“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
Psalm 13:5-6 NLT
David wrote that he would rejoice because God had rescued him. But from what? In this Psalm there were two previous references to “enemies”, with more in the preceding Psalms. David certainly had a problem with his safety in the face of those who wanted to harm him. However, there is perhaps a suggestion that David had enemies inside of himself, disturbing and unsettling him. There was probably much that David needed rescuing from, which was why he constantly called out to God for help, and here he is rejoicing because God has rescued him. And we know of course that David then, and we pilgrims today, have an enemy, “the devil [who] prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8b).
It is rare for us pilgrims who live in the UK to have enemies, coming at us with the means to do us physical harm. We are fortunate to be able to live in a country where society is relatively stable and people generally behave in a harmonious way. But that is not to say that we don’t have “enemies”. We will always be in a place at the cutting edge between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light. Between the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God. So we will have “enemies” who disagree with us because of our faith and will abuse us when we take a stand against the ways of the world. And the dichotomy between the two kingdoms will only increase as the UK becomes increasingly secularised. At the present time, the rights of people to follow their faith is protected, but only if their faith can accommodate the legislation in existence. Think protests about abortion being held outside clinics. The clash between the two kingdoms will only get worse as the country becomes increasingly anti-Christian.
We pilgrims, of course, were also once a part of the kingdom of darkness, living a life riddled with sin, but one day the call of God penetrated our souls. He effectively rescued us by offering us an escape route away from a life of sin and darkness. We were like those who “stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them” (1 Peter 2:8b). We all know the fate of sinners, those who are disobedient to God’s Word, but we were rescued. 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light”. We responded to the call and became citizens of the Kingdom of God. And more than that – we are now priests in a holy nation, a Kingdom without sin.
But wherever we are, we can always call out to God for Him to rescue us in situations where the two kingdoms clash. And now that we are Kingdom people we are God’s ambassadors to a dark and fallen world. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”” What a responsibility! God is using us pilgrims to advance His Kingdom, and pushing back the boundaries of evil in the process. There are people around us who are uncomfortable living a life that is against God and His ways, and they just need someone to help them apply for citizenship of God’s Kingdom of Light. And once there they too will join us in rejoicing because God has rescued them. So we pray that God leads us to those He has chosen. We pray for our fellow pilgrims, that they too will stand firm for the Kingdom and will be obedient to His will. We pray that God will rescue and redeem our leaders and politicians from the clutches of the enemy. And in it all we rejoice because God has rescued us.
Dear Lord. You know our every thought and what is going on inside of us. Please help us never to follow in the ways of the wicked, and instead follow You in every moment of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 