“The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
Exodus 14:14
No question, the COVID-19 pandemic exploded upon us with
the kind of disorder, disruption and devastation that few have seen before, and we
hope never to see again. But there are no guarantees in this fallen world.
You may be feeling today much like Israel did when they reached
the Red Sea aware that behind them was a vicious enemy that they were ill-equipped
to fight. Nowhere to go. Helpless and vulnerable. The future looking bleak, if not lost. Except, GOD miraculously rescues Israel. Even though they doubted Him,
hurled insults and complaints against Him when they should have stood firm in faith, confident in His providence and promises to them. After all, they were His own chosen people.
You too must remember whose you are when you come to your own Red Sea.
You are also GOD’s chosen, His blood-bought child. In the
direst circumstances you must hold fast to your loving and faithful GOD and
Father! Look always to Him, ask for His help and watch Him do what you could
never think to ask for or imagine, just as He did for Israel. GOD didn’t leave
Israel defenseless then and He will never leave you so today. With Him you have
a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11.) Murmuring and complaining or turning to
the world for comfort leads only to despair. Let the joy of the LORD be your strength and
not the idols of your heart.
Remain steadfast in faith and endure to the end with Him who
loves you best, the one who gave His One and only Son to redeem you (1
John 4:9). Believe GOD is for you and not against you. Stay with GOD and stay
in prayer. (Psalm
56:9; James
4:8; 1
Thessalonians 5:17-18.) Never doubt GOD’s promises.
British Christian missionary J. Hudson Taylor (1832 – 1905) wrote
that “All GOD’s promises are in the present tense.” Apply this thought to any promise as you need to
be reminded. But let’s try one that I hold to in my own personal
life:
The LORD is my Shepherd. Psalm
23:1a. This is who your GOD IS
(present tense). LORD and Shepherd – at this very minute; in the next
hour; tonight; tomorrow; next week; Sunday through Saturday; next month; next
year; 10 years from today; in leisure time; in a hospital bed; at a job
interview; as you take your marriage vows; as the coffin of a loved one goes
into the cold earth; as you welcome the birth of a child; in good times; in bad
times; increasingly, continually, and intentionally….
GOD’s promises are sure and fixed. (Psalm
119:89)
Our GOD is an ever-present help! (Psalm
46:1)
Stand firm; watch GOD deliver!
Prayer and Thanksgiving: Our loving Father, Creator, Mighty
GOD of all Providence, thank YOU for being a present help in our time of
trouble, for being for us and never against us, for designing a unique plan for
our lives that include a future and a hope, for knowing everything about us –
the very number of hairs on our heads, our every thought and our every move. Cause
us to never forget that You are Sovereign over all, that nothing takes You by
surprise and everything is in Your control. Thank You for Your enduring love
and bountiful goodness. May our lips
never doubt but always praise; never forget who heals our diseases, crowns us
with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and satisfies our mouths with good
things and above all, redeemed our lives from total destruction by giving Your
only SON. We give YOU all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise, and we
pray all things in JESUS’ Mighty NAME.
Amen!
Always by God’s Word and prayer,
Cecile
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