RISING WATERS... Sunday

Devotional for 8/24/14

We have seen some torrential rains.  There has been great flooding and destruction in certain areas, while other areas remain parched.  Some people have been forced from their homes and have lost all of their belongings to the raging, rising waters.  Animals they owned have been forever lost.  Sometimes even the homes themselves have been lifted from their foundations to float down the mighty floodwaters.  In some cases, floating automobiles and homes still had people in them, and great rescue efforts have ensued.  It is devastating when lives are lost to the overwhelming downpours. 

Sometimes in our lives we feel as though we are being drowned in the rising waters of problems around us.  We may have many small issues that pile up, or one or two huge troubles overcome us.  If we cannot find a solution, it can feel as though we might be pulled under in the undertow.  We may look for a place to hide from the mess of life.  Or perhaps we seek a buffer or something to numb the painful circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Sometimes we search for an escape - a way out - before the tide completely covers us.  Or we can look for refuge and sustenance, something to strengthen us as we wait for the waters to recede or a rescuer to come.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV)

We turn to God in prayer, for help and strength to carry us through, for forgiveness for the mistakes we've made, and to help us to find the blessings in the midst of the storms, the rainbows as the sun breaks through the storm clouds, the seashells on the shore as the tide goes out. 

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.  You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  Psalm 32:6-7 (NIV)

Dear Lord, thank you for all the blessings in my life.  I pray that you would give me and all those who need it your strength to carry us through life's struggles against the torrential downpours.  And once we have passed through those rising waters, help us to find the blessings in the trials too.  May we hear the songs of deliverance in the seashells you have deposited on our shores. Help us to bless others through our experiences and to share your life-giving message of salvation through faith.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen