FINDING THE SAFE ZONE

As I was preparing to put the finishing touches on last week’s blog, I had one of those wonderful, Spirit-led encounters. My daily reading had me in Psalm 15 and I was suddenly aware that the Holy Spirit was showing me things I had not seen before.

The final sentence of verse 5 reads, “He who does these things will never be shaken” (NIV). I was riveted by these words and immediately backed up and slowly reread the entire psalm. I had never seen this psalm the way the Spirit began to unfold it. What I saw was the response to David’s question, “How can I get into the safety of Your sanctuary, the safe zone of Your presence?”

Let me share briefly what God’s Spirit began to show me from these verses.

V. 1 – “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?” In the Old Testament God’s presence resided in the Tabernacle and then later in the Temple in Jerusalem. David’s question is, “Who is the person who can be in Your Presence? How can I be that man?”

“Who may live on Your holy hill?” is another way of asking the same question. In ancient times when someone was taken into the home of a king or a sovereign ruler, he was in a place of safety. David asks the question, “How do I get to that place of safety?”

V. 2 – “He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart . . .” The answer to the questions of the first verse begins with this heavy insight. The person who can live in God’s safe zone is the person whose life is without blame, who does only righteous things, with truth as his motivating focus. Under Old Testament Law this was impossible, but not so under the New Covenant. After Calvary, God sees us, His children, through the shed blood of His Son. He no longer sees us as unrighteous, filled with blame and lies. Instead, we are seen as being in right standing with Him through the blood of Christ.

V. 3 – “And has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman.” One of the meanings of the word slander is “to walk with dirty feet on clothing that is being prepared for washing.” God extends His favor to and establishes in the safe zone those people who care for others, who are trying to bring healing and restoration. These people do not spread malicious stories; instead, they reach out in prayer, in faith and in acts of kindness. Slander is not their way of life; they avoid gossip and they continuously apply the “Golden Rule” to their neighbors.

V. 4 – “Who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts . . .” Verse four is controversial. Some suggest that the first part of the verse means that we are not to esteem but to shun or look down on those who are openly sinners. Others say, “Not so fast on the rush to judgment. We are all unrighteous and this verse is speaking of our embracing humility and not putting ourselves above others.”

Look at two verses: “God opposes the proud but gives grace [favor] to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). And, “I live . . . with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit” (Isaiah 57:15).

The second part of verse four speaks of those who say what they mean and mean what they say. These are the ones who are found faithful. Being faithful means you finish the task, you fulfill your word even if it hurts to do so. This truth is sadly lacking in our day, both in and out of the church. The apostle Paul speaks of this trait as faithfulness (see 2 Timothy 2:2).

V. 5 – “Who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.” The first part of this verse is speaking to all of us, admonishing that we never use our influence, our business, our position or the use of our finances to take advantage of the less fortunate.

Let me say again that under the rule of Old Testament Law the cry of David’s heart was impossible to be fulfilled. Under the rule of grace, we are granted access to God’s safe zone because through the blood of Jesus we are seen as fulfilling the requirements of the Law.

“He who does these things will never be shaken.” These were the words that so strongly caught my attention, especially after having just written an article on God’s shaking the world entitled “Rocking the Heavens.”

None of us is perfect. In the flesh there is no way we can achieve perfection in all these matters. But because we have accepted Christ as Savior and have been washed in His blood and understand that God sees us now through the shed blood of Christ and accepts us as His children, the promise is ours. “He who does these things will never be shaken.”

We are pursuing Him, following His lead, reading His Word, and doing what it instructs us. We will not (read that never) be shaken!