Fear No Storm

 

Proverbs 29:25 (KJV)

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Storms of every kind will come into our lives; but, he who trusts in the Lord does not have to fear. The Lord is with you and will guide you through every storm.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Saved From The Snare

Psalm 124 KJV

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

+++

The Israelites escaped by the hand of God way more times than once. Even as they finally were given permission to escape from their servitude in Egypt the pharaoh changed his mind and send his army after them to bring them back. But, God's favor was with them. He opened the waters so that they could walk through on dry land. But, he swallowed their enemies with the waters as the seas crashed down upon them. 

The Israelites had a tendency to do what they wanted. They often turned their backs on God. As they put their trust in other things; in false gods; in themselves they would find themselves trapped by their own misdirection and in need of God's saving help again. Of course, God would step in and help them to get on the right path. He would save them over and over again.

When we find ourselves trapped because we have been going in the direction and have fallen prey to the enemy it is most advisable to turn to the Lord and call upon his name for help. He breaks the snare that entraps us and we escape. We are free. The Lord will save us. The Lord has saved us by the blood of Jesus the Christ. 

"Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Thousand Shall Fall

PSALM 91:1-12 KJV

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

A word of comfort and of warning can be found in Psalm 91. Comfort comes to those who trust in the Lord for protection. A great fall will come to the wicked who terrorize others. 

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. (Psalm 32:10)

Be careful that you do not fall with the wicked; but, find rest with the comforted. Trust in the Lord for He is our only true refuge and fortress.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Depression Flees Under His Wings

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

                                            Psalm 91:1-7 KJV

Depression and anxiety afflicts us all from time to time. As a young person, it hit me a lot. I still get depressed from time to time. When I do I focus on the Lord, not on myself. What does the Lord want me to do? Love others? Help others? Or, focus on my pain and suffering? When I ask myself these questions, the answer is easy. It is to focus on others and on the good gifts that God has given me. The blessings are beyond counting and life is good because God is good. The gifts that He has given me are not just for my sake; but, to be used for the sake of others around me.

The verses from Psalm 91 were always a great help to bring me out of the darkness of depression. I read them often and prayed them often. They are a reminder that God is with us and for us. We can dwell in His shelter or we can step out of that shelter into depression, fear, and the anxiety that are brought on by insisting on doing what we want and finding out that what we want is not right nor good for us or for anyone around us. 

Take refuge in the Lord and He shall cover you with His loving and protective feathers. You will find peace that you cannot even imagine right now as you rest in His shelter. Trust in the Lord and in His truth and you will know peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

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.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.

                            (Psalm 91 NIV)

May the Lord our God be with you now and always to save you from the times of trouble and deliver you to the safely to the shelter of the home that he has prepared for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J