Verse for Today: Friday, August 19, 2011
Psalms 55:6 – I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest”. There are times in the life of a child of God when he or she gets absolutely exasperated and seems to reach the end of the way. Their experiences become so painful and agonies so bitter that they feel like wanting to escape their situations. They feel so frustrated and lonely and see no way out of their situations. There seem to be no ray of hope in the horizon and days pass by without any solutions. They are attacked from all corners by those who are dear and near to them and drain away all their courage and strength to go forward any further and feel the urgency to escape like a bird. It is at these times that the Lord comes to them like a dove and comfort them. Their anguishes are certainly heard by the Heavenly Father who sends His love to them in a special way. His Word is echoed in their hearts that He will lead them further. Perhaps they are like Elijah with no hope to go forward. It may be that of an innocent Joseph who is locked up in a dungeon and forgotten by those whom he served. There are experiences like that of Paul in a ship out in the sea amidst storms, winds, earthquake, without seeing sun and no food for 14 days. But the Lord comes down to us at such times to tell us that in spite of all of these turmoil, He is with us and He will see to it that we move forward to accomplish His purpose. Joseph, Elijah and Paul were part of the great plan of God and they had important things to accomplish. It was important for the sake of the upcoming ministries that they go forward. Unless Elijah goes forward, Elisha cannot come to the scene. Only through the elevation of Joseph will the lineage of Abraham will continue without extinct until it reaches the Messiah. Rich ministries along with several prison epistles are on the way from and through Paul in the days after the storm. Yes, there are things for us to do and ministries to perform. There are lives we need to touch for which we need to go forward. The hindrances are often created by the enemy or our folly. There are seeming hindrances that are tests to strengthen our faith. But our Lord is out there to accomplish His purpose in and through us for which we need to go forward rather than escape the current scenarios.
Dear friend, are you going through severe storms in life and feel like wanting to rest like the Psalmist and to fly away? Is your pain so bitter and unbearable and is it multiplied by the people around you with cruel behavior? But your Lord knows about it, and He is at work for you even in the midst of these frustrating experiences. Instead of making you a dove to fly away, He wants to make you an eagle who can fly up and go closer to Him to experience the warmth of His care and love. He who was with Elijah, Joseph and Paul is with you also. His Spirit is in your heart and life as a great source of comfort and strength to weather away the storms that are blowing against you. In the dungeons of your life, He comes to you as the ray of hope and sunshine. As you get frustrated and sleep under the broom tree in a desert, He sends a special angel of comfort and care to wake you up and wait on you with heavenly bread and water of life to revive your sagging spirit. He has an answer to all your difficulties and it will be revealed at the right time. He will give you to the strength to hold on until He reveals His plan to see you through the storms and beyond. There are lives out there for you to touch and strengthen. There are newer battles you might need to face with courage in the future for which He is preparing you. Your experiences will strengthen others who go through similar events in life. Even as you go through the storms of life, you will be able to minister to the needs of others as Joseph and Paul did. The Lord wants to use your life as an object lesson for other lives to be strengthened. You need to hold on and be firm and courageous in the Lord who is working in you and your situations to give you a release at the right time for His glory. Today the Lord comes to you like a dove to put hope back in your life and hold your hands to go forward in His strength in spite of the darkness that is around. Soon the Son of Righteousness will shine upon you in whose light you will see light again to go forward.
Isaiah 60:1 – Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
