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Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. Psalm 32:6
As I read Psalm 32:6 a picture came into my mind. It was a home video taken during the horrific Japan Tsunami of 2011. As flood waters came into a small seaside village, sirens wailed and residents took shelter on a small hillside, running to the safety afforded them by a single set of stairs. We all watched with amazement and horror as the sea crept down the streets, then gained momentum and began to sweep cars, truck, boats and other debris ahead of it.
The water rose higher and higher, endangering the small group of people taking shelter there. They were safe, but the destruction around them was a stirring testimony to the power of nature and the frailty of life
“Surely, the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them,” is a promise those of us that are believers in Jesus Christ can hold on to. Flood waters will come. Those earthy things we hold dear may be taken from us. Those things that have provided us security may falter or even fail.
Relationships we thought would last a lifetime end in divorce or death or job changes. Careers once though secure will end abruptly. Freedoms we hold so dearly too may be in danger or taken completely from us. The winds of time and age will change the lifescape we have always known.
Those who put their faith completely in God, who trust in Jesus Christ and build their security on the word of God and prayer, need not worry when the flood waters approach. We may lose all of our earthly possessions. We may watch as the world we once knew gets swept away. But our souls remain secure in the promise of Psalm 32:6.
Here’s the true beauty of this promise. Sometimes the flood waters that threaten us are our own doing. Sometimes they are the result of evil in the world. God’s promise of protection isn’t affected by the reason for our struggle. His promises are based on his character and strength, not ours.
When you see those flood waters approaching. When everything you held as secure crumbles or is swept away, remember that the God of the universe has promised to be a refuge from which the raging waters of the sea can not reach you.
PRAYER: Father, we are surrounded by adversity and pain and trials. It seems sometimes as though our hopes and dreams are being swept away in flood of adversity. During those times may we run to you for refuge and strength. We praise you for your promise of ultimate protection. In Jesus name, Amen.
Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:41 (CEV)
When you need to make the winning shot, or score the winning touchdown you look to your ‘go to guy’ the MVP, the one who seems to thrive on the excitement and tenseness of the situation. In most cases you don’t put the rookie into that situation. He doesn’t know the game, he lacks confidence, and he may choke under the pressure.
I remember watching a professional basketball game on TV one time. The underdog team had played its best game of the season and was within a point of tying the game with a few seconds left. They were playing the defending champions on their home court. As you can imagine, the crowd was going wild.
On the free throw line stood the home team’s rookie sensation. He was the one that had been keeping them in the game all night. As he prepared to make that shot to tie the game, a veteran player from the other team walked past him and slapped him on the back. The TV cameras just happened to zoom in at that moment and you could see the veteran smile and say “Don’t choke.”
That’s all it took. The rookie shot the ball, bounced the game-tying shot off the front of the rim, and it was rebounded by the veteran to end the game for the home town team! He listened to the words ‘don’t choke’ and focused so much on what was said he missed an easy shot to tie the game.
When you are in the midst of battle you don’t want someone who is going to choke. You want someone that you know will get the job done. There will be close games. There will be battles and struggles to contend with. But with your ‘go to guy’ in the game you know the outcome is more likely to end in your favor.
In life, my ‘go to guy’ is Jesus. Unlike a sporting event, I don’t go to him because he is my best hope; I go to him because he is my ONLY hope. Unlike a sporting event, putting Jesus on the line doesn’t give me a better chance of victory, it guarantees my victory.
The disciples were in the boat. It was dark. Most of them were fishermen and knew the dangers of the storm. Perhaps they’d even lost a friend or two at sea. As their terror mounted, Jesus slept. He knew the outcome. He wasn’t concerned.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, the storm I’m going through now has me more than a little worried. I’m scared! I can’t fight the battle ahead of me without your help. I need you in control of this situation. Empower me with your Spirit to rely on you for the outcome. I put all my hope and trust in your ability to work all things out to your good. Amen
You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. Psalm 10:17-18
There are times in our lives when we just need a hug. Not the hug that leads to passion, nor the hug that says ‘everything will be alright’. There are times when things won’t ever be the same again. There are times when passion is the furthest thing from our minds. Times when we just need the hug that says, “No matter what has happened between us in the past, no matter what happens in the future, I’m here for you to walk be your side. To give you my full attention, to encourage you on in life, to listen to your heart and protect your very soul from attack.”
That’s the message your Heavenly Father wants you to hear. There are plenty of people around that want you to think about the Judgment and wrath of God; that remind you of the consequences of a life lived for yourself and not for God; that will give you a whole checklist of things that you need to do/have/feel in order to win the attention of the God of the universe.
Make no mistake. He is a Holy God. There are consequences for our actions when we don’t repent and come to him for forgiveness. But your heavenly Father is not a God of vengeance or condemnation. Jesus himself reminds us that “I did not come into the world to condemn the world but to give the world life! (John 3:17)
To be held by your Father in Heaven doesn’t mean you will be free of trouble. To be held by your Father doesn’t mean pain and sorrow won’t come into your life. To be held by your Heavenly Father means that as you go through the trying times his arms will be around you. Walking hand in hand with God is a marvelous thing, but there are times when nothing but a hug will do. Nothing but being held in his arms will suffice.
To be held in the arms of our Father means He:
Hears us- We will never be ignored.
Encourages us- When the battle gets the toughest he is our number on cheerleader!
Listens to us- Hearing means to hear the word, but listening means he hears our heartfelt feelings.
