"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
When you love someone who is a prodigal, there are many days where the promise of this verse is enough to carry us through the wait.
And then there are the days when the wait includes unimaginable consequences that seem to extinguish the light of this promise. In fact, this is true for any circumstance that seems unbearable. Where do we go when our strength is depleted, when we no longer soar, but we experience a crash landing. Where do we go when we can no longer imagine running or even take one more step in our journey of hope? Where do we go when we receive news so shocking that the ability to breathe is no longer a natural function?
Let our last gasp be: The Lord is My Refuge!
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”~Psalm 91 NIV
Do you face a situation today that has brought you to your knees and left you helpless to activate one more morsel of hope? I have. Today I am done with the fight. Today, as I stay on the floor, unable to pick myself up, I choose to look to the One who promises to "command his angels concerning [me] to guard [me] in all [my] ways."
When it seems like there is nothing left to do--take note--there IS one more thing we CAN do! Re-read vv 9-10: "If you say, “The LORD is my refuge, and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent."
He will make the next move!
Because He loves us!
Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
If your dwelling place happens to be on the floor of despair today, acknowledge His name. Call on the One who will answer you in your time of trouble--He will deliver you when your fight is over. You will not only be rescued, you will be blessed (honored) with relief, with "satisfaction" for your choice.
Even in the pits of our despair, we can find hope. Have you forgotten that? I did. How blessed are we to know a Savior, who continues to be with us where ever we travel. Where ever we dwell. Wherever we are--He is with us.
When life is falling apart at Christmas time, the words of the Season bring special meaning:
Messiah: the promised One who came
Immanuel: God with us
Let these words slather you today; may these words renew your strength for such a time as this.
I have; and somehow, a miracle happens once again, and I feel prepared to soar again, sheltered by the feathers of His wings.
How about you?
1 comment:
This was a beautiful and timely word for so many people. Keep on preaching it, Sister:)
Romans 8:28 will always be true.
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