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The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Psalm 27:4-5
A sad story…
When I was growing up a family near the town I lived in had a young man in his early 20’s who was mentally handicapped. One night the family’s home started on fire in the middle of the night. The family searched frantically for their child but was forced from their home by smoke and flames. The home was far out in the country and well engulfed in flames by the time the fire department arrived. Even so, a couple firefighters risked their lives by climbing into the window where the young man had slept. They too were eventually forced from the burning building.
Once the fire was out they searched the ruins for the young man. They finally found him wrapped tightly in a blanket UNDER the bed where he slept. Apparently he heard the smoke alarm and became frightened. He wrapped himself in the only security he could find (his blanket) and hid from danger under his bed.
In a sad sort of irony, the very place he sought shelter became the place where this precious young man met death.
That story reminds me of the struggle each of us has on a daily basis. We are afraid. We worry. We are met with threats on one side or another. Sometimes those threats are physical ones from abusive parents, spouses or others. Sometimes those threats are emotional ones. Voices in our heads play the song over and over again. You won’t make it. It’s too much for you. You can’t go on this way. You are a failure, you’ve always been a failure, and you will always be a failure. Stop trying.
Other times the things we fear are of a spiritual or religious nature. Constant reminders of our sin. Continual references to our past. Demands that we try harder, have more faith, trust God more. They all weigh against us to the point where we simply don’t feel we can go another step or face another sunrise.
Then the words of the Psalmist ring clear. “He will conceal me when trouble comes.” Did you see that? Read it again. It doesn’t say he’ll keep us from troubles. He doesn’t promise we will be free of worry or fear. He does promise that the things that scare us, worry us or try to attack us will not be successful if we put our complete trust in Him.
Unlike the young lad in the story, we will be hidden in a safe place while the flames and smoke of life circle around us. That’s what grace is about. That’s what the Father’s love is about. Safety and hope in the midst of trials.
PRAYER: Father, in the midst of my fear and distress I ask that you would remind me that you will keep me safe. Hide me in your arms of mercy and grace. Envelop me in your love and keep me from fear of tomorrow or reminders of the past. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5
Have you ever noticed the groom as the bride walks down the aisle? Most people don’t. They all look at the bride. Her walk down the aisle is all about her. She’s the princess. She is the one we all look at in admiration, happiness and maybe even a little jealousy.
But the eyes of the congregation aren’t the only ones fixed on the bride. Someone else has his eyes on her. As she walks down the white path he is mesmerized by her beauty. The crowd seems to disappear. The nervousness of remembering the vows vanishes…for the time being. His full and complete attention is riveted on the beauty of this goddess as she moves towards him.
I wonder if that was on the mind of the song writer as he wrote the words:
My love must be a kind of blind love; I can’t see anyone but you.
Are the stars out tonight? I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright, I Only Have Eyes For You, Dear.
The moon maybe high but I can’t see a thing in the sky, ‘Cause I Only Have Eyes For You.
I don’t know if we’re in a garden, or on a crowded avenue.
You are here, So am I, Maybe millions of people go by, but they all disappear from view.
And I Only Have Eyes For You.
But let me let you in on a little secret. Few even think about it at the time of the ceremony, but here goes. Are you ready for a shocking revelation? Here it is. The bride isn’t perfect. Yep, that’s right. She’s flawed. Defective. She has moments of anger. She can be downright stubborn and rude at times. She can be demanding and selfish and downright cranky. But few think about that. At least today. Today is the wedding day.
What a wonderful picture of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. Imagine him as the groom. You are the bride. As you walk towards Him, Jesus’ eyes are glued on your beauty, not on your flaws. Do you see the pride in his face? The smile on his lips? The reflection of yourself in his eyes? You should you know. As the Bride of Christ you are loved beyond measure.
Oh, sure, like any bride you have your flaws. Like the tirade your co-workers endured last week and the over-reaction to the dent in the car? Oh, and lets not forget the thoughts that ran through your mind when that cute young thing down the street walked by this morning. Flawed? Yep, you are. Defective? From day one. Loved beyond measure by Jesus? Exactly.
He’ll work on the flaws with you. But for today, He only has eyes for you.
PRAYER: Father, when I contemplate the great love you have for me I’m speechless. You look on me with such pride when I’m so undeserving of your grace and mercy. You see me as a beautiful bride even when I don’t feel very pretty. Thank you for your love that is higher than the mountains and deeper than the sea. I’m blessed and honored to be your bride. In your name, Amen.
I am the LORD your God. I am holding your hand, so don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13 (CEV)
The parking lot was as treacherous as a hockey rink. I walked gingerly around the car to let my two-year-old out of the car seat. I offered my hand in support so that he wouldn’t fall on the icy surface. However, my belligerent son ‘knew better’. “I can walk by myself!” He announced, having confidence in his newfound independence.
I, on the other hand, knew how quickly one can slip and fall. Since he was inexperienced, I insisted that I hold his hand. We continued our ‘discussion’ for a few moments until an idea came to my mind. A compromise of sorts that he reluctantly agreed to. I would offer my finger to his small hand. He in turn would agree to hold my finger until we reached the safety of the building.
After he grabbed my finger I wrapped the rest of my hand around his small hand. He thought he walked across the ice with no problem. I knew that his real support came from my large hand which enveloped his.
At times we are afraid because we don’t know what the future holds. There may be times when we see the road ahead and see no way out, no safe way to succeed. There may be times when we confidently push forward, not realizing until it’s too late that we couldn’t handle the challenge before us.