Defends us- The father provided far more than economic gain. He was the one that mentored you. He was the only one that was educated. He was the one that gave you hope for the future.
The enemy of your soul wasn’t you to think you are in this alone. The voices deep within remind us of our failures, try to take away our hope. Your Father holds you in his arms so that when the attacks come you are safe in his protection and grace.
PRAYER: Father, there are so many times I feel alone. So many times it seems like the battle raging around me is more than I can take. My efforts to succeed, even in serving you, fall short. My past haunts me and my future scares me. Thank you for holding me in your arms. Amen.
You, LORD God, are my protector. Rescue me and keep me safe from all who chase me. Psalm 7:1 (CEV)
He’d been promised the throne. He was a hero in some people’s eyes as the result of killing a giant. He was a mighty warrior and a man of faith and courage. He was apparently good looking, personable and wise. Who wouldn’t like David? He was the kind of guy you could bring home to meet your parents. He was the kind of guy you hope your daughters bring home to meet you!
But with all of the things he had going for him, David had enemies as well. Plenty of enemies. That’s the way it is in life. No matter how hard you try to do the right things, no matter how close you live to God, regardless of how many battles you’ve won and games you’ve pulled out as the clock struck zero, there will be some who find fault in you.
For David, one of the worst ones was a guy namedCush. We don’t have a great deal of information onCushbut we know he was one of King Saul’s closest allies and we know he didn’t like David one bit. According to historyCushwent before the King with all sorts of lies about David. Lies that were considered treason and worthy of death. Those closest to the throne were more believable. If ushsaid it about David it was most likely true, one would think.
We can all relate to David at one time or another. All of us have those people in our lives who seem to be intent on pointing out every flaw, contradicting every idea, showing us ‘in christian love’ the error of our ways. Sad to say, sometimes those who are our biggest critics are those who proclaim to be closest to God.
The danger comes when we start listening to the accusations. Sometimes those accusations come from people, sometimes those accusations come from the great accuser himself, Satan or one of his slimy cohorts. Revelation 12:10 tells us that he goes before the throne every day to accuse us of something.
There was someone else who, like David, was wrongfully accused. Someone who had enemies watching his every move, judging his every word, trying to contradict or downplay everything he did. His name was Jesus.
David and Jesus both learned a secret each of us needs to learn when the accusers come our way. Two simple steps (simple doesn’t always mean easy) to thwart the thorns in our side.
First of all, know where to go for shelter from the attacks. Both Jesus and David knew the truth about themselves, and that they could go to God, their rock, for safety. He would never fail them.
Secondly, they both knew who they were. David knew he wasn’t perfect, but he knew he was loved by the God of the universe and that God had never failed him. Jesus knew that he was perfect, he was God and that this time of trial was for a short time and would lead to victory. Not only that, but when the great accuser goes before the throne to accuse us Jesus is right there defending us.
The best way to defeat the thorns in your side is to know who you are (a child of God) and know who fights for you (Jesus of Nazareth).
PRAYER: Father God, Jehovah my confidence and deliverer. Thank you for protecting me from those intent on destroying me. When I’m under attack help me to trust in your deliverance. Thank you for Jesus who stands before you daily to defend be because of his great love and forgiveness. Amen.
But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple. Psalm 5:7
When I was young I delivered papers in my home town. Saturday was collection day so my parents would drop me off on the furthest end of my route and I’d wander door to door collecting from each of my customers.
I remember one Saturday in particular. I’d lost track of time and was still quite far from finishing my duties when the town siren went off. It was warm, cloudy and we’d had some pretty severe storms recently. I panicked. I was sure that the siren sounded to warn of an approaching tornado and I was completely at the mercy of the oncoming storm.
I hurried quickly to the next customer and knocked on the door. No one home. My anxiety shot through the roof! What would I do?
I went to the next door neighbor, even though they were not a customer. Trying to be as brave as I could, I asked the person answering the door if there was going to be a tornado. I felt a bit sheepish when I found out the siren I heard was the siren that blew (in those days) every day at noon!
I think of that story when I read Psalm 5:7. What a privilege we have that we can enter God’s house! We are invited in, not as guests, but as his child. We can partake in all of the safety, warmth, protection and comfort his home can provide. Better yet, this is no modest three bedroom bungalow. This is the home of a king, this is a palace.
The second statement David makes is even more revealing of the intimate access we have to our Father. We are allowed into his holy temple. When David wrote these words the temple we think of was yet to be built. The ‘temple’ he was referring to was the inner room of the tabernacle, the holiest of holy places where God himself dwelt.
What a marvelous reminder of God’s grace. We are not worthy to enter his home, but he welcomes us in as his child. Not only are we welcomed in as his child, we are given access to the most intimate parts of the home…the temple where God dwells.
When the storms of life threaten to attack. When you seem to be far from the safe confines of family or friends. When it seems the enemy is lurking at every corner. Remember that your Heavenly Father welcomes you as a child into the safety of his presence.
Today ‘home’ for some isn’t a pleasant place. If that’s the case with you, think of all the things home means to you in the best of circumstances. This is the home your Father in Heaven welcomes you into is a home of peace in the midst of the storm, warmth in the cold winter night, love in the midst of an angry world.
PRAYER: Father Thank you for the promise that I have a home with you. Thank you for the grace you offer me to welcome me as a child even though I don’t deserve it. When fear (real or imagined) attacks me, help me remember I have a safe place with you. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 