OUR LORD, A REFUGE FROM THE STORMS (2)

Post date: Apr 20, 2020 11:21:43 PM

“Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. But now, this is what the Lord says, He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Psalms 91:3-8; Isaiah 43:1-2

Even before the storm comes, the Lord says He had redeemed you; before affliction strikes, the Lord says He is with you; before you were humiliated and insulted, the Lord says He will lift you up; before you fell off the path of your dreams and desires, the Lord says He had prepared a table for you to sit on; before you become lonely, isolated and rejected, the Lord says I am with you and I have called you by name; before you lost your comfort and peace, the Lord says I will give you another comforter and He will restore your peace. Did you know that God is ahead of us in all situations? Did you know that despite the facts on the ground God is always there with you and will not depart? Did you know even Satan knows what God will do for you and with you now and hereafter despite his temptations and efforts to destroy you? Satan knew who Jesus Christ was yet he wanted to know if Jesus Christ knew who He was, and with all boldness, he did this and said this to Jesus Christ; “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down. For it is written: He (God) will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, it is also written: do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Matthew 4:5-7. Jesus told him back, do not put the Lord your God to a test, acknowledging before Satan that He is his lord.

Oh what joy is it to hear the Lord tell you, fear not I am with you? Fear not for this storm will not destroy, overcome or humiliate you, and that you will definitely pass through it? That you will see yourself on the other side and testify of God’s goodness to you before, during and after this storm. David said: “God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done.” Psalm 62:11-12. God is still speaking the same word of love, the same word of freedom, the word of guardian, the word of peace and the word of assurance despite the storms and the affliction. He is still speaking today as He did before, let us fix our eyes on Him, our expectations on Him, our hopes on Him, and our dreams on what He can and will do. Let us fix our hearts on His assured promises despite the fears and the things we see, know and experience. It is very certain that God will not fail. He did not fail Noah before, during, and after the flood, He did not fail Job during and after his trials, He did not fail Sarah despite her age, He did not fail Jesus Christ our Lord despite being hanged on the cross, He did not fail Peter despite being without something to eat, He did not fail Paul despite being persecuted, He did not fail Daniel in the lion's den, He did not fail David before Goliath, He did not fail Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace of fire and He will not fail you. Put your confidence in Him and in His words, not on your strength, knowledge or what you see and hear around you. He will never let us go through more than you are able to handle. He is always with you. For prayers, Click here