Now More Than Ever!

The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom then shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 KJV

When I go for a quiet walk in the park or wade in the waves at the beach, peace seems an easy concept to get a hold of. But with our nation in crisis, and people lining up for miles just hoping for a plane ride out of Afghanistan, peace sounds more like a fairy tale than a reality. In Psalm twenty-seven, King David found himself in a similar circumstance, surrounded by an army, as powerful and deadly as the Taliban. His enemies had already wiped out nearly every man woman and child in the town of Anathoth, for simply giving him and his men a few loaves of bread and a single sword. But on that evening as David looked down at the encampment of blood thirsty men, God asked Him what he was afraid of and on David’s darkest night, the answer came. “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Why should we be afraid?” Just as in David’s day, the Lord remains our light and the only one We can depend on to help us through. Our current state of helplessness does us the favor of reminding us that He alone is true strength!

So what are you facing? What challenge is on your path this morning? God has allowed this situation. At times like these people often say, “God is still in control.”. While that of course is true, it would be even more accurate to say that, “God is more in control now than ever: because we are not!”  He wants us to see that now more than ever, He is our hope and our salvation and we don’t ever need to be afraid!

This is My Song

I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live, I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Psalm 104:33 KJV

Our lives are passing with each tick of the clock. Despite everything that television commercials try to get us to buy, there is no product on earth that will make the hands of time spin backwards We are here for only a limited period of time and yet our limits do not limit our value to God. Just as the frame of a beautiful picture does not take away from its value, so the limits of our lives give us a chance to tell others what is important by what we paint inside of it. In today’s Bible verse, King David boldly declared that what mattered most to Him was to be able to praise the Lord. More than 3,000 years ago King David died and was buried. The throne that he sat on and the crown that he wore have long since turned to dust. Even the enormous sword of the giant Goliath has vanished from earth. But the songs David sang are a living picture frame of his life. In the book of Psalms, his praises, prayers, cries for mercy and even his complaints are still preserved for us today.

Every one of us also has a choice as to what will frame the story of our lives. When people read it what will they discover? Will they only remember our bank accounts and accomplishments good or bad? Will our lives form a picture frame to a song of praise> Will they be like the words to the hymn by Fanny Crosby? “This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior, all the day long!”

Seeing the Specialist

Because of various aches and pains I’ve had to see a lot of specialists over this last year. There was a longer and a premium price to see them but I was happy to pay because they understood my problem. I willingly waited because they knew the best course of action to help me. Why is it then that when I find myself in spiritual difficulties I ignore the symptoms or seek advice from the barber, the neighbors or even the internet?!

Sometimes King David had the same weaknesses as I. He depended on unreliable friends, forgot to pray and tried to pretend everything was fine even after he sinned. I love the conclusion He discovered in Psalm 59. He found by experience that there was no one better to help with his problems than God.

Are you facing trouble today? God is a specialist is trouble but unlike medical specialists you won’t need an appointment to see Him. Like an emergency room, Heaven’s office is always open. The fee to see the Good Physician is very high but the good news is that it has already been paid. The doctor is in. He is ready to see you. You are the next person in line!

But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. Psalms 59:16