MEGAN EVANS, WOMEN’S MINISTRY DIRECTOR, LHBC
PSALM 77:19 (NIV)
“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.”
Uh-oh Lord, here comes a big one! Some days it doesn’t take long to know that this day is going to be a real doozy. Whether physical circumstances or perhaps an emotional tidal wave, these swells can hit us out of nowhere. Feelings of sadness, anxiety, stress, worry, fear, anger, or frustration come, and sometimes they crest into waves that can knock us off of our feet and threaten to take us under. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I see it coming, and I feel that all I can do is hold my breath and steady myself for the crashing wave. Yet God promises us his presence and a way out of the mighty waters.
As waves threaten, doubt can sometimes creep in through the cracks of despair and I find myself thinking, “Are you still there Lord, because I can’t see you!” I love that these raw and honest thoughts are recorded in the Bible too. Psalm 77 is one such example. In verses 1-10, the psalmist cries out to God for help; he is moaning and his spirit is growing faint. Have you been there too? Our responses to circumstances and emotions can swell like an ocean wave and gain momentum to overpower us. The psalmist wonders if God has forgotten about him. But in verse 11, his despair turns to comfort as he meditates on God’s truth and remembers God’s faithfulness in the past. We are wise to do the same.
In our key verse, the Psalmist recalls God’s mercies and the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross. It is so hard to remember that God is right here with us in the hard stuff, isn’t it? Yet, He never leaves us. Isaiah 43:2 says, “when (not if) you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when (not if) you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When (not if) you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze,” (emphasis mine). The next time we are faced with waves that threaten to drag us under, what if we recall God’s truth and mercy instead? Let’s let Psalm 77 be our example and trust in God’s mercies, unseen footsteps, and promise out of the mighty waters.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Lord, thank you for never leaving my side in good times and in bad. You are my strength and deliverer every day. When the waves of trouble and stress of the day threaten to drag me under, remind me that you part the waters and lead the way out. Let me sing praises of your strength and presence. You are greater than whatever this day may bring. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.