"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging"
Everyone went to bed and I felt like I wanted to read some scripture. I rarely do this, but I did the ole open up and read what you find technique. And that is what I found. It was really encouraging and I wanted to share some encouraging thoughts with those who might be struggling. I am going to unpack it phrase by phrase for easier consumption.
A) God is our refuge
Refuge means a place to go for safety. When this Psalm starts with this statement it is speaking to all those who have times of danger and pain in their life. It tells us that during those times God is the place for safety from the storm
B) And Strength
The most difficult part of dealing with difficulties is how exhausting they feel. Sometimes the problem is not nearly as big as the exhaustion. God is a source of strength to keep going when you feel like your feet can't move forward one more step.
C) An ever-present help in trouble
Ever-present is a fantastic word. When you want to believe the lie that you are alone, this Psalm says, "He is EVER-PRESENT".
D) Therefore
Whenever you read a therefore, you have to ask yourself, "What is this there...for?"
D2) We will not fear
What are the fears that eat at you when you are down and out? That your life is over? That they don't love you anymore? That it's all going to fall apart? When we live rooted in the truth of God's ever-present nature in our afflictions, what do we have to fear? Life might hurt, but fear is removed!
E) Though the earth give way
When the rug is pulled out from under you
F) and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
Those things that you used to look up to come crashing down. And not just down, they implode. Disappear. No longer in existence
G) Though its waters roar and foam
Life is tossing you all around
H) And the mountains quake with their surging
Everything appears to be about to fall down on top of your very head
What is your hope? Because I know that you are human, I know that life can tear you apart. In God, and God alone, we have the promise of safety and strength.
The author doesn't shy away from the truth about life. That everything does, and will, fall apart. When we stand alone, it will take us under. When we run to God, we have nothing to fear. Even when it is all falling down around us. There is NOTHING so big and so bad that this promise cannot be your experience.
No matter the storm, no matter the pain,
No comments:
Post a Comment