Dwell
“I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.”
There are so many reasons to give thanks to the Lord. So many causes to bless his name. God is truly worthy of praise and thanksgiving because of who he is and what he does. He upholds those who are oppressed, bringing them into freedom. He works on behalf of justice for those who have been wronged and taken advantage of.
We need to consider this morning what it looks like for the upright to dwell in God’s presence like David mentions at the end of this psalm. All of Psalm 140 focuses on God’s ability to right the wrongs of wickedness and defend the oppressed from the oppressor. David does not hide his feelings about these wicked and violent people. He communicates his outright indignation and despair over the things he sees and the corruption all around him.
Still, amid cries for help, he claims that the upright will dwell in the presence of the Lord. Perhaps we need a perspective shift of what is allowed in our time of devotions.
Part of abiding daily is learning to seek God in the secret place. We need to experience his presence in the calm and quiet, learning to gaze upon his beauty and goodness. As heavenly as his presence is, we cannot use the appeal of that glory as an excuse to turn our face away from suffering and injustice.
David certainly did not do this. As a king, he could have created a fantasy world where he enjoyed the luxuries of his powerful position and let the disturbing images of oppression disappear. Instead, he leans into the cause of injustice. He stands in God’s presence and, in his distress, he presents the evil all around him before the Lord. He calls out to the Lord for deliverance and help.
In the end, David comes into a greater revelation of abiding than before. He realizes that there are conditions of righteousness that bring us into God’s presence. While it may be painful or disruptive to contemplate the suffering and injustice in the world around us and easier to soak in God’s goodness, acknowledging evil around us is a key to living in the truth and dwelling in God’s presence. When we do this, God brings clarity and truth to our situations, and he hears our prayers. We get to see God’s truth and deliverance as he intervenes in situations that we cannot overcome.
May we live this upright life and see the world through the eyes of God.
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Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
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