Living in the Eye of the Storm

Ps 18:2-6

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the Lord,who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me;the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (NIV)

I am blessed to live in sunny Florida- a place where I have been known to lay out in the sun on Christmas Day and get a lovely glow!  Just a short drive from my home, I can dig my toes in the pristine, sugar-white sandy beaches, as the beautiful, aquamarine water laps gently on the seashore.  The crashing sound of the surf soothes my soul.  The cry of seagulls completes the symphony of tranquility that I can enjoy.

All of these are benefits of living in a sunny, peninsular paradise.  But then...there are the hurricanes.  During those times, the water is no longer a haven, but a freeway for destruction. Torrential floods, tornadic winds, power outages, all are a huge downside to living in a coastal area.

As Christians, we abide in the sun of hope that is found in Jesus, our Savior.  We enjoy His presence, His peace, His joy.  And we are thankful.  But just as I can come to take my geographical location for granted, I can take the blessings of God for granted.  I can get an entitlement attitude where I feel like I "deserve" to live in a bubble of protection where no harm can befall me.  But such is the not the case of life.  Real life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and pain, sunshine and rain.  What do I do when the storms of life press in?

Ryan Stevenson's "Eye of the Storm" says it so poignantly:

"In the eye of the storm, You remain in control
And in the middle of the war, You guard my soul
You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn
Your love surrounds me in the eye of the storm"

(Read more at http://www.lyrics.com/eye-of-the-storm-feat-gabereal-lyrics-ryan-stevenson.html#x0ABmDHSmXtKugd3.99)

When a hurricane presses down on the panhandle, we gather our supplies and we batten down our hatches. We hunker in.  (Whatever all that means!)  We run for a place of safety- a sturdy building.   When a hurricane of life comes our way,  we must run into the Rock of Ages.  We must take refuge in the Name of Jesus, our High Tower!

Life has been pressing down on my family for a while.  When it seems the storm is abating, we hear a new wind kicking up again.  It is disheartening.  It is frightening.  But I take great solace in knowing that His love always surrounds us.  Even if we are in the "eye of the storm."

Dear Lord, I pray today for others who are hurting.  Please comfort the mourning and dejected, please bind up the broken hearted and offer joy and peace to those who feel that they are without hope today.  Help us to find our way to the ark of safety, the protection that is in your Word and in the Name of Jesus.  Hide us, O Rock of Salvation, until the danger passes!  In Your mighty name, I pray.  Amen.

© Sherri Evans Ministries 2016. All rights reserved. Used by permission. For booking schedule and information: sherrievans@sherrievansministries.com

The Rock

 

    

Ps 18:1-4

 

I love you, O Lord , my strength.

2 The Lord  is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horna of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call to the Lord , who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

NIV

 

God is good and gracious to His children.  He watches carefully over us to protect us.  He grants us strength, direction and favor.  He causes us to enjoy Kingdom benefits while we still walk this life.   I am grateful that the blessings of the Lord are not limited just to eternity in heaven.  There is so much joy and peace to be enjoyed every day!

But as long as we live in this world, there will be struggles and hardships as  well.  This world is in the clutches of our enemy and there is a cosmic struggle between good and evil.  Don't get me wrong- Jesus has already overcome the enemy.  His strength is nothing compared to that of God.  But until the fullness of time,  when God is ready to bring an end to Satan, we will struggle not only with the enemy of  our soul, but also with  our own tendency toward sin.

Despite all of that, there is still good  news.  During our worst days- He our my rock, fortress and deliverer.  He is a  safe shelter and we can run to Him and find a sanctuary.  In Christ, I am delivered from all of my fears.

There are times in life that we have to stand until we see God move.  We have to pray until our breakthrough comes.  We have to defy the enemy and stand in faith.  We have to endure while we wait to see how the Lord works it out for our good.  But during those days, we can still find solace in Him.  A safe place to hide.  His ability to hide us goes beyond our understanding.  He can cause us to stand when we are without strength.  Run to Him!  He is all you need.

