Read Psalm 17
In this Psalm, David cries out to God in search of refuge from the enemies who surround him. David also recognizes what we often fail to recognize- that we receive refuge in God’s presence. What’s interesting is it’s not an ethereal presence that he talks about but a physical presence. He speaks of God’s ears, eyes, hands, and face. He speaks of God hearing him, visiting him, testing him as well as confronting and subduing his enemy.
· “Hear a just cause”
· “Give ear to my prayer”
· “From your presence let my vindication come!”
· “Let your eyes behold the right!”
· “You have visited me by night”
· “you have tested me”
· “by the word of your lips”
· “incline your ear to me; hear my words”
· “at your right hand”
· “Keep me as the apple of your eye”
· “from men by your hand, O LORD”
· “I shall behold your face in righteousness”
· “Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him!”
In addition to calling out the physical attributes of God, David also describes his attributes- “I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress”, “my feet have not slipped”. And even the attributes of his enemies- “with their mouths they speak arrogantly”, “they set their eyes to cast us to the ground”.
We know that this is a reality in Jesus- God in the flesh. He has eyes to see, ears to hear, lips to speak, and a face to behold! Even before Jesus came to walk the earth, David grasped that he had a personal relationship with God. Humanity was created for a personal, real relationship with God. In Eden, Adam and Eve walked with Him in the cool of the day. Sin broke that, but the Lord still desires to be in relationship with His creation. That’s why He sent His Son.
“That which from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life- the life was made manifest and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.” (I John 1:1-2)
Sometimes I forget Jesus is a person. I know that sounds strange. But he is a person- Immanuel, God with us. He listens to our cries and guards us as “the apple of his eye”. He died for our sins, so that we might be reconciled to the Father. Like David, it’s His presence we seek now and His presence one day we will see, and hear, and touch for ourselves. “They will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads.” (Rev. 22:4).
-- Ally Landis