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Yesterday my son said, “They need to make a movie about 2020.” I bet they will! And for once they won’t have to fabricate controversy or conflicts to make it more interesting. This year has been outrageous enough.
Have you sat down and done an inventory of the last few months?
- Presidential impeachment trials
- Major wildfires in Australia
- US killed Iranian General Soleimani and we held our breath
- COVID-19 pandemic results in deaths, extreme illness and lockdowns
- DOW plummets
- Schools in my city move to distance learning just before spring break
- Summer Olympics postponed
- Murder hornets
- Death of George Floyd after being held down by police shines light on racial injustice
- Protests and riots in many major cities lead to citywide curfews
- …
What did I miss?
What could possibly be next??
Our Refuge in the Storm
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
Psalm 57:1
The storms are here. You’ve felt the upheaval in your soul. Normal has been erased. Our new normal is redefined over and over again. Every time we start to get comfortable there is a revision.
But, take heart! Lift up your eyes, because our God is here. In his great mercy he offers up his wings. Move closer to him and find your safety in him. Your refuge in him is secure until the storms pass by.
Awake The Dawn
My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
Psalm 57:7-11
After the storm comes the dawn. Oh, how I wish I could know when these storms would end! But God knows that if I knew when the dawn would come, that date would become my refuge instead of God Himself.
I would say, “Oh, I just have to make it to August? Okay! *crossing my fingers* Come on, August!”
But God says, “Daughter, sit here, close to me. Sit under my wings. And wait.”
And instead of trusting in “August,” I learn to trust in my God.
As we lean into his steadfast love, our hearts stand fast as well. You see, resting in the shadow of his wings fortifies us for the dawn, so that when the dawn comes we will rise up. Stronger than before. Confident in our God with steadfast hearts. Ready for whatever storms come, because God is with us.
Your Turn
- Which storm that you are facing right now is the hardest for you?
- What do you think it looks like to take refuge under God’s wing? What can you do today to lean into God as your safe place?
- When the dawn awakes (v. 8) how would you like to have grown as a result of the storms?
- How can you give God glory during this storm, and afterwards?
