My Savior Walks Me Through

“Lord, please make it stop. I’m so scared. Please, please- just make it go away.” My guess is that at some point in your life you’ve probably felt that way (and maybe uttered those words) about something happening in your life. We have all felt pursued by something that absolutely terrifies us and puts fear in our heart- a trial, a relationship falling apart, a job or business failure, a financial crisis, a health scare. When we face one of those awful events- most of us typically become totally focused on that problem and usually on ourselves. We spend tons of time focusing on OUR abilities and resources, trying to deal with the situation at hand and fix it on our own. When that doesn’t work (and it usually doesn’t work), we get depressed and angry and feel hopeless. Thankfully it doesn’t have to be this way!

Psalm 57:1-3 says:

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me- God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. NIV

Psalm 57 was written by David while he was fleeing King Saul- who hated him and wanted to kill him. While running from Saul he fled into a cave and in that cave David wrote this Psalm (while believing that although he was temporarily safe, he was facing imminent death). I love that David begins this Psalm begging for mercy. But he doesn’t beg for mercy from Saul (who is chasing him and wants to kill him)- he begs for mercy from God. That’s because David recognized and acknowledged that God is who is in charge- not the person who was chasing him! Terrified, alone, on his face, hiding in a cave with nowhere to run- he recognized and acknowledged the power of his Savior. No doubt David would have been happy to not be hiding from Saul in a dark, scary cave. But it’s in that cave that he experienced God. Many times God does not remove the difficulty in our lives BUT He is present to protect us and help us walk through it. And it’s through those difficulties and hardships that we grow to know Him in ways that walking a peaceful path could never allow. (Seriously- every trial I've walked has brought me closer to Him and for that I am so thankful for each of them!)

My prayer today is that no matter what you are facing- storms, floods, fires- you are reminded that you can ALWAYS run to Jesus. HE is your refuge. Not your spouse, your best friend, your bank account, your reputation, your house. No matter the battle, no matter the outcome, your Savior WILL walk you through.