Today’s Reading: Psalms 64, 121, 124, 126, 130
Life is very much like a fresh snowfall. It is absolutely beautiful and full of the potential for fun, but with it comes fear. Just like driving on an icy surface, there is fear when we feel out of control — when life seems to be spinning the wrong direction no matter which way we steer. It is in these moments that we turn our eyes to the Lord. We cry out for His help and we place our family and our life in His hands.
MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD
I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!
He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. – Psalm 121
WHAT IF THE LORD DID NOT HELP ME?
I love this picture of God watching over me, providing a protective shade. But what if He did sleep? What if He did not watch over us protectively? As a mother, I can drive myself crazy in a matter of a few minutes if I let my mind go to the “what if’s” in life. It is better for me to relax in the reality that I serve a God I can count on — a God I can trust. It does not mean that there will never be a moment when I need His help or when I cry out for help, but it does mean that He will be with me on the hardest days this life throws at me. I cannot imagine how I could survive my darkest moments without the Lord by my side.
What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat:
What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?
They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger.
The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.
Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!
Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. – Psalm 124
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! – Psalm 126:3
From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help.
Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.
Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?
But you offer forgiveness that we might learn to fear you.
I AM COUNTING ON HIM.
I have put my hope in his word.
I long for the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in the Lord.
I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn.
O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows.
He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin. – Psalm 130
Father God, I am counting on you today. I intentionally take all of my fears and concerns, and I choose to place them in your capable hands. I will put my trust in you; I will place my hope in you alone. Thank you for your unfailing love and for your generous overflowing redemption that gives me the opportunity to experience freedom from my sins. Teach me how to stop holding on to the weight of my list of sins, recognizing that you keep no record — that what is forgiven is forgotten. This morning, I look to the mountains and proclaim that my help comes from the Lord! Amen.