March 19

Numbers 28:16-29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken". Psalm 62:5-6

As I've watched the horrific pictures from the aftermath of Japan's recent 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, I've tried to imagine (but can't) what the Japanese people must be going through. The staggering loss of life and property is enough to shake anyone's world - no pun intended. I've never been through a natural disaster anywhere close to that magnitude, but I've walked through many difficult circumstances in life --- any one of them big enough to shake me off my feet. Thankfully, I've always been able to stand firm with a peace in my heart, knowing God was with me and would carry me through.

Through what? Through every attack by man or nature or the devil. God is my rock. Not just a pebble you might kick along the path or skip across a pond. He's my ROCK. He doesn't move, even when everything else does. He can't be moved, and He lets me stand upon Him so I'm not moved. I still trust, I still believe and I will still follow. No matter what.

For the suffering Japanese, and for you and me, I pray we'll all grasp what the Psalmist tells us in today's Old Testament passage:

(1) God can give us rest. Worrying troubles the soul but never solves problems. Paul said not to worry about anything, but in every situation to pray with thanksgiving to God, and "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7). God's peace is ours when we ask.

(2) God will give us hope. When my daughter was on the heart transplant list in 2003, a physician friend of mine shared some medical information with me that became my "mustard seed" of faith. God used her to give me hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. Even when ICU doctors painted a very bleak prognosis, I knew Becky would be OK...and she was! "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him..." (Romans 15:13). God's hope keeps us from giving up.

(3) God saves us. We are saved for eternity (when we accept Christ as our Savior), but God will also save us while we're here on earth. Problems, circumstances, even disasters may come, but they cannot destroy us when our life is built upon the strong foundation of the Lord. Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock...it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matthew 7:24-26). God's saving grace keeps us from falling.

(4) God is our protection. He is our fortress...heavily protected and impenetrable. The enemy cannot take us over or carry us away. We are guarded by the Most High God. "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble.." (Psalm 32:7).  When we walk in obedience to God, we stay under His umbrella of protection and He keeps us safe.

They say in Texas there are two kinds of houses: those that have had foundation trouble and those that will. Many people fall into those same two categories. They start out fine, but when the ground beneath them moves, they begin to fall apart. The good news is, when we place our hope in God and build our lives upon Him, His foundation is firm and nothing can shake us. His protection is real and we will not be destroyed!

Blessings,
Pastor Susan