No Place Like Home? Psalter Psaturday #96 BILL BRANKS M.A. D.MIN. SEP 2, 2023
Psalm 27:5-6 5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Most of you are familiar with the children's book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. A key phrase in this fantasy book is "There is no place like home." I often wonder about writers and how they get their inspiration for notable lines. When he was 12, Baum was sent to the Peekskill Military Academy in Peekskill, New York, for two years. Being alone and far from family, he was miserable. But it is also where he may have first seen a yellow brick road. At that time, many of the streets of Peekskill were paved with yellow Dutch bricks. The memory might have provided future inspiration for a young teen who just wanted to go home. As young Frank pondered the real yellow brick road, he may have hoped it was his way out because, for him, there was no place like home. Baum and his main character, Dorothy Gale, knew the precious peace, comfort, and safety of being in your own home. When I was younger, my mother had a habit when returning home from long trips; she would sit down and say, "Oh, it's good to be home!" I agree, and you probably do too. If you think about it, we only feel completely at ease in our own homes. We may feel very comfortable visiting family in their homes, but it's quite different. Ownership gives us the ability to feel protected and secure. We are the "lord" of our domain. We belong and are fully accepted at home. We have the rights and privileges of belonging to the household. We are a portion of the whole. King David revels in the reality of "home." His home is the Tabernacle of God. He belongs. It is his protection, a secret place, a hiding place. His home with the Lord is his foundation, assurance, and rock. He confidently stands upon its foundation. David has the strength and confidence in his Tabernacle with the Lord. He can face his enemies, whom he looks down upon from the sturdy heights of home. When we trust in Christ, we are family. We are adopted into the family of God and invited in. His home is ours, and we are blessed by all the security and protection offered to us in God's house. The tabernacle of God becomes our safe place. We are lifted up in courage because of the fortress that is now ours. We worship, sing, and praise our Lord within the rock that is our home. We belong. We live in a hostile world. We live in a world that is intolerant and angry toward believers. We are threatened, mocked, and tempted by Satan, the prince of the power of the air. (Eph 2:2) We are in a battle from without and within. Our Enemy is great, but our Savior is greater. Much greater. When we become weary of the battle, wounded and discouraged, remember our home is the tabernacle of God. It is always our refuge, secret hiding place, and fortress, impenetrable by those who would harass, bully, or tyrannize us. We are safe at home with the King of Kings. Meditation Points 1. What makes you feel safe at home? 2. How can you grow in your security as a member of the household of Christ? 3. According to these verses (Psalm 27:5-6), What four things will the Lord do for you as a Tabernacle dweller?
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