S)"10 For You have tried us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net;
You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.
12 You made men ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water,
Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance."
Psalm 66:10-12 (NASB)
O) When the Casting Crowns song "Praise You In This Storm" came out, it was near the beginning of Kristin and I serving God together. It seemed like everything was coming against us after we made that decision to put our lives under His control, under His will. I was driving down the road, feeling very much like serving God was harder than I remembered it as a teenager, and this song came on. It was so powerful, the way that it said what my heart felt, right at that exact moment, in those very same weeks. When the song was over, I turned off the radio and I just repeated the bridge over and over, because that was the part that struck me the most, "I lift my eyse unto the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and Earth." because I didn't want to forget that. I got home and furiously searched for that song for days, just with those two lines. When I finally found it, I bought that album and the song became a sort of familial anthem for Kristin and me. It was around that same time that Kristin, while reading at home when I was at work, found this passage of Psalm 66. It became a life-verse for our marriage and family.
A) Since then, in my mind, I cannot separate the two - the song and passage - as they are powerful reminders that the blessings of God are beyond my own perception at times. In the middle of storms, I need to remember that His blessings are still there, even if I don't see them yet. Beyond the storm, beyond the thunder and lightning and rain, on the other side, is God. The Maker of Heaven and Earth is waiting for me beyond my trials and struggles. So, I will praise Him as I go through my testing, because I know that He will bring me, and my family, to a place of abundance on the other side - even if I don't see it until I reach Heaven.
P) Father, You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. Holy Spirit, continually reset my perspective. In the meantime, I will praise You in every storm. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment