When my daughter was little she did not like dogs. That is to say, she did not like dogs who were hyper and would jump on her. Because she was so small, almost every dog would play with her so rough that they would inadvertently scratch her or knock her down, not because they were mean, but because they were so big and energetic. Every time that she would see a dog, she would quickly run to me and either hide behind me or beg me to pick her up into my arms and hold her. My daughter ran to me for two reasons: 1. She knew I would protect her and 2. I would gently but firmly get the dog under control so as to not be a threat to her. When my daughter focused on the dog, she would be afraid and could think about nothing but being scratched and jumped on. However, when she ran to stand behind me or to climb up into my arms, she believed herself not only to be safe, but also that the dog was not a threat as long as she was with me. My daughter thought I was a superhero and at times would tell others that I had protected her because I loved her.
In Psalm 46, we have this beautiful imagery of God being our very protection and strength. The passage even goes to the extreme in stating that even if the whole earth were coming apart at the seams that the author has nothing to fear because God’s power is more powerful than the most severe of calamities that we could ever dream of. In fact, one of my favorite sections of Scripture is found in verses six and seven. Here we see that kingdoms are at war, rising and falling with power, and that the battle seems to be raging with no end in sight. How does God stop the madness? He speaks and the “earth melts.” Just think about this for a moment. How did God create the universe? Did he pull out various materials and start to hammer away? No. He spoke and that which did not exist all of a sudden burst forth with life! What could God do to end all of battles and strife that occur? He doesn’t only have the power to force armies to lay down their weapons. He has the power to make the world cease to exist by only uttering a word! I am not saying that is what God will do, but what I am saying is that we forget just how powerful God is and just how powerless people and circumstances are compared to Him.
This is why He tells us to find our strength and refuge in Him. There are many situations in our life that we find overwhelming and to an extent, those situations are overwhelming to us…but not to God. God desires for us to run to Him and to trust Him to be our fortress. As our “Abba, Father” He has given us permission to confidently climb into His loving and protective arms and know that nothing is more powerful than Him. It does not mean that I won’t suffer, but what it reminds me is that when I suffer, my all-loving Father has a purpose for what I am going through and that purpose will be for my benefit and ultimately for His glory. He tells me in these overwhelming circumstances to run to Him and find my safety and strength in my relationship with Him. Are there overwhelming situations in your life in which you need to be reminded that God is much more powerful? Just as my child ran to me when she faced something overwhelmingly scary, you can run to God and find comfort in His arms.
VC Devotionals 