Delivered

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.

Psalm 31:1 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Myles and his son, Mike, were hiking a trail in the Deep Creek section of the Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina.  It was a clear day, not a cloud in the sky.  Myles and Mike stopped to rest and have something to eat.  They both marveled at the blueness of the sky and the beauty of God's creation on this glorious day.  After a short while, the pair began their hike again.  As they were nearing one of the waterfalls, the sky began to grow dark.  Myles had heard of popup thunderstorms but had never experienced one.  Suddenly, he and Mike were caught in a torrential downpour.  As the water fell from the sky, the ground became muddier and more difficult to walk on.  All of a sudden, Myles heard a roaring sound as he turned to see raging water from a flash flood heading their way.  Myles and Mike were swept away into the river.  As they neared the waterfall, Myles knew that their only hope was to find something to cling to so that they would not go over the falls.  In the nick of time, while holding Mike in one arm, Myles was able to grab a branch still attached to a tree on shore.  The pair clung to the branch for 4 hours until rescuers arrived and pulled them out of the water.

Sometimes, life can be like the flash flood that caught Myles and Mike by surprise.  Everything is going along fine and then suddenly, with no warning, we are swept away by a sea of turmoil caused by circumstances out of our control.  At any moment, we feel so out of control and afraid that we might go over the falls, to a place that we will never be able to return from.  During these dark times, there is only one thing to do: cling to the One in whom you have put your trust.  Do you fully trust in Jesus as you take this journey of life?  Are you caught in a raging river of difficult circumstances?  My prayer is that you would put your trust in the One who calmed the raging sea.  He knows you, He knows your circumstances and He will deliver.

Never be Ashamed

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;

Psalm 31:1 (a)

Thought for Today: In our previous meditation, we looked at the the word trust in this verse.  As you may recall, a sailor named Leo and his shipmates were evading Castro's troops after their ship sank off the coast of Cuba.  Eventually, the group was captured and sent to a gulag. Can you imagine the shame that they felt, after being led away by the enemy troops.  Their years of training to evade capture had failed.

Do you sometimes feel so close to losing a battle in your life?  Do you worry about being ashamed that you could not handle this battle yourself?  Perhaps you have been unable to overcome some circumstances in your life and feel like a failure.  You've been taught that good Christians don't struggle, don't have problems.  I'm here to tell you that we all struggle and will struggle until we cross over to Glory.  We will never be ashamed if we put our trust fully in Jesus.  You see, He uses our weaknesses, our failures, even our poor choices, for His purpose that His will be done on this earth.  This day, can you trust Him fully, knowing that you will never be ashamed, bringing all of your trials, all of your weaknesses, all of your failures before Him?  My prayer is that you will know His peace as you seek refuge in Him knowing that nothing is outside of His will for you.

Our Refuge

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;

Psalm 31:1(a) NKJV

Thought for today: Leo and his companions had been evading capture for days.  After their patrol boat was hit by a torpedo in Cuban waters, they had managed to swim to shore.  Castro's troops knew that there were survivors and sent out troops to search for the Americans, who had hidden in a swamp not far from where their ship had sunk.  One night, as the exhausted sailors lie in hiding, a contingent of about 100 men fanned through the area, coming within yards of the hideout that the men had made for themselves.  So close to imminent death, yet protected by their hiding place, the men felt a sense of great relief as the troops passed by without noticing them.

What is translated as trust in our English Bible actually is the Hebrew word חָסָה, which means to seek refuge or flee for protection.  Like Leo and his fellow crew members, we all need protection from the enemies in our lives, whether external or internal.  While, like the sailors in our story, we have a hiding place in the Lord we also can flee to Him for protection when the enemy is near.  What enemies, or struggles, do you face in your daily life?  Have you sought refuge in the Lord?  Only He can be our Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our refuge.  My prayer is that this day you will seek His protection, bringing all of your needs before our living and loving Lord.

Mourning into Dancing

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You for
 

Psalm 30:11,12

Thought for Today:  It was just another day for Andrew as he pounded the pavement looking for work.  He had once had everything: a lucrative career, beautiful wife and wonderful children. Now, all of this was just a memory.  You see, Andrew had fallen in a very bad way, the consequences of years of hard living. Andrew met Simon, who seemed a bit different.  Not just interested in filling a position, Simon was interested in Andrew, where he had been, what he had done.  Within no time, Andrew was offered a job in Simon's firm.  One of the benefits of this job was free housing in a beautifully remodeled mansion.  After his meeting with Simon, Andrew was about ready to flip cartwheels leaving the office.

