Published by Whenever we hear words like Bible, Psalms, Chapter this and verse that, we can’t help but to think they’re so churchy. Cant we leave those alone to reverends, priests, and pastors? We have to admit that at times, we feel like thumbing our nose at God. Being spiritual is the last thing we want to be remembered by. It just doesn’t jibe with a festive life that the world offers. Can’t the church put something enticing on their sign-up brochure? Life is too short to confine yourself to church-imposed limitations. Besides, who needs Jesus when everthing goes the way we want to?
But dear ones, life, as we know it, is not always fun. Time comes when everything becomes a mess. You can get falsely accused by something heaven knows you can’t do. You might get yourselves into a circumstance that could get so complicated you wont know how to get out of it. A party in a bar could be an unpleasant situation when you get in a fight with somebody. And when you would be left alone, when so-called friends have turned their backs on you, only the ghostbusters would be there just to ask you, “Who are you gonna call?”.
No matter how much we deny it folks, in times of trouble, there is only one we call for. Honestly, only in our suffering times we think of HIm, don’t we? Who else could He be? Yes, I’m talking about Jesus, the man who chose to die on the cross for the sake of each and everyone, for you. You may find it laughable if I say that Scriptures is enough to keep anxieties away. But they offer you inspiration and practical help. The book of Psalms is one portion in the bible that I found very helpful and enriching. There are some chapters that are my top picks. I would like to share one with you. It is the 18th chapter but I would quote only verses 1-3, and 30-34. It says: “How I love You Lord! You are my defender. The Lord is my protector; He is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with Him I’m safe. He protects me like a shield; He defends me and keeps me safe. I call to the Lord, and He saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord! This God — how perfect are His deeds! How dependable are His words! He is like a shield for all who seek His protection. The Lord alone is God, and God alone is our defence. He is the God who makes me strong, who makes my pathway safe. He makes me sure-footed as a deer. He keeps me safe on the mountains. He trains me for battle, so tat I can use the strongest bow”.
How comforting those words are! If we will take a closer glimpse at this, the words of the psalmist not only emphasize how God is our defence but they also reveal some of His traits and His outpouring love for us. I can’t see any reason why would He keep us safe, hard-headed as we are, besides His unconditional love. How lucky can we get? The psalmist noted that the Lord’s deeds are perfect and indeed it is. He is an all-knowing, powerful and ever-present God. He is not shortsighted unlike humans. He is the one who sees the big picture. And so, we can count on Him that His works are perfect. He sure can’t miss. Although He is often unfathomable. Sometimes His ways are maddening. I guess our finite minds can’t handle His vast and heavenly wisdom. But we should make no mistake, Isaiah 55:8 (if I remember it right) says that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. His words are dependable because God is faithful. His words always accomplish its purpose. It wont return to Him void. The Lord delights when we call for Him, but He also feels sad for us when we are in pain. We should never think that He doesn’t understand us. The Lord also had His share of pain when He was on the earth in His human form. We can remember that the Lord Jesus called to the heavenly Father to save Him from the coming crucifixion, the night He was praying in the garden of Gethsemane. But Jesus, submitted himself to the will of God, died, and was now on the right hand of God. We too, just have to seek His will at all times, whether we are in danger or not. If the Lord looks out on us in our good times, how much more if we are in a clear and present danger?
But you may ask, how does one call to Him? Prayer is the express line to heaven. It is free, no need to buy a call card or a phone kit. You don’t have to pass through an operator. The hotline is open 24/7, and it is never busy. You don’t have to feel alone. Giving God a ring doesn’t make us less “in”. Being “churchy” is fine. He alone is our defence, a very present help in trouble. We just have to ask Him. He’s just a call away.