Isaiah reminds us that just as I wrapped my hand around the hand of my over-confident two-year-old, our Heavenly Father wraps his hand around ours. It doesn’t matter what lay ahead. It’s not important how you got to the place you are in life. He is there walking beside you.
I kept my two-year-old from falling and hurting himself. He slipped on occasion. A couple times he landed softly when the ice was too slick. But together we made it through. In the same way, there may be times when you stumble. There may be times when you fall. In every situation Your Heavenly Father is there to uphold you and protect you.
As a loving father, God will do whatever he can to help you, his child, through the tough times of life. There may be pain. There may be struggles. You may fall. There may even be pain. But he never leaves your side.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t feel like you are going this struggle alone. The God of the universe has his hand wrapped tightly around yours. He will never leave you.
PRAYER: Father God, I’m scared. I’m going through things right now I never thought I’d be faced with. I went ahead on my own power and now I’m struggling to stand. You promised you will always be with me. Help me today to feel your presence in a whole new way. Let me feel your hand wrapped tightly around mine. In Jesus name, Amen.
The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. Genesis 21:1(NLT)
As parents we’ve all done it. It doesn’t matter how hard we try not to. It just happens sometimes. We tell our kids they can do something or that we will do something for them. We give them our word. We utter the dreaded ‘P’ word.
“Dad, do you promise?”
“Yes son, I promise.”
Then it happens. For whatever reason you can’t (or won’t or don’t) fulfill the promise. It may seem like a small thing to you, but in the minds of our children it makes a mark. It sends a message we never intend to send. A message that promises don’t mean anything. That even the word of a parent is subject to time and space issues.
Some parent’s promises are made flippantly. It’s not verbalized of course but subconsciously they think, “If I say I promise will you leave me alone?” The promise is made with no intention of completing it. It’s made with the hope that you, the child, will forget.
Other times promises are made with the complete intention of honoring it. “I really planned on being at your game but the traffic was terrible, there was a last minute mandatory meeting, the plane was late, etc. etc.” Reality is, there are times when our best intentions simply cannot be carried out because we are, after all, mortals and imprisoned by a time and space continuum.
Then of course, there are some promises we are asked to make that simply can’t be made because they would cause harm to our children. “Yes, I promise you can play in the middle of the freeway.” Isn’t a promise most parents would make to their children, even teenaged children!
From a human perspective, promises are sometimes pretty hard to believe. Maybe that’s why Sarah laughed when she heard her husband talking to the Lord outside her tent (Genesis 18:12). A baby? At my age? Yeah, right. Fat chance that will happen! But, it did. Just as God said it would.
That’s the difference between our promises and God’s promises. Promises are only as strong as the person who gives them. If we believe the God of Genesis to be all powerful, then we must also believe that if he promises something it will happen just as he says. He is our father. He won’t promise us anything he can’t deliver. He won’t deliver anything that will harm us; only those things that will help us grow stronger.
Common logic told Sarah she couldn’t have a baby. Common logic says you can’t conquer addictions. Common logic tells you a person can’t change from a life of crime, addiction, abuse. Common logic tells you tragedy will have lasting, negative effects. Common logic says your past will haunt you the rest of your life. But common logic isn’t God-logic.
He promised to forgive you. He promised to walk with you. He promised that no matter what you are going through, he’ll be there to strengthen, comfort and give you whatever you need to prosper. If God promises something, he delivers.
PRAYER: Father God. I pray that today, as I face the challenges of life ahead of me, that you would remind me of your promises to comfort, forgive, strengthen and provide. Help me to live in the full assurance that as a loving and powerful parent, you can do what you say you will. In Jesus name, Amen.
But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns. 1 Cor. 15:23 (CEV)
You see it all the time on television. A person in the service comes home and surprises a young son or daughter. The return was unexpected. It was a ‘someday in the future’ kind of thing. We see the other end too. We see spouses and children and tears and good-bye’s. We get a glimpse of the anguish when news comes that our loved one isn’t coming home.
What we don’t see, unless we are personally involved, is the in-between times. The times when a child or a spouse needs a hug or when a parent longs for their child to walk through the door. We don’t see the bills that keep coming, the local news that keeps happening, and the doctor visits that bring bad news. The struggles and pain that come from everyday life keep happening. The pain of growing up or growing old continues its relentless course. Pain that should be shared, but now, must be handled alone.
No one, except for those personally involved, really knows the struggle of family when we miss a service-person. We know (or hope) they’ll be back. We aren’t always sure when or how they will have changed, or how life will be different from when they left. But for the Christ-follower we have an idea.
Those who go away to war promise they will return. Sometimes those promises are true, sometimes not. All of us as parents make promises that we have every intention of fulfilling, yet because of life are unable to hold to.
Not so with Jesus. I imagine when the disciples watched Jesus disappear into the clouds they were like the crowds on the tarmac as the plane full of loved ones (not just troops, loved ones) pulls away. They anxiously awaited his return. It didn’t come of course. Not yet anyway. But like a spouse or a child or some other loved one we anxiously await his return.
He’s coming back you know. He said he would. And unlike the promises of those who hope to come back, he will. We don’t know when he will return. We just know he will. Period.
He didn’t promise there wouldn’t be times of loneliness and trials. He didn’t promise we’d be free of heartache. Jesus’ promises mean something because everything he promised so far has come true. Just like he said it would. Parents can’t or don’t always keep their promises for a variety of reasons. Jesus will always keep his!
PRAYER: Jesus. There are so many times I wish I could just see you, hold you, and to look into your eyes when I share my heart. Like a lonely child who misses a parent I look forward to seeing you return. Until then, please help me cope with the fear and pain and loneliness I endure here on earth. I miss you. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 