Stability In Times Of Crisis

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keeps thee will not slumber.” Psalm 121:3

Dear Ones:

Christianity is not a “system of thought” of wishful thinking.  It is not a philosophy in and of itself, and yet it is philosophical in that it presents to us a manner of thought that has “…great promise of reward.”  What is meant by that?  In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he writes of those who have a “form of godliness, but deny the POWER thereof.” (3:5)  The distinguishing factor, and that which makes Christianity so vitally different from all other philosophies and religions of man, is that God works in the heart of the believer by His power.  His power is demonstrated, revealed, even lived.

In Psalm 46, the psalmist writes of “…a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God.”  He goes on to say, “God is in the midst of her; SHE SHALL NOT BE MOVED.” (V.4,5)  The defining factor of stability in this picture of a believer’s experience is the presence and power of God.  We see it represented by a river, but realized by the ever present help and intervention of God, who “…helps her, and that right early.” (v.5)  In other words, God works in the heart, mind, and soul of the believer, to bring him to the place of realizing that his power and strength is God alone.  Stability in the storm, the overcoming resistance to the wind and the waves of circumstance, is realized by the power of God being operative in response to faith.  This is one reason why the Apostle Paul writes: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” (Eph. 6:10)

All through Scripture we find the constant declaration of man’s need for stability, the strength to be unmoved in the storm.  We find also God’s promise, and the solution throughout history.  That which the Psalmist wrote about is so very applicable to us today.  He writes very simply, categorically, and emphatically:  “The LORD is thy keeper.” (v.5)  This position of faith corresponds exactly to the commandment that the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples:  “Have faith in God.”  (Mark 11:22)  Do we ever understand fully what this means?  No, but in reading Psalm 121, we begin to get a small and specific application of God’s keeping…in the storm, and in adversity.  “The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul.  The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (v.7,8)  We see this same concept of Christ being our keeper in David’s Psalm 23, where he writes:  “…Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” (v.4) These instruments, the rod and staff,  comfort him because it is by these two instruments that the Shepherd protects and keeps His sheep.  He IS their everlasting Keeper…and He will not lose a single one of them!

In Psalm 91, the Psalmist of old, without the advantages of modern medicine today, was faced with “pestilence and plague.”  But this was only one enemy.  There was also “the snare of the fowler,” the enemy of our souls, whose “arrow flies by day.”  How is one to be KEPT in times like these?  Again, Scripture directs our attention to God alone as our dwelling place.  Just as He is that “river,” powerful and flowing, so He must be “in the midst,” and counted upon, wholly.  Thus, the Psalmist makes a declaration of faith:  “I will say of the Lord, ‘He IS my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.” (v.2)

Dear Father, give us grace to see that You alone can be our stability, for You alone possess the power and strength to make us over-comers.  Enable us to TAKE Thee by faith as our power, life, and love.  Then the power of the river of Your life by the Spirit, will enable us to stand, and withstand, and overcome.  We thank Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Love, Dad