Safe and Protected

“”Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.”  And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.  O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.  The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”  Psalm 12:5-5

It is so easy to feel like God just doesn’t hear our prayers – that he’s forgotten who we are when we need him the most.  And let’s face it, trying times are getting much more common for so many of us.  Who of us hasn’t felt the pinch of a bad economy, even if we have a job?  Who doesn’t cringe when you watch the news and hear so many horrible things going on in the world – and not just in faraway places, but even in our own neighborhoods?  Who doesn’t feel alone when a spouse turns a cold shoulder to them, or distance grows between you and a child that you love with all of your heart?  Who doesn’t worry when that job you’d hoped for doesn’t happen, or when the job that you do have consumes you with dread?  Where is God when all of these things are swirling around you and you feel like you’re about to be sucked into the eddy of hopelessness at any moment?

Huh?  Where?

Believe it or not, our plight is a very familiar one.  And where was God when people thousands of years ago, and in the years since, have been needy, weak, oppressed and under the thumb of the wicked?  Unbeknownst to them, and us sometimes, God was right there all along.  Through his word, God tells us that he sees and understands exactly what we go through.  He knows our pain.  God never said that we would live lives free from all of these things.  But He is indeed there for us, despite our hardships.  David told us that over and over again – and he was a king!  Even a king understood what we go through.  David saw the evil in this world.  David had a heart for the oppressed and the needy.  And David knew that God saw these very same things, and completely understood that God’s heart be touched by these things as well.

So when does God get around to all of this help He promised?  In short, his help comes at the perfect time.  I think that’s the hardest thing for us to understand and appreciate.  I’m terrible at it.  I’m willing to admit that I’m a spiritual brat – I want what I want, when I want it.  But God doesn’t see things that way.  He gives us exactly what we need, exactly when HE decides when we need it.  And yes, there are times when His timing still leaves us in tears.  And yes, there are times when His timing leaves us asking “why?”.  The hardest part is to take God at his word, because the people in this world fail us so often.  We have to get beyond the earthly expectation of being disappointed by others, and put our faith in God’s word, especially when thing seem impossible.  We have to know that the things that bring us to our breaking point, are the things that God can use to bring about his greatest glory.

Lord, we thank you for your promise of love, and your promises of safety and protection.  Not necessarily the earthly kind, but the kind that will keep us safe and secure in your love for all of eternity.  Lord, we ask for reminders of that love, so that we don’t lose heart when life is hard, and the world is difficult to understand and handle.  Thank you for blessing us with so many things, and for giving us the kind of hope that only comes from you.  Lord, bless all of those who may be hurting today – fill their hearts with hope, make them strong, and fill their needs, whatever those may be.  Lord, I ask you to ease the burdens of those whose trust is in you – give them peace of mind, mend their families and marriages, provide for their financial and physical needs in amazing ways, and show them the evidence of your love that they so desperately need.  Keep them safe and protected in you.  Thank you for all of these things, Lord.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Copyright ConnieD 2012.  All rights reserved.