Eld Chew Chong Kiat

Introduction

The psalmist in the last segment of Psalm 84 concluded with these words, “…blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” (v12b). He affirmatively declared the promises of God, that the man who trusts in God will be blessed and happy. He came to God believing in His goodness and grace, and that God would reward him for his faith because God is pleased (Heb 11:6). Who is He that blesses? His name is the “LORD God of hosts”, the One who protects and fights for the people with whom He had made an everlasting covenant. He is faithful who has promised. The psalmist addressed God in this way four times in this short psalm (v1,3,8,12). This name of God conjures confidence in God.  He is such a great God who is deserving of trust and there is nothing that He cannot do.

What then are the blessings in trusting in God?

• He will be your Shield (v9a,11a). A shield like a buckler offers protection. Not all shields protect perfectly like God, for no one is stronger and wiser than God. How comforting it is to know that God is our shield who protects us from every attack of the Evil one and wicked men, and from all the dangers we are subjected to. Even when we are not aware of the dangers, God is on guard to shield us, so that no evil will befall us without His knowledge. The psalmist therefore called upon God who is our shield to “behold” and “look upon” all His “anointed” (v9). This brings us to the next blessing.

• He will look upon you (v9b). What privilege and blessing it is that God should behold and look upon us, not for any good in us but because of Christ! It shows His regard for us in His heart. It is not a casual look, but one that shows His favour and care for us. We are ever before His face and never out of His sight, not even for a split second, lest something evil befalls us without His knowledge. If anything is to come to us, it must get past His attention. But our God neither slumbers nor sleeps, He will keep and preserve us perfectly in his love (Ps 121:4-8). We are precious to Him, for we are His anointed ones, consecrated through His Spirit to serve Him. If we do His will, we have nothing to fear, for whoever touches us is like touching the apple of God’s eye (Ps 17:8).  The Apostle Peter wrote, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayer...” (1Pe 3:12a)

• He will be your Sun (v11a). The sun is that which gives light and energy to all that is upon the earth. So likewise, God sustains and energises us and gives light to our path. While the rest of the world lies in darkness, we can bask in God’s light given in His Word, to know the right from the wrong, and to know what His will is so that we can do it by the strength He supplies.

• He will give you Grace and Glory (v11b). He who trusts in God will be given the needed grace to live for Him. We will never walk alone or be left to ourselves. Our strength is weakness, for the battle we are engaged in is spiritual, the journey is too great for us (1Ki 19:7), our arms of flesh will fail, and our wisdom will prove to be foolishness. The sooner we recognise this the earlier we will die to self and cast down every high thought that exalts itself against the mind of Christ. Then will the strength and wisdom of God be perfected and magnified in us and we glorify Him. He will then glorify us with Him in His own time. What a privilege and blessing it is that such broken vessels as we were should be chosen, sanctified, and used by God to reflect His glory, that others may see His light and be brought to receive the same grace and glory.

• He will not withhold any Good Thing (v11c). Last but not least, to top off God’s blessings is the promise that He will always give the best to those who walk uprightly in faith. If we walk in the light, we are His delight and He will give us His best. A son that delights his heavenly Father will receive the downpouring of God’s copious blessings in every spiritual joy and blessings. There will not be room to store them, but they will overflow and our “cup runneth over”. Surely, if we being evil know how to give good gifts to our children, shall not God who is perfect, just, and love know how to give that which is good to His redeemed? Let us never doubt that He will give when we ask. Isaiah described God’s readiness to give in these words, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isa 65:24) He will not withhold any good thing from His covenant children. There is nothing more precious than His only begotten Son, and if He spared Him not but freely gave Him to save us, will He withhold anything else from us if it is good for us? “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Ps 23:6).

Conclusion

Let us like the psalmist desire to dwell in the house of God. Ps 84:10 “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”  This is our blessing on earth indeed! We have been feeling its loss deeply over the last six months being unable to assemble in His house to serve Him. May the absence cause our hearts to grow fonder. There is no better place that we can be than to be in the house of the living God. Some have pined for the next holiday overseas, having missed their usual trips in March and June, and also have little hope  of holiday trips in September and December. Have you thought the same? Let His people long to be in the house of God! Just a day in the courts of God Almighty is better than one thousand days (i.e. almost three years) somewhere else. For it is in the house of our God that we are reminded of our eternal dwelling place and our calling as His peculiar people. What countless blessings we had received when we sought God in His house and when we encouraged one another in the faith by our presence and when we spoke to one another before God who hears and remembers us (Mal 3:16). May those days return soon! Amen.

[This is the last of our meditation on Psalm 84, the first being “Longing to be in the House of My God!” (v1-4) and the second, “Portrait of a Blessed Man!” (v5-8), published on 26 April and 28 June 2020 respectively.]