Eternal God – Everlasting Encouragement

Why is getting ready for a vacation so stressful? I guess our expectations exceed the time we have to get things taken care that make us “feel ready to leave.” I think it felt like Debbie and I packed a day into a morning  before heading to the airport early afternoon. We are thankful for Sue and Sam giving us a ride and making sure we got into the terminal and checked in okay. This is the first trip we have taken since my illness.

We are looking forward to being with Nathan, Stephanie, Mason, Carter and McKenzie. They traveled today from Atlanta to Orlando and have already checked in to our condo unit. Debbie and I will arrive at 11:30 p.m. I’m glad for the two hour difference in our favor. Stephanie took this picture of the kids as they go ready to head out on the road.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…   “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”            Deuteronomy 33:27

This statement of encouragement from Moses as the Children of Israel were preparing to enter the promised land holds encouragement for followers of Christ today. In this one statement there are some noteworthy points to grab and to hold on to.

1 – An Endless Resource “The eternal God.”  The one who provides strength for your journey and is available to meet your need is the God who was and is and will always be! Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:32) God’s promise is, “…never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:3) You can’t escape Him, you won’t exhaust His patience, you will never be outside of His love.

2 – An Encompassing Protection“God is your refuge.”  One of the repeated images of God in the Old Testament is that of a refuge. The psalmist declared, “God is my refuge and strength an ever-present help in time of trouble…”  (Psa. 46:1) “God is my refuge and fortress…” (Psa. 91:2) “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore…” (Psa. 125:2) The hymn writer of old referred to the Lord as, “A shelter in the time of storm.”  A refuge speaks of protection, comfort and assurance. A refuge is only as good as it is used. As Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples He admonished them, “Trust in God, trust also in me…” (John 14:1)

3 – An Enduring Encouragement “Underneath are the everlasting arms.” This is a great picture of security and safety. Talk about the “wind beneath my wings.” I recently saw a couple of cartoon captions that caught my attention. One Jesus says to the person next to Him, “When you see one set of footprints in the sand that when I carried you.” The next frame Jesus says, “When you see the groove that is when I drug you kicking and screaming.” I am not sure about the theology behind that but it does show that the Lord doesn’t give up on us and is with us even when we are not eager followers.

“If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”  Psalms 139:8-10

When it comes to needing a refuge and source of strength, don’t settle for anything less, that the best.