But the way must be long, and as there were the thorns and rocks for his feet, so must there be bruises to his spirit.”
–Zane Grey (Wanderer of the Wasteland)
“And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.”
–Isaiah 4:6 (NASB)
—————————————–
I go to one doctor and am told to eat plenty of this food; then I go to another of my doctors and am told to stay away from that type of food. Who to believe? Then I hear rumblings from China and the chatter is that they will invade and take over Taiwan before the elections of 2024. Add to that the situation with the Ukraine, and numerous other hotspots. Then turn to our cities–they are in chaos. Just look at the number of deaths in Chicago alone. And “they” tell us it’s a gun problem. No, it’s a heart problem, and it has been that way since the days of Cain. When people do not choose God, they choose evil even if it is not an open declaration.
It seems that in recent weeks, I have had thoughts, readings, and verses that allude to the sovereignty of God. One the other day said that when we see troubles on every hand, when there seems to be no way out of our plight, when we’re at the end of our rope–rest in the sovereignty of God. That’s one reason why Psalm 91 is so comforting; it has often been called the “Soldiers’ Psalm.”
1 — He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 — I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
3 — Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.
4 — He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 — You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 — Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. (NKJV)
We do not know who the author of this Psalm is, but it is surely someone who had a firm trust in the Lord. Listen, we live in a very insecure world. Just look back at the virus pandemic, and still in our midst is the looming threat of cancer and heart disease, along with myriad other maladies. Trust in God when these things occur. Wait a minute, I hear you say. I had loved ones die from COVID, I had loved ones killed in battle in Afghanistan or other regions of the world. Wait a minute, a loved one was killed in a drive-by shooting. Wait a minute…! Trust in the sovereignty of God. He is in control. When we don’t understand we must lean on the sovereignty of the Almighty.
“A sovereign Protector I have,
Unseen, yet forever at hand,
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command.”
–Augustus M. Toplady
Nothing can harm you, child of God, unless the Lord allows it. Take heart in that even in the midst of your suffering. Rest well in His plan though you might not understand it. This Psalm shows that the basis of security for the believer is found in God’s character (1-2), care (3-8), protection (9-13), and love (14-16). The key is to dwell in the presence of the Most High. The closer we get to Him, the more we trust Him. We must fix ourselves to Him in the midst of threatening and perplexing circumstances. Steven Lawson said, “True faith is committing of oneself to God with full reliance on his ability to provide and protect.”
Perhaps we should have put more faith in God during the COVID crisis rather than the government and CDC. Maybe we should have read Psalm 91, carving it deep into our hearts and minds rather than listening to the voice of the media hollering their advice. Read those chilling words of Paul, “For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better.” (Philippians 1:21, NLT). Hmm, perhaps the problem is that we are not living for Christ in our daily lives, so when a tragedy strikes, or a pestilence comes stalking we are fearful instead of trusting the One who is faithful. We should take to heart the words of W. Graham Scroggie, “The Lord is our refuge for safety, our fortress for defense, and our God for everything.”
Plagues may come–trust in God. Disaster may strike at noon–trust in God. Predators may come at midnight–trust in God. Wickedness and evil lurk at every corner waiting for me–go about your business trusting in God.
“Under His wings I am safely abiding;
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me;
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.”
–William O. Cushing
—————————————–
I go to one doctor and am told to eat plenty of this food; then I go to another of my doctors and am told to stay away from that type of food. Who to believe? Then I hear rumblings from China and the chatter is that they will invade and take over Taiwan before the elections of 2024. Add to that the situation with the Ukraine, and numerous other hotspots. Then turn to our cities–they are in chaos. Just look at the number of deaths in Chicago alone. And “they” tell us it’s a gun problem. No, it’s a heart problem, and it has been that way since the days of Cain. When people do not choose God, they choose evil even if it is not an open declaration.
It seems that in recent weeks, I have had thoughts, readings, and verses that allude to the sovereignty of God. One the other day said that when we see troubles on every hand, when there seems to be no way out of our plight, when we’re at the end of our rope–rest in the sovereignty of God. That’s one reason why Psalm 91 is so comforting; it has often been called the “Soldiers’ Psalm.”
1 — He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 — I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
3 — Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.
4 — He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 — You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 — Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. (NKJV)
We do not know who the author of this Psalm is, but it is surely someone who had a firm trust in the Lord. Listen, we live in a very insecure world. Just look back at the virus pandemic, and still in our midst is the looming threat of cancer and heart disease, along with myriad other maladies. Trust in God when these things occur. Wait a minute, I hear you say. I had loved ones die from COVID, I had loved ones killed in battle in Afghanistan or other regions of the world. Wait a minute, a loved one was killed in a drive-by shooting. Wait a minute…! Trust in the sovereignty of God. He is in control. When we don’t understand we must lean on the sovereignty of the Almighty.
“A sovereign Protector I have,
Unseen, yet forever at hand,
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command.”
–Augustus M. Toplady
Nothing can harm you, child of God, unless the Lord allows it. Take heart in that even in the midst of your suffering. Rest well in His plan though you might not understand it. This Psalm shows that the basis of security for the believer is found in God’s character (1-2), care (3-8), protection (9-13), and love (14-16). The key is to dwell in the presence of the Most High. The closer we get to Him, the more we trust Him. We must fix ourselves to Him in the midst of threatening and perplexing circumstances. Steven Lawson said, “True faith is committing of oneself to God with full reliance on his ability to provide and protect.”
Perhaps we should have put more faith in God during the COVID crisis rather than the government and CDC. Maybe we should have read Psalm 91, carving it deep into our hearts and minds rather than listening to the voice of the media hollering their advice. Read those chilling words of Paul, “For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better.” (Philippians 1:21, NLT). Hmm, perhaps the problem is that we are not living for Christ in our daily lives, so when a tragedy strikes, or a pestilence comes stalking we are fearful instead of trusting the One who is faithful. We should take to heart the words of W. Graham Scroggie, “The Lord is our refuge for safety, our fortress for defense, and our God for everything.”
Plagues may come–trust in God. Disaster may strike at noon–trust in God. Predators may come at midnight–trust in God. Wickedness and evil lurk at every corner waiting for me–go about your business trusting in God.
“Under His wings I am safely abiding;
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me;
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.”
–William O. Cushing