Corona Devo 902

Ever get buried?  

Actually, it's more like being trapped.  If I were to draw a picture of me when I am in this "place", it would be of a person trapped behind glass.  You can see everything happening around you, and you know just how the routines and rhythms should go, but you can't connect.  You feel distanced, detached, and quite separate from the wholeness of what's happening, even though it is happening all around you.  

And it's defeating.

Like everything is your enemy and like everything is bearing down on you.

And all you want is a shield.  You dream of holding your head high once again.  You want to wake up in safety and to stop being separate.  

When we're in that "place", we need rescued...and victory comes from you, O Lord.

~~~

(1) O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. (2) So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!”  

(3) But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.  

(4) I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.  

(5) I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.  

(6) I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.  

(7) Arise, O Lord!  Rescue me, my God!  Slap all my enemies in the face!  Shatter the teeth of the wicked!  (8) Victory comes from you, O Lord.  May you bless your people.  ~Psalm 3:1-8


Lord, I don't know anyone else's story, but You have been working on mine all week.  I've had (and created!) so many tests, trials, and opportunities, and I feel like I failed most of them.  I have the opportunity and knowledge to respond for you and as You might, but I didn't.  I tried sometimes, but other times, I just couldn't.  I failed.  I fell.

O Lord, I have so many enemies (Psalm 3:1)...and my biggest one is me.

But even though we don't deserve You, and we continue to un-merit You (So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” ~Psalm 3:2 )...You rescue us.  You continue to teach, to instruct, to pursue, to have patience and to give us grace.  

The voices and forces of the world mound up.  Our worries, expectations, and mental-mind games mound up.  

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me  ~Psalm 3:3

You protect us.  You watch over us.  ...You, O Lord, are a shield around us.  

...you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.  ~Psalm 3:3
YOU are our glory.  Not our accomplishments.  Not our looks, or appearance or adornments.  Not our bank accounts, our savings or our investments. 

YOU are our glory.  If we will glory in You instead of tangibles...
If we will glory in you instead of getting swept up in the intangibles...

Then we will experience the intangible peace, contentment, fulfillment  of You.  That is what it means for You to be our glory.

~~~

There are periods of trial.  This week has been one for me.  Maybe this month or year has been one for you.  In these times, even though we know the Lord, we read the Bible, we know what we should be feeling, believing, experiencing in our faith--it still feels like God is nowhere.

But if we can persevere...  
If we can continue in the routine of faith because we know that it works...  Then the disconnect will reconnect.  

Every Believer has times of staleness, but if we will continue to seek Him in the stillness...we will reawaken.

I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.  (6) I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.  (7) Arise, O Lord!  Rescue me, my God!   ~Psalm 3:5-7

In the refreshment of experiencing You there is a revival to our fight in serving You, Lord.  We may have been down, but we (as Your children) are never out, and we are back and ready to fight the good fight alongside You again, Lord.  

We sense You, we feel You.  We can experience You once again, and in the process of faith, fait rescues us.  
Where we once felt that 'God is nowhere", we now know that 'God is now here".

And just like that...we are back.  Back in the ring, back in touch, and back on the crusade to live for You, Lord, and to fight our enemies--those that are seen and those that are unseen.  Those that stand in front of us and those that whisper lies to our hearts.  When we wake up in Your safety...we are not afraid.  And we are no longer buried, trapped or separate.  We are present with you and for You, Lord.  Ready to rejoin the battle for Your glory. 

Slap all my enemies in the face!  Shatter the teeth of the wicked!  (8) Victory comes from you, O Lord.  May you bless your people.  ~Psalm 3:7-8

Like a prize fighter struggling to their feet for another round, we cannot give up in our faith, in our failures.  Believers survive and God revives us.  

If you are feeling trapped and disconnected from God or normalcy today...  Persist in faith, trust in God and pray through it. 

God is not nowhere.  God is now here.

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory... ~Psalm 3:3


Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com  

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