What circumstances of  your life have you mourning, living in despair?  Perhaps, like Andrew, you have lost everything.  Maybe you have lost just a little bit, something precious to you that, once taken away, cut to your innermost being.  Do you feel a sense of shame coming before the Lord, perhaps sensing His anger towards you over your choices?  Realize that there is  nothing that has been taken away from you, whether by your own doing or other circumstances, that the Lord cannot restore.  Do not be ashamed to pour your heart out to Him, humbly asking Him to restore you and to turn your mourning into joy.  May this day be one in which you dance with pure joy.

Our Helper

I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made supplication:
“What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
Lord, be my helper!”

Psalm 30:8-10 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: One thing that I don't do well is ask for help.  I have learned over the years to not overestimate what I can do and to seek help when needed, particularly when dealing with maintenance issues around the house.  This took several disasters, such as flooding a kitchen, before my stubbornness lost the battle of DIY.  

Have you been in a situation where you thought that there was no way out, where your eminent demise was before you?  Perhaps you thought that even the Lord could not save you. Yet, upon asking for help, He most certainly pulled you out of the pit.  Why in this portion of Psalm 30 would David almost seem to barter with God, asking Him what He would gain from David's demise?  It is interesting that David talks about the dust not being able to praise God or declare His truth.  Does the Lord rescue us only because He wants someone to praise Him?  I hardly thing so, for He, being God, could create a being to praise Him.  He doesn't need us.  Yet, in His wonderful love for us, He is willing to be our helper, our  deliverer not because He has to be, but because He desires to do this.  Our praise comes from what He does for us and is an expression of our gratitude for His amazing love for us.

This day, do you need help?  Are you afraid to ask for it?  Don't be afraid for He so cares for you that He will deliver you from any situation, any circumstance.  Will you trust the One who dwells in the praises of His people to help you today?

Of Troubles and Trials

Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

Psalm 30:6,7

Thought for Today: Jim and his group were making great progress as they climbed Mt. Chocorua in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Although the trail was a bit muddy, the late spring weather was beautiful.  The group reached the summit to a glorious view of the lakes region below.  As he and his friends sat for lunch, Jim reflected upon their accomplishment as well as the many hikes that he had been on over the years.  Suddenly, without warning, storm clouds obliterated the sky as a snow squall rolled in, trapping the group on the summit.

Life is full of mountaintop and valley experiences.  We go from days where we feel like we can lick the world to other days which are full of trouble.  As David writes in this psalm, we feel like our faith cannot be moved when we are prosperous and feeling blessed.  When hard times strike, we take one of two approaches: run from God, feeling troubled or cling to God in the day of trouble.

Jim and his group managed to survive the snow by running to shelter in the overhang of rocks on the summit.  This day, should trouble prevail in your life, will you choose to seek shelter in the shadow of the wings of the Almighty or will you see the troubles as lack of His favor and run from Him?   My prayer is that you can choose the former, for this will lead to healing, safety and peace.

Entering His Favor

For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 30: 5 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Mario and Giuseppe had a falling out over something relatively small.  Mario had made a wonderful meal and invited Giuseppe and his family over for dinner.  Being from a different region of Italy, Mario apparently had not cooked things the way that Giuseppe was used to. This resulted in Giuseppe getting very upset, telling Mario that he was a terrible cook.  Mario asked Giuseppe and his family to leave.  The two would not speak to each other for over 30 years.

We have all been the object at whom anger was directed.  Have you ever felt God's anger?  We see in other passages of Scripture that the Lord is slow to anger.  Yet, He still can be angry with us over our sin.  We so often think of God as not being able to be angry.  Maybe He is not outwardly angry over our choices in life, but He must feel disappointment.  Have you every been heartbroken watching someone that you care about, perhaps a child, making bad choices and then facing consequence that you knew would occur?  Multiply that one thousand fold, and add to that knowing everything.  That is what the Lord must feel when He looks at our lives and our choices that are outside of His will.

One day, Giuseppe ran into Mario at a neighborhood store.  Tears formed in Giuseppe's eyes as he told Mario how much he had missed him and his family.  Giuseppe apologized for his harsh words and Mario apologized for asking his family to leave.  Now, the two families regularly dine at each other's houses, enjoying different dishes from both regions of Italy.

Sometimes, it takes a long time to turn to the Lord in repentance.  But, when we do, His anger fades, our weeping subsides and we have joy basking in His favor.  Do you need to repent today of a bad choice that has led you astray, outside of our Lord's favor?  If so, I would urge you to do so now, lay your sin at the Father's feet so that you may again know the joy of His love and favor.