Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Preventing God

Psalms 21:3

This verse takes on a new meaning when we can clear the hurdle that the word “prevent” causes. We see “prevent” in a negative light, not a positive one, which causes us to see God as keeping us from the “blessings of goodness”.

In Hebrew, the phrase is “qadam” and it means “to come before, to anticipate”. In other words, it is something good if God is “preventing” because it means that God knows what is coming before it gets here and if He is preventing with the blessings of goodness then He is bringing us good things before we even know that we need them!

It is now, and always has been, God’s heart to function in this ‘preventing’ manner. Like the Father, standing at the end of the lane, watching for the return of the Prodigal, antsy to kill the fatted calf, God is waiting to do great things in our life.

“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

This promise is a promise of victory before we even face the battle. When we rest in this sort of promise we have joy unspeakable and peace that passes all understanding. These emotions will spring not from our circumstances but from our knowledge of the Lord’s preventing love and goodness.

Notice that David not only mentions that God prevents with the blessings of goodness but that He also puts a crown of pure gold upon his head. The crown is a symbol of royalty and victory. So confident is David that God is going to make good things happen to him that he believes for the victor’s crown before the battle is waged.

David had this attitude when he faced the giant Goliath. He never claimed that he was going to kill Goliath with his superior sling-shot skills, but rather that the LORD was going to deliver the giant into David’s hand to prove that “the LORD saveth not with sword and spear:” (1 Samuel 17:47). David was bragging of the victory before it ever came because he knew that he served a covenant God.

Lay hold of this promise today that the Lord is going to “prevent” with blessings of goodness. Place your trust and confidence in His ability to provide the victory in the face of defeat and then prepare yourself for the miracle of God’s prevention.