Dear Lord, I need to find refuge in You.  I need you to shield me from my circumstances.  Allow me to feel the assurance of Your presence, Your protection and strength.  Reveal yourself to me as the Rock.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Rejoicing in the Shadows

    

 

 

Ps 63:7-8

 

7 Because You have been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

8 My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me.

NKJV

 

Everyone needs a champion. There is a time that we all face circumstances bigger than ourselves.  We go through things that we do not have the strength, wisdom or coping skills to endure.  There are things that knock our feet out from under us and leave us feeling like a little boy or girl who needs Daddy or Mama to come to the rescue.

During those times, the Lord  is a faithful source of help and strength.   He knows everything that will come our way and has the power to help us through it all.  I love the part that says, "...in the shadow  of Your wings I rejoice."  I also love in the New  Testament when Jesus compared the Father to a mother hen- He talked about how God wanted to gather Jerusalem to him under the protection of His  wings to comfort them, but they would not allow it.  We can be like the people in Jesus' day  and refuse His help, or we can be like the Psalmist and choose to rejoice  in the shadow of His wings.

In the shadow of His wings we are close to the heart of the Father.  Anyone- or anything-  that approaches us is pushed back by His awesome power.  He watches carefully over  us, guarding us, defending us  and comforting us.  Under the shadow of His wings is a place of safety- and rejoicing.  It is important to our relationship with God and to our faith to be careful to praise Him when He comes through for us.

When our soul follows  close after Him, He will uphold us with His right  hand.   He will keep us from stumbling or falling, regardless of the terrain.

A  while back my husband and I were  walking through a wooded area, thick with underbrush.  My husband had on jeans and work books.  I, on the other hand, had on capri's and flip flops.  I was ill-equipped for the challenge that I faced.  But because he loves me that big 6-foot-four man walked in front of me, kicking down the briars, pushing back trees limbs, and when needed, catching me by the arm when I stepped in holes hidden by the  vegetation.  That is the very picture of us and the Father.  He sees all of the pitfalls, He walks ahead and beats a path for us, and He catches us when all else fails.

Regardless of what you are facing today, there is a God who will hide you safely until the trial has passed.  He will draw you into a loving Father-embrace.   Allow yourself to be hidden in Him.  Choose for your soul to follow close behind Him that He might hold you upright.

Dear Lord, please help me to  always remember my dependence on you and my need for Your protection and strength.  Touch those today  who are afraid and allow them to feel your love, protection and strength all around.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

Safety and Peace

 

    

 

"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O Lord , make me dwell in

 

safety." Ps 4:8 (NKJV)

 

 

Insomnia.  It is a common complaint from many a depressed or stressed out American. You lie down to sleep, but your thoughts  begin to race.  What am I going to do about that work problem?  How will I ever afford to put braces on Bobby's  teeth?  What if the doctor's report is bad?  I dread my job.  I can't face it any more...

 

All of these thoughts are an onslaught of the enemy on a mind that is already overtired and overrun. This passage indicates that a benefit of walking with the Lord is having peace and restful sleep at night.  When our minds finally "still" for the night, it is sometimes difficult to actually stop the frenzied processing and fretting. 

 

We have to guard our thoughts and deny the enemy access to our minds.  I know, I know. That is easier said than done. Sometimes it seems that my mind has a mind of its own!  We have to strive to maintain a peaceful heart and mind.  It does not just naturally occur.  It happens as we fix our thoughts on the Lord, His promises, His provision and His faithfulness.

 

Another enemy of peace is a tormented conscience.  Christians cannot spend the whole day violating the laws of God and lie down that night to a soft pillow.  God gave us consciences to help keep us on the straight and narrow path.  Guilt can eat you alive.  It erodes your confidence and intimacy with God.  Let your pre-sleep time be an opportunity for confession of sin, seeking the Lord's help for tomorrow and seeking the peace of God.

 

He alone makes us to dwell in safety.  He alone stands guards about us, enabling us to close our eyes and lay down our weapons.  He is a faithful Shepherd over His sheep.  He keeps the predators at bay and provides for our needs in the safety of  His provision.   What a loving God we serve!

 

Dear God, thank you for allowing me to find safety and peace in You.  Help me to keep my conscience clear and guard my heart and mind.  Help my thoughts to be a peaceful place, and help my sleep to be sweet.   In Jesus' Name. Amen.