Distracted is the word of the moment, I am distracted with hurricane Ike, at this moment Ike is passing over my family and millions of people in the Houston area. I praised God for our reading in Psalm 57 this morning...I take refuge in YOU...until danger passes. That is appropriate for the moment. My prayer this morning for them has been Psalm 57...that their refuge is in the hand of God, that they would be protected in the shadow of HIS wing until the danger passes. Over and over David cried out to God in the midst of physical crisis. We should cry out too!
Psalm 57:1-3 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in You. I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings until danger passes. 2 I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills ⌊His purpose⌋ for me. 3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. Selah God sends His faithful love and truth.
There is much joy in knowing that God did send HIS faithful love and truth, HIS name is Jesus! Jesus is the way, the truth and the life..."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." The joy is in knowing that regardless what happens to us while we are on this planet, for those in Christ Jesus, this is not our final destination, this is not our home...we are aliens and strangers passing through.
Just before David tells us that God "sends His faithful love and truth" he also tells us that he is calling to God "who fulfills His purpose for me." It is stated a little differently in Psalm 138:8, The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. In Psalm 57:2 it is stated again, I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. Don't forget Paul's words in Philippians 1:6, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
It is the storms of life that remind us and keep us on our faces before Holy God, it is the storms that keep us desperate before HIM! It is strange that it does not matter if you are enjoying a beautiful sunny day or in the eye of a hurricane you are just as desperate for HIM in both set of circumstances! However, those in the eye of the storm, those that know HIM in the eye of a storm are painfully mindful of their desperate situation.
I think that is it...IT JUST HIT ME...we should live our lives in desperation on HIM like we are perpetually in the eye of the storm! In this world you will have trouble...but take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.
Psalm 57:7-11 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises. 8 Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. 9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. 10 For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 11 God, be exalted above the heavens; let Your glory be over the whole earth.
Father in heaven,
We rejoice in knowing that YOU are sovereign over Ike and YOU are sovereign over every storm in our lives...we rejoice in knowing that YOUR faithful love is as high as the heavens, it fills the universe, we witnessed YOUR love at the cross...Father we know that YOU did not spare YOUR own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, because of this we know that YOU with Him also freely give us all things? Help us Lord to fix our eyes on Jesus, Lord we believe, help our unbelief! Father in heaven be exalted above the heavens and let your glory be over all the earth.
love,
m