Mark Batterson, in his book The Circle Maker, talks about circle promises. Those are the ones in God’s word that use the word compass. This word means to encircle or go around, like when Joshua and Israel marched around Jericho or when Elisha’s servant saw the fiery chariots of God filling the mountains around them. They were compassed about with God’s protection.
Here are a few more verses that use the word compass.
Psalm 5:12 reads, “For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”
The idea is of a group of shields, like a riot squad encircling with shields for protection. But the verse is talking about favour. We are encircled by God’s favour, his goodwill, delight, and acceptance! Sounds to me like a big hug!
Psalm 32:7 says, “Thou art my hiding-place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.”
We are surrounded by heavenly music! We sing the song of the redeemed. And, as Albert Barnes puts it, “The birds of the air; the wind; the running stream; the oceans; the seasons, hills, valley, groves,--all, to one redeemed, seem to be full of songs. The feeling that we are pardoned fills the universe with melody, and makes the heaven and the earth seem to us to be glad. The Christian is a happy man; and he himself being happy, all around him sympathizes with him in his joy.”
And Psalm 32:10 reads, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.”
Just as we are surrounded by the air we breathe or the sunlight that brightens our day, we find mercy and favour everywhere. We live surrounded by the eternal mercies of God which are renewed day by day.
It is easy to feel like Elijah’s servant when we listen to the news and watch social media posts. We begin feeling like we are trapped by the enemy, like our doom is sealed, and we have no help in sight.
But that isn’t true. Is it? God is always there encircling us with his loving hug, heavenly music in our souls, and eternal mercies. Let me share with you Mark Batterson’s comment on these circle promises.
“Long before you woke up this morning and long after you go to sleep tonight, the Spirit of God was circling you with songs of deliverance. He has been circling you since the day you were conceived, and He’ll circle you until the day you die. He is praying hard for you with ultrasonic groans that cannot be formulated into words, and those unutterable intercessions should fill you with an unspeakable confidence. God isn’t just for you in some passive sense; God is for you in the most active sense imaginable. The Holy Spirit is praying hard for you. And supernatural synchronicities begin to happen when we tag-team with God and do the same.” (Circle Maker p 85, 86)
Dear friend, don't forget whose we are. Let’s ask Him to open our eyes to see flaming swords and the army of God on every hand encircling us with His loving, shielded protection and boundless mercy as we join Him with songs of deliverance.
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