9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Does it ever seem like the dark things of life, the obstacles, ever seem to be crowding in, invading your thoughts, your moods, your perceptions with their insufferable presence? Almost like when you are walking in a forest and the gentle rays of the warm sun filter through the canopy of interlaced branches above, casting their light on the moss, illuminating it in an almost magical green hue. And then a cloud passes above and all around seems to be shrouded in a gloomy darkness, the light no longer easy to feel or find or sense. At that moment one can't help but feel utterly alone. Sometimes life can be like that. Sometimes solutions are hard to find and it seems like we stumble upon and find less answers but more roots and rocks. And when we fall, more wounds.
I have to confess, I fell this morning. I let the hardships of life steal my peace and in doing so I stumbled and fell. What I forgot to do was reach out to God in fervent prayer as soon as I felt the ground on which I stood on was shifting. When we are groundless, that's when we lose our center of gravity within our souls and our castle that we built on rock starts to turn into sand once again.
Perhaps there is a reason for us finding ourselves groundless once in awhile. Perhaps that reason might be to show us how much we need God. To show us that we are weak and he is strong. To teach us to trust in Him more and to instill in us a more natural attitude of turning to Him as soon as we know our peace is beginning to dissipate, our patience crumbling, our hope faltering.
For those that might feel a little disheartened, a little trampled this morning, let's pray. Let's pray that we get back on that rock which is God's truth, which we can stand on with confidence. Let's praise our God for the blessings which He's given. For the God of mercy that He is. In doing so, let's let the light within us illuminate our souls so much that darkness has no other choice but to flee. Let's let God heal our wounds with the power of His Spirit and let's let His eternal waters wash us clean, reviving us once again. Let's reclaim our inheritance and claim God as our only and sufficient refuge.
As I write this I don't have total peace, but even though things aren't always smooth and joyous in my life, and I'm sure in other's as well, I know God will prevail. I know if I put my hope and faith in Him, He will see me through, as the psalm above assures us.
Lord Jesus,
Son of God,
Have mercy on me a sinner.
Amen.
(The Jesus Prayer)
~abundant blessings in Christ
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