"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;” (Ps 46:1-2 AV)
What a statement! If we take this literally, which we should,
the writer is saying if there was an earthquake so intense as to level mountains,
he would not be afraid. Now that is
faith! This psalm is clearly a prophetical
one pointing to the seven years tribulation wherein the faithful remnant are
cared for by the LORD Himself. When
those who have received Christ see the abomination of desolation sit in the
temple on the mercy seat, they flee into the wilderness. It is there God cares for them and protects
them. Some surmise they flee to Petra. Others suggest they flee to Masada. Both are sanctuaries carved into the rock. They are strategically efficient. This makes the above even more
impressive. Sort of like the fall of
Jericho. Rahab’s house was the only one
to stand. All the others collapsed with
the wall. If the saint can remain in a
cave while the world around him is crumbling, that is impressive. This is the faith that every saint should strive
to attain.
One of the hardest things to do is to
stay put. Especially when things are
deteriorating all around you. I know I
have related this story before, but it is entertaining and illustrated the point
rather well. Years ago, I had a turkey
hunting partner who was a bit of a practical joker. Lawrence knew how to have fun. Even if it was at my expense. One spring morning, he set me and my son, Joshua,
in the corner of a pasture. As turkey
hunters know, you have to get out there well before the sun comes up. You pick a spot with a large enough tree to
hide your profile. You sit about twenty
yards off the edge into the woods to hide a bit better. Turkey have very keen eyesight. This particular morning, as we sat there, I saw
this white patch of something out in the field.
It didn’t move, so I figured it was a small patch of some sort of white
flowering weed. As the sun began to
reach the horizon, this white patch became a distinct pattern. As the sun rose even further, I noticed the
white patch was attached to the face of a bull!
There was nothing significant between me and that bull. Joshua, bored as usual, was playing with his
phone. The screen was all lit up and moving. There was no way I was going to shoot anything
that morning. Then it began to
rain. Lightning and thunder were getting
very close and I was sitting against a very tall tree. A cow noticed us and began to close in. If the bull noticed what that cow noticed, we
could be gored to death. We couldn’t
communicate lest the bull notices the activity.
All we could do was sit tight until the bull wandered off. Sitting there while conditions deteriorated
was difficult, to say the least.
It is hard to stay put when it seems
as though it wouldn’t be the wisest thing to do. When the whole world crumbles around us, the
first thing we want to do is flee. We what
to do something that keeps all things within our ability to control them. Israel is told to flee into the wilderness
and stay put. They are told to seek
refuge in the presence of the LORD. They
are encouraged even though they will feel the rumbling of the earth under their
feet. They stay. They do not move. They trust the LORD to care for them and rejoice
as He does. Taking things into our own
hands often causes more harm than if we simply let go and allow God to handle
it. When life seems out of control, that
is a perfect time for the LORD to show strength to His children. In a chaotic world, the only constant we have
is the LORD. Let us learn to increase
our faith commensurate with the trail that is set before us. He is a great God. Greater than anything we will ever face.
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