Virginia Brandt Berg (1898-1968)
"Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, 'There is no help for him in God.'
"But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I awakened, for the Lord sustained me.
"I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God: for Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone, thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon Thy people." -- Psalm 3. Those words, "The Lord hath sustained me" are particularly important.
King David cried, "Lord, how they are increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me!" And in Psalm 139, he cried out, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me." -- Psa.139:9,10.
He knew that no matter what the trouble, He could rise above it. He said, "Oh that I had wings." -- Psa.55:6a. You know, Man has always wanted wings, wanted to fly, wanted to get away from it all.
There are so many who feel confined and discontented with things where they are, "Surely there must be something easier and brighter somewhere else?" -- And wings can lift them above all their troubles here.
There came a day when king David cried, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest." -- Psa.55:6. Oftentimes we feel that there must be something better somewhere else, just over the hill: "There's a glorious liberty and freedom somewhere else." And now around the World, through space, circling the world above the birds whose realm Man has always envied, Man flies today.
Have you ever read what prophetically Tennyson wrote?
"For I dipped into the future,
Far as human eye could see,
Saw a vision of the World,
All the wonder that should be.
"Saw the heavens filled with commerce,
Argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight,
Dropping down with costly bales.
"Heard the heavens filled with shouting,
And there rained a ghastly dew
From the nation's airy navies
Grappling in the central blue.
'Til the war drum throbbed no longer
And the battle flags were furled,
In the parliament of Man,
The federation of the World."
There are wings that only a child of God can have, the wings that God gives His Own children when they feel so much like they cannot stand the situation any longer. Although he had all the care of the churches and had "fought with beasts at Ephesus (1Cor.15:32), had spent a day and a night in the deep, received stripes and been stoned, yet Paul was able to take the wings of his soul and fly above it all and praise God for his persecution.
There is a way of living above these things! No matter what it is in your life, there is a way you can make wings out of your weights, the weights that so easily beset you and tie your soul down. Wings are often born out of weights.
When wearied with the strain of it all, we can fly to God. God has the victory for us, God has an answer for our problems. God does have the answer if we're obedient to Him. Search your heart and make sure that the obedience in there. There is some reason for these things happening and why you haven't gotten the victory, because there is victory through Jesus. "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." -- 1Cor.15:57. You can fly to God for the rest which He has promised.
You can fly on the wings of prayer and faith, and get the relief that He alone can give you. An acquaintance of mine has this little poem tacked above her sink, which reminds me of the beautiful verse, "Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." -- Psa.68:13.
"Lord of all pots and pans and things,
Since I've no time to be a saint by doing lovely things,
Or watching late with Thee,
Or dreaming in the dawn light,
Or storming Heaven's Gate,
Make me a saint by getting meals,
And washing up the plates."
David knew the secret of how to mount up with wings as a dove, he knew how to mount above all these things, and live above them. He just put it all in God's hands and left it with the Lord, and then slept, for he said, "The Lord sustained me."
"I will not be afraid of the thousands of people who have set themselves against me." What are people anyhow, beloved? There is nothing in their power compared to God, these who are against you and these who are causing a trial in your life and are bringing that awful resentment in your heart. You don't have to have that resentment, the Lord can deliver you from that!
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -- Isa.40:31. Putting this in the simplest terms -- and God grant that it shall not sound trite -- the one who flies to the Word of God and there meditates and seeks the presence of the Lord and waits in prayer until God touches his soul, truly mounts up to realms of peace and rest and are truly, as this verse says, sustained by the Lord.
There's a sort of devilish gravitation in this old World, that daily strives to keep you and pull you down. But the Word here tells u there's an upward pull if you'll live in God's Word, and if you'll pray and look to the Lord. It'll lift you right up to the very heart of God if you'll only give God a chance.
That's the principle of this everyday life of victory! Take your Bible and quietly read, read and wait upon the Lord. Talk to Him. Wait for Him to speak to you, and soon you'll run and not faint, and you'll find yourself mounting up with all the strength that you need.
"Heart to heart I love to talk with Jesus,
Out in the secret place.
Shut the door to all that would disturb me,
I view His hallowed face.
In there I learn to know Him,
For He Himself reveals;
He understands my longing,
My every sorrow feels.
Heart to heart I love to talk with Jesus,
Out in the secret place.
I would pray, 'Show me Thy Will, O Father,
Crush every vain desire.
Search me, Lord, reveal my sins and weakness,
A holier life inspire.'
In there I learn to know Him,
For He Himself reveals
He understands my longing,
My every sorrow feels.
Heart to heart I love to talk with Jesus,
Out in the secret place.
Give God a chance! Take Him at His very Word and believe Him for this because God wants to help. He wants to give you the victory. Don't let anyone discourage you. God's Word stands sure and steadfast, He'll not fail you! You can mount up with wings as eagles. Stand you ground "and see the salvation of the Lord!" -- Exo.14:13. Trust in God! Keep heart, keep hope!
They that wait upon the Lord shall never be ashamed. (See Psa.69:6.) God bless you. He's still on the Throne, and prayer does change things, and He'll change things for you! Amen.