truth becomes my defence when the world’s finger points accusingly at me.
The Lens of God’s Absolution
Have you ever sought to defend yourself when misunderstood or falsely accused? I have … Standing before an entire panel, who twisted the truth the justify the means. I learned a lesson then, that self-vindication invariably falls on deaf ears, but God will filter misunderstanding and twisted truth through His own lens of absolution – causing all things to work to together for good to those that love Him… to those that are the called according to His good pleasure. This should sink deep into our conscious and unconscious being.
Confidence in Christ
The Psalmist sings often of his confidence in the Lord as his mighty Defence:- In Psalm 7 verse 10 we read, my Defence is of God, Who saveth the upright in heart.. while in Psalm 62 verse 1 we read, my soul waits upon God… Who is my Defence? Justifying my own right is not waiting on Him, but relying on self-defence. Supplying my own defence in a matter is a lack of trust in Him as my Defender. He has to be Defence and Defender – shall He not discharge His word?
Assurance from God
When my heart is secure in God as Defence – I gain a deep and quiet assurance, When God takes up the role of my Defender – He will discharge His obligation. His defence is not in the physical alone – it spans the breadth of the spiritual attack. The three enemies that stalk me day and night are the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Enemies of the Soul
Though few believers may succumb to the vicious vices that tempt and tease, there are many simple delights that lure us into the net of worldly lusts – minor indulgences in fleshly pleasures, can catapult a salty saint into stupid sin. Only the defence of the indwelling Spirit – induces towards death of the “old man”… as the fleshly lusts and the pride of life seek to overthrow our witness of Him.
Doubt and Discouragement
The master-tricks of the devil, in despoiling a saint are discouragement and doubt. Discouragement can fatally affect our testimony, as our service to Him is ravaged. Doubt breaks the vital faith-link, which binds us to the throne-room of the Father. Deliver us from evil – our great Defender and Defence.
Promised Protection
We must remain securely bound to our heavenly Defender’s promised protection. We must remain under the shadow of His wing – protected in the cleft of the Rock – for He is our Champion from all accusations and He is our Deliverer from all enem’s attacks. So seek day by day to remain in Him and He in us.
O Worship the King…
O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love,
Our Shield and DEFENDER, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendour, and girded with praise.
O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, Whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy power hath founded of old,
Established it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.
Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, DEFENDER, Redeemer, and Friend.
O measureless might! Ineffable love!
While angels delight to worship Thee above,
The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise.
Bible References
15 The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
7 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
5 Let 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.
6 Arise, 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.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.
62 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
16 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
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