March 17 – When Nature Trembles

“The waters saw You, God; The waters saw You, they were in anguish; The ocean depths also trembled.  The clouds poured out water; The skies sounded out; Your arrows flashed here and there.” – Psalm 77:16-17 (ESV)

There is a historical context for this Psalm of Asaph. Verses 19 and 20 indicate that it is regarding the crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus. It is when we recall the time when the power of God intervened in our lives with a result that could only be the power and mercy of God.  It is interesting that the psalmist attributes emotion to the waters and the depth of the Red Sea saying they were in anguish and trembling. It is vivid poetry applying imagination to what happened.  Apart from the poetry of the description, the mention of rain and thunder and the quaking of the earth might surprise us.  But it comes from the narrative in Exodus 14:24-25 where such sever weather effects were a part of the event in the way the pursuing Egyptians were mired in the sea bed and perished.  Our God is a powerful God and able to do everything He choses to do without hinderance from the laws of nature.  God is not bound by the natural laws as we are. Afterall the laws of physics and nature were created by God for our purpose.     

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February 1 – Familiar Comfort

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV) 

A familiar Psalm that is often used in time of difficulty, danger, stress, and fear. Many go to it when their hearts are heavy and they are carrying an emotional load. The Psalm has been divided into 6 verses and they are packed with promises and encouragement. It was so natural for David to use this metaphor. He had been a shepherd once and he had cared this way for his sheep. Jesus identified Himself as the ‘Good Shepherd’ that was promised and expected (John 10:4). The writer of Hebrews calls Jesus the ‘Great Shepherd’ (Hebrews 13:20) and Peter writes of Jesus as the ‘Chief Shepherd’ (1 Peter 5:4). David tells us that God, our Shepherd provides all we need fully. God tends to our physical needs for good food and water. Our troubles though sometimes go beyond our physical and emotional needs and actually cause us unrest within our souls. God takes care of us in these needs as well.  He knows we need restoration and guidance along the righteous way.  He does all this for His name’s sake. He has promised and He keeps every promise He gives us. Holy is His Name. 

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January 14 – Walk Safely Through Trials

“He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”” Daniel 3:25 (NASB)

IT was none other than the Son of God. That Great Shepherd of the sheep saw three of His faithful servants in peril, and He came from His Father’s presence where He was to be with them in it. He had been watching that terrible attempt to burn the faithful. His tender pitying eye saw that they were condemned to death because of their loyalty to Him. With one great leap He sprang from the Father’s presence, from His palace in glory, right down into the fiery furnace. He was by their side before the heat of the fire could come near unto them. Jesus was with His servants as the flames wrapped around them. He would not allow a single hair of their heads to be singed. They were not scorched; not even the smell of fire was upon them. We can almost hear them chanting the promise God had given through Isaiah: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. (Isaiah 43:2 NASB)  

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Thanks in part to: A Living Daily Message From the Words of D. L. Moody selected by Emma Moody Fitt; Copyright 1900 by Fleming H. Revell Company, now in public domain.

June 24 – Thirsty for More?

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”  -Isaiah 55:1  (ESV)

This passage is not the only one in Scriptures that likens the blessings of God to the refreshment and renewing power of clear, clean water.  This was the passage which Jesus alluded to in John 7:37-38 as he was declaring Himself to be the Messiah.  And just as Jesus was inviting the people in need to come to Him for eternal life, in Isaiah God invites the people in need to come.  Four times this word ‘come’ occurs.  By coming to God, the people submit to trusting in and relying on Him for their needs. Come all you who thirst to the waters.  Those who have no resources, come and buy and eat as if you do. The blessings God offers are available without cost.  That is a good thing because we have nothing to exchange, for we are bankrupt spiritually with empty pockets to offer for our salvation.  Salvation now is our prime need and only God makes it available. There is nothing we can do. Throughout history, people have tried to find satisfaction on their own through their own strategies.  God is the only one who provides what we need at His cost, not ours.

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May 28 – Wet, Not Drowned – Hot, Not Burned

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”  - Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

It is easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when the plans for our future have been tossed about due to circumstances beyond our control.  We might very easily feel like we are in too deep, encountering difficulties that will consume us. We are promised times of difficulty. But God, our Lord and Savior has promised his children that the dire expectation or fears will not happen. We may fear we will be unable to get through -- a very common reaction when we feel stuck, trapped and locked in.  We lash out at those responsible or who we think are responsible.  We begin to bemoan our loss of liberty and freedom to choose what we will do.  We may even doubt there is an escape route.  God promises we will may get wet but we will not drown. The rivers of difficulty will not fully sweep over us.  We will experience heat when we have to walk through the fire but we will not be burned.  We will not even be scorched by fire. Take this promise and look ahead. Then look upward to the One we will one day be with and be like for eternity. 

And be thankful!

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January 19 – He Will Be With Us

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,  they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze.”   Isaiah 43:2  (NIV)

The promise we find today in the book by the prophet Isaiah was given first to God's chosen people of Israel but we can apply the promise to ourselves today.  God watched over His people then and He watches over us now.  He knows the problems we face – the large ones and the small ones.  He know when we are afraid that we are going to be overwhelmed by circumstances or threats.  Whatever threatens to drown us or consume us we can trust God's promise that He will not allow that to happen.  In the deepest river and when faced with loss by any means, we can know God will preserve us.  As children of God, we have a promise of eternal life and the promise that God is with us to help us through every difficult situation.  Out of His love for us, He cares for us because He has promised to do that.  Facing problems that seem to building up like a giant wave?  Trust this promise today He is with you.   

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August 4 – Delivered

“He sent from on high, He took me;  He drew me out of many waters.” Psalm 18:16 (NASB)

Two days ago we read a portion of Psalm 18 describing David's experience with God. Today we look at verse from the same psalm in which David draws a picture of how God helped him.  It is a picture of our Almighty God in heaven getting involved in the life of His servant David.  David found himself in some serious problems of survival.  But God was aware of David's situation and He reached down to delivered him out of the circumstances which were sinking David.   We too find situations in our lives that feel like a flood and we feel like we are in way over our heads.  The promise we have from God is this, although He has the whole universe to take care of, He is ready to intervene and take care of us when we need it.  What sorrow, what stresses, what uncertainty are we facing today?  What is generating a sense of loss or lost in our lives?  God is right here and ready to take us out of it and deliver us from our fears.  Trust Him because He never fails – David knew that and we can know it as well.  

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February 15

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

Through the Prophet Isaiah, God spoke to his people many words and many messages which often were promises of how God would deal with His people in Isaiah’s day. We believe the promises from today’s verse are for us today as well. God does not promise that everything will be easy for us in this life. He knows there will be difficulties to handle. What He does promise is that He will be with us at such difficult times. And what is the result when our Lord stays close to us through trying circumstances? He helps us through them. That means He is with us before, during and after the trial. Our verse says “when you pass through…” and “When you walk through…” When we get to the other side and look back on hard experiences we can rejoice and praise God in our hearts. So let us remember the truth, God is with us through it all.

August 5

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.” Psalm 18:16 (NIV)

This is a quote from another of David’s songs written after he was delivered from those who had tried to kill him. These words are like a picture of what God does for His children. He is in heaven. He is ruling over the whole of His creation. But although He is a great God, He is concerned about His children and He does watch over us. Although He is in heaven He does get involved with our situations. He reaches down from on high. And He does deliver us when we trust Him. He gets personally involved with us. David’s God is our God.