Grains of Sand

Pixabay This is one of those verses that prompts the question, “how?” every time. “ A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all .” (Psalm 34:19) No, He doesn’t—at least not always in the way we want Him to. Yes, there are times when God acts as we anticipate He will, as we pray that He will. But there are times when He does not. What then? Does that make this verse, along with others like it, a lie? I remember back to the early days in Venezuela. Our church planting efforts got off to a slow start and we had very few new believers. One of those was a woman by the name of Betty. Her story was indeed one of God’s grace—from someone whose face scared the people sharing the elevator with her to someone whose face radiated forgiveness and joy and peace with God. She was a walking, talking testimony to what God could do in a life. Then she got cancer. We prayed, pleaded, for her healing. She died. At the time, we were devastated. But thinking back we a...

Pixabay Genesis 19 is so rich, but my heart was drawn to verse 4 and held there by recent events. It’s been a week full of the unexpected. A more-or-less routine surgery, that was in itself successful, turned into a disaster. Not my surgery, but that of a very dear friend. On Monday night the doctors gave her very little chance of survival. Many people went to prayer on her behalf. By yesterday both the surgeon and the ICU doctor were “cautiously optimistic.” We are a long way from out of the woods yet, but we know that we are in the presence of a miracle. That’s why Genesis 19:4 caught my attention this morning. “ You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself .” Moses and the Hebrews have come to Mount Sinai. Here Moses will climb the mountain and receive the commandments that the Israelites are to follow as a nation and as individuals. There is an impressive protocol to follow as they prepare for this momentous even...

ringof5.com (Google Images) This is what you say when everything is going well: “ But you are a shield around me, O Lord, my Glorious One, who lifts up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake up again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side ” (Psalm 3:3-6) However, this psalm of David was written when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem when his own son, Absalom, was determined to kill him and take over his throne. No biggie. Who among us would be so secure in the Lord that under such circumstances we could say the same? David’s statement about sleeping peacefully while surrounded by his enemies reminded me of another psalm. “ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies ” (Psalm 23:5). David sleeps well and eats a leisurely meal even in the worst of times. We’d be tempted to call it foolharty but such is his faith in the Lord to deliver him on...

" The Lord gave them rest on every side…Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled " (Joshua 21:43, 45, NIV). Israel had to take the journey before she saw the reward. Giants to be conquered, enemies to be fought, obedience to be tested, defeats to be turned into victories—it was only at the end when the battles were over that God's people would be able to look back and realize that God had never failed them. That's easy to forget when the enemy has a knife at your throat. The good thing about a journey with the Lord, this battle to take another "hill," is that we can always look back at the last "hill" He took for us. While conquering the land of Canaan, Israel could look back at Egypt, and the wilderness. God took her over those "hills" and none of His promises failed. Now, as Israel looks back on this new "hill" that has tested, and proven, God's faithfulness to Hi...