SCRIPTURE
Psalm 57 (NRSV)
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
until the destroying storms pass by.
I cry to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me,
he will put to shame those who trample on me.
Selah
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.
I lie down among lions
that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
DEVOTION
Let those in need of a word of encouragement draw near today!
Hear the words of the psalmist, "in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by..."
I don't know about you, but I know what it is to have fierce storms raging in my life! I've heard it said, "When it rains, it pours!" and it is true. Sometimes it feels like everything goes wrong all at once--the rains are falling, the winds are blowing, and we're soaked to the skin--physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually...
It is at times like these that God invites us to remember that God is our refuge in the time of storm.
As we begin to praise God in the midst of the storm, a funny thing happens. We find that we can stand in THE EYE OF THE STORM. The storm rages and blows all around us, but in the center of the storm we find love, joy, and peace with God, through Jesus Christ!
The psalmist said, "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds."
Oh yes! Hallelujah! GOD's faithfulness extends to the clouds...
Be not dismayed, dear one, God is with us! (even in the midst of the storm)
Let us pray: Oh God! The storms are raging in my life, but you are an anchor and I trust you! Thank you for loving me so much that you allowed Jesus to live and die and rise again to atone for my sin and gift me with eternal life. Thanks for standing with me in the eye of the storm. You are good! Amen.
INVITATION
No comments:
Post a Comment