Christine Darg, Jerusalem Channel
By Christine Darg
“For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3, Amplified Bible)
An aspect of spiritual warfare that believers are having to face in these difficult and dangerous days is what King David poetically called in Psalm 31: 20, the strife of tongues.
I’ve been following the ongoing news of the USA presidential race with much intercession and a lot of sleeplessness because so much is at stake for freedoms in America and the Gospel itself.
But at the same time I’m appalled at the level that many are stooping to in character assassinations and dirty tricks.
Forsaking godly principles results in deceit, corruption, lawlessness and greatly increasing slander.
Unprincipled people shamelessly attack others often on anti-social “social media.”
I’m continually shocked by the shameless and vulgar comments that people are willing to make publicly on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and so forth.
But Psalm 31:20 is an exquisite promise:
“In the shelter of your presence [literally face in Hebrew] you hide us from all human intrigues; you keep us safe in your dwelling [literally sukkah] from the strife of accusing tongues.”
This verse teaches us that our hiding place is the “the light of his face.” God’s glory conceals us and blinds the powers of darkness.
In this world we can’t avoid being exposed to the strife of tongues nor will we be immune from evil tongues, especially if we are not ashamed of the Gospel. But when God hides us in the secret place of His royal pavilion, we’ll have the strength to withstand and the ability to escape one assault after another.
“Thou shalt hide them in the shelter of Thy presence, they face from the intrigues of man; Thou shalt keep them safe in a sukkah from the contentious strife of tongues.”
In modern Hebrew this kind of backbiting and slander is called lashon hora, the evil tongue.
God hides us, and His hiding is effectual, in the secret of the light and splendour of His face because brilliant light has a blinding effect on enemies.
God covers, hides and protects those who trust in him.
Loving shalom,
Christine
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