God Sends Forth His Love

 

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me— God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts— men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

They spread a net for my feet— I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path— but they have fallen into it themselves.

My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 57:1-11

The Alaska pipeline is a remarkable engineering feat. It was designed so spaces could float back and forth when an earthquake takes place, without severing the supply of oil. And it works.

The believer’s spiritual pipeline to heaven is built upon a firm trust in God. But if we are inflexible in our expectations of how God should work, we can run into trouble. In a crisis, we can make the mistake of shifting our focus from God to our painful circumstances. When we pray we need to focus on the trust we have in God. We need to trust that He will ultimately deliver us.

When the earth moves under us, be flexible in your expectations, but be firmly confident in God’s steadfast love and care.

God may delay or deny our request, but He will never disappoint our trust.

Our Daily BreadJune 13, 2011