Hi Folks:

Was away at a pastor's and spouse's retreat today. Jan and I were leading worship which was fun. Its nice to get away with people who do the same thing we do. At times we feel the loneliness of being part of the church in some ways but not being part of the church in other ways. Its nice to be with others who know what its like.

While travelling home, I spotted a sign for fishing worms (that would be worms for fishing, not worms in the act of fishing). It had been a while since I took the boys fishing, so I picked some up. Seems a sad reality I haven't had time lately to get my own worms. However, took the boys down to the river for about an hour. Only a few nibbles and a branch or two, but we shared a laugh when Ian left his sneaker in the mud. A few weeks ago we watched someone get a 12 inch trout down there - someday...

Oh yes - Jan's sister and husband, Becky and Shaun, had a baby this week. Amelia is doing well - a sister to Lily and Sam.

Finally, this is the week we do the canoe trip with some men from our church. I'm getting excited. It will be a lot of fun.

Have a good week

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Psalm 11:1-4

In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.*

For the better part of grade 7 and early grade 8, I was pursued by two other junior high students who teased me and made my life miserable. As much as possible, I turned and went the other way. I hung out in the balcony of the gym at Athena Intermediate School, pretending to watch the lunch-time sports, but really I knew I they wouldn’t come around me while others were present.

I prayed a lot about this situation and finally it stopped. That was a tough experience, and I’ve been through tougher situations since. So I think I understand what it feels like when "the foundations are being destroyed."

That’s why I was surprised to read that David had the chance to flee and didn’t take it. Wise people told him it was better to "run away to fight again another day." After all, they suggested, "What else can you do?" Unseen enemy aimed straight for the heart. Battering rams pounded the walls.

David wasn’t willing to accept that. Was it an act of bravery, like John Wayne leading his platoon against the enemy?

Perhaps it was a kind of bravery, but it didn’t come from a swagger or an overblown sense of rugged individualism.

David’s confidence came from the fact that God remained in his place. "The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne." That’s why he began the psalm by writing, "In the Lord I take refuge."

This is different from our common reaction, or the reaction of his advisors. Often when we feel the prick of unseen enemies firing from the shadows, we lose our confidence and begin to cut our losses out of fear. "A little compromise isn’t so bad if it means I might gain later." "I better not rock the boat." "I guess it wasn’t so important after all." "Oh well."

There are two realities we see in this passage. First, there will always be arrows from the shadows and threats to the foundations of our world. As long as we take a stand, we will feel pressure to give it up, to compromise what it important. I can’t think of anything I have believed in or stood up for that wasn’t challenged in some way. This reality doesn’t need much explanation - we have all experienced it.

The more important reality for us is this. Regardless of the challenges which rock our world, God remains in his place. The enemy may fire and pound, over and over, and unexpectedly. But we do not need to fear. God is in his place.

I suppose there are times when the best course of action is to turn and run, but in those cases our motivation should not be fear, but that it truly is the wisest course.

Reading from my journal, it was a Sunday morning when I last encountered this psalm. This is what I wrote. "As people come into our place of worship this morning, may they see your face. Still smarting from the arrows of the assault, may they be assured you are still on the throne."

God is still on the throne. Always was, always will be. Therefore let us say, "In the Lord I take refuge."

Hope this helps. Be OnFire.

Troy

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ON FIRE is a weekly letter of encouragement by Troy Dennis. This letter published June 6, 2006.