IN THE SHELTER OF YOUR PRESENCE
It was 1973 and our trips to Brazil began. The Daniel S. Bonfim Mission came to life and our feeding program began to do what it does still today, 37 years of sweat, blood and tears.
About a couple years now, a young preacher closed himself to us and began another church. I have never met the young man. Heard wonderful things about him and have seen him around the area. This young man has, for some reason, only God knows, has persecuted the ministry, spoke horrible things about us to most of the area and continues to this date to harass us on his website, for no reason. I have been thinking of how much good we have done to the poor: 32 houses built on the hill – almost one a year, thousands of meals given freely to the poor and needy, thousands given to the needs of the people every year from hundreds of folks in America who are willing enough to share their hard-earned dollars so that the poor may eat, and yet, the persecution continues…
What should you do to someone who even though hecalls himself a Christian behaves as one lost? How should you respond to someone who persecutes and lies about you every time he speaks of you without any reason?
Psalm 31:20 says: ” IN THE SHELTER OF YOUR PRESENCE YOU HIDE THEM FROM THE INTRIGUES OF MEN; IN YOUR DWELLING YOU KEEP THEM SAFE FROM ACCUSING TONGUES.”
What should you do? Call a lawyer and sue this man and bring him to the justice system? No. I have prayed about this and this afternoon, I heard from the Lord. Elizabeth Wolfe called me and gave Psalm 31.
What do I do? I hide in the shelter of His presence from all the intrigues of men. In His dwelling, I am safe and no accusing tongues reach me any longer.
You see, when I am out of His presence, I hear these accusing tongues. When I am exposed in the world I hear the accusations. But, when I am in HIS PRESENCE, HE HIDES ME UNDER HIS DWELLING. Paul says, “He whom God called He will justify.” I am not suppose to justify myself and I am not to respond to accusing tongues. I am suppose to bless my enemy and love him and pray for him…
I AM HIDING FOR A WHILE NOW,
Rick Bonfim


