e-votional
a message to encourage and uplift from College Heights Baptist Church
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Many of you are new to our e-votional list. If you would like any of the previous e-votionals, just reply to this email and let me know. Likewise, if you would like to stop receiving them.
Several people have been asking about getting copies of our e-votionals to give to friends and family. We are looking into the possibility of publishing them into a booklet later this fall. We will keep you posted.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. – Psalms 46:1-3 (NASB)
Several years ago, I found myself caught in a hailstorm. I was a pre-teen at the time. My family was down the street visiting with relatives when a thunderstorm rolled in. I began to run home to close the windows of our house and something hit me. Then something else…and something else…and something else. All I could think of as the golf-ball sized hail began to fall was that I needed some place to hide. I had to get out of the storm.
Life can be like that. One thing after another. No breaks. No let up. Bills pile up while account balances shrink. Companies lay off. Teenagers cause grief. Relationships crack under the strain. What can we do? Where can we go? We have to get out of the storm.
The psalmist reminds us that God is our refuge. He is our hiding place. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly how David described God in one of his psalms (Psalm 32:7). In Him, we can ride out the storm. In Him, we can find strength. No matter what happens, God is there. No matter how hard the wind blows or how loud the thunder booms. If earthquakes claim the mountains and they collapse into the sea, God is there. If the seas swell up to the extent that Katrina and Ike look like toddlers throwing tantrums, God is there. The storms may not go away, but God enables us to move through them.
Did you happen to notice that the sons of Korah (these were assistants in the Temple who wrote this song) describe God as a “very present help?” God is right where He needs to be exactly when He needs to be there. Yesterday reminds us of God. Tomorrow holds the promise of God. Today, God is right where He needs to be. My son drums in a marching band. They are amazing to watch. Each member of that band has to be in a certain place at a certain time. If they are off their mark or late to a spot, their performance is not what it should be. God is never late to His spot. He is always where He needs to be hitting the right note.
Because God is never late, we do not need to fear. Because He is always where He needs to be, we are never alone. If our life is touched by catastrophe, God is there and can bring us through it. If we are rocked by the unrelenting nature of life, we will not fear. God gives us cover. He gives us strength. He is able and willing to help. Now, come on and get in out of the storm.
Pastor Darrell
