Ultimately, the Lord says, is the only commentary that matters. - Day 3

“Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I was sitting on the floor when one of my adult, and at the time, very successful older relatives, passing by me, said, “I heard you’re going to Agnes Scott College.” I answered that I was, prompting the relative to ask what would be my major. I told the person that I was going to have a double major, one of those majors being in Psychology. I remember how the person slapped their leg, laughing and repeating to another relative standing nearby, what I had just said. At this, they both laughed. The first person went on to say something meaning that I would never make it at that college in that major. As a very young person, that was a stinging insult coming from someone who’s approval held great clout with our family. But even then, I knew that they were wrong, and that I would make it, as I did, with the help of the Lord.

Unbelievably, that was nearly 50 years ago. Time after time since then I have seen the Lord do what naysayers lampooned, including the establishment of Ararat Church.

“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.””

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭2:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together. Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.” For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭6:5-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Anytime I think of naysayers, my mind goes to the story of Nehemiah who had found himself—in exile—being the cupbearer to a Persian king. As the account goes, he went back to Jerusalem to rebuild its broken down and burned walls. Of course, as you see in the scriptures from Nehemiah above, there was a group who tried to stop his work through the use of false accusation (when ridicule failed to succeed). I remember my father preaching sermons about this in which he would stress the verse saying, “and Gashmu [Geshem] says….” The point he was making: there is always someone around to be a naysayer concerning you and what you are doing.

Today we opened with a portion of the third psalm where King David is referencing those who were saying that he had no chance of making it. But, reflecting on their words, he affirms his trust in the Lord saying, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.” He knew that the Lord could make him able to hold his head up in confidence, rather than hanging it in shame and defeat. He knew that the Lord’s word carries the day.

For today let us know and understand what David knew:

Ultimately, what the Lord says, is the only commentary that matters.

#100dayswithdavid