Powerful Help, in Pitiful Circumstances
This morning I attended the men’s breakfast at Timberline Church. Keith Godbey was our special guest. He shared about the new book he and his sister have compiled on the career of his parents, Ken and Jeri Godbey. They served five decades as missonaries in Nigeria, Africa and helped pave the way to turn the “dark continent” in to a place where the light of Christ shines. Besides vivid memories of the Godbey’s as missionaries, Ken Godbey married Debbie’s parents in 1942 when he served as the pastor of Greeley First Assembly. The book entitled, “A Dark Place, Before the Dawn” can be found on iTunes and includes pictures and video and audio from the Godbey’s years of service.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my distress, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out to a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” Psalm 118:17-19 HCSB
It is one thing to face opposition and struggles, but when it comes at the worst possible time and seems to “pile on” it is easy to give up hope and despair. In this familiar psalm of deliverance we see the power and might and intervention of the Lord in the worst of circumstances.
Early in the psalm, we read, “…the snares of death confronted me. I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help.” (Psa. 118:5,6 HCSB) The deeper we get into the psalm the more we understand the cause of the distress and the sense of impending doom. The psalmist was hated by an enemy that was strong and relentless. This was not some “friendly” competition. This was vengeance being played out. In addition, the attack came in a “day of distress.” It is one thing to face the challenges of life unexpectedly or when we are on “top of the world”; it is another for them to come when we are already feeling defeated.
The key comes when the psalmist says in his distress he “calls on the Lord.” He doesn’t just question or complain or turn away from God. Instead he runs to God. He cries out to the Lord and the Lord hears. When the Lord hears He responds.
We see vivid descriptions of the power of the Lord. “Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the mountains trembled;… He parted the heavens and came down..His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals…The Lord thundered from heaven…” (Psa. 118:9-13 HCSB)
The palmist rejoices in the Lord’s deliverance, but he also shows the importance of keeping the right attitude and response. “…I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not turned from my God to wickedness. Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind and have not disregarded His statutes. I was blameless toward Him and kept myself from sinning.” (Psa. 118:21-23 HCSB)
We find in these words the importance of keeping our focus and maintaining the right attitude. It was Job who said, “though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” (Job 13:15) As we see the Lord’s deliverance, we realize life reveals the Lord doesn’t deliver in every circumstances, like we anticipate or desire. But He allows us to be over-comers as we keep our eyes on Him. Our trust and faithfulness is rewarded.
“With the faithful You prove Yourself faithful; with the blameless man You prove Yourself blameless; with the pure
You prove Yourself pure, but with the crooked You prove Yourself shrewd. For You rescue an afflicted people,
but You humble those with haughty eyes. Lord, You light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness. With You I can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall.“ (Psa. 118:26-29 HCSB)
These words remind me of Paul’s words to Timothy..“This saying is trustworthy: For if we have died with Him,
we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:11-13 HCSB)
Regardless of how pitiful our circumstances, we can find a powerful God available as we call and place our trust in Him and maintain our focus on living according to His word.