The news has been wild and crazy lately. I’m not really a news junkie, but
probably watched more TV coverage than I needed to. The Boston Marathon
bombings and ensuing manhunt for the suspects proved to be excruciatingly riveting
drama. Then you had the fertilizer plant explosion that rocked West, Texas, leaving
more trauma in its wake, which would have been headline news for a week if not
for Boston.
There was the mind-numbing shooting in the small town of Manchester not too far away just last week which left five family members dead, with a six-year-old girl barely surviving the senseless attack.
On top of that we’ve been dealing
locally with major flooding issues in our own state and in communities not far
from here. The mayor of Beardstown has declared a state of emergency as he
watches the river rising on the way to record levels. My family and I had been keeping a pretty close eye on the waters rising from the Sangamon River and creeping through the field across
from the parsonage. Thankfully the Lord set the boundaries and the waters receded before reaching the house.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it
again: Life is filled with uncertainty, chaos and calamity, but Jesus fills us
with peace and comfort and hope in the midst of the confusion. God does not
intend that we live in fear, but in faith. And when we know Him as our
Sovereign Lord, our Strong Tower, our Great Shepherd and our Mighty Defender,
we can rest safely in His arms even though the world may come unglued all
around us.
The
villainous adversary, the prince of darkness, the mastermind of mayhem may
wreak havoc of every sort in this world and in your life, but his schemes and
his power are no match for the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. Yes, the
battle is fierce as we face temptations of every kind, waves of sorrow and
grief, encounters with despair and hopelessness and trials that threaten to
undo us. But God is greater! The King of glory is the Lord strong and mighty, the
Lord mighty in battle, who is able to save and rescue and deliver us from every
confrontation and tribulation known to man.
Are you
resting securely in Him? As the old song goes:
What have I to dread?
What
have I to fear?
Leaning on the everlasting arms
I have blessed peace
With
my Lord so near
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and
secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
In one the
Bible’s most familiar stories, a young shepherd boy named David was squaring
off against a towering opponent in one of the greatest UFC matches of all time.
The giant struck fear into the heart of every warrior. No doubt even the
announcer would have trembled in saying, “In this corner, standing over nine
feet tall, weighing in at a mass that’s off the scales, wearing a bronze helmet
and 125 pounds of body armor… ladies and gentlemen, the heavyweight champion of
the world – Goliaaaaath!”
Las Vegas
had the odds so high you couldn’t even place a bet. But the giant was no match
for the one whose trust was in the name of the Lord. David could never defeat
this enemy on his own, but he had absolute confidence that God would be
victorious. “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come
against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel,”
(1 Samuel 17:45). And indeed, the battle belonged that day to the Lord, and the
knock out was a stunning upset.
Friend, if
you will put your trust in the name of the Lord Almighty, He will be your help
in time of trouble. He will be your shelter in the raging storm. He will be
your deliverer in seasons of despair. He will be your rock of refuge and your
strong fortress when the darkness closes in. He will be your shield and
defender from the attacks of the enemy. And don’t you know that the Lord Jesus
will be your salvation from sin and death, for “Everyone who calls upon the
name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
This world
may get even crazier, but God will never be defeated or dethroned.
He cannot
fail
He must prevail
Have faith in God
Have faith in God!
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