He'll Get You While You Are Down...

Psalm 10
  Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?
 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor; let them be caught in the devices that they have contrived.  
 ³For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous whom the LORD abhorreth.   
 ⁴The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts.   
 ⁵His ways are always grievous; Thy judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.   
 ⁶He hath said in his heart, "I shall not be moved, for I shall never be in adversity."  
 ⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud; under his tongue is mischief and vanity.   
 ⁸He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages; in secret places doth he murder the innocent; his eyes are privily set against the poor.   
 ⁹He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poor; he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net.   
 ¹⁰He croucheth and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.   
 ¹¹He hath said in his heart, "God hath forgotten; He hideth His face, He will never see it."   
 ¹²Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Thine hand! Forget not the humble.   
 ¹³Why doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, "Thou wilt not keep account."   
 ¹⁴But Thou hast seen it, for Thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with Thy hand. The poor committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art the helper of the fatherless.   
 ¹⁵Break Thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until Thou find none.   
 ¹⁶The LORD is King for ever and ever; the heathen have perished out of His land.   
 ¹⁷LORD, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear,   
 ¹⁸to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Why is it that when we are having trouble or in the midst of a storm, we say that God has moved?  If God stays the same forever, then could He move?  I don't think so.  I think that we move constantly.  We go from one extreme to another, always on the go, our minds circling around each theory and idea trying to figure things out.  When we are assaulted daily by family, friends, the media, and sometimes our own self, we just need to do the one move that can only make us stronger; get on our knees.

This chapter tells us that the enemy is like a lion, waiting to pounce on us and waiting to make sure we are at a low point and will be an easy prey.  He loves the weak and confused.  He loves that he can change their minds and make those who had some sense about them, loose it.  The enemy loves to play tricks and just when we think we have it all together, he pounces on us and tries to devour us.  That is the low point. 

Hopefully, you will have already been on your knees, running and jumping into God's arms, standing on his shoulders until you can see above the riff raff, and beyond what is blinding you.  God is there, he has not hidden from you.  As the poem Footprints in the Sand says, "

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you."

Carry Me - June 18, 2009

I am not the smartest person I know. I am a coward. I would rather be like Jonah and run away than do what God wants me to do. But I also know that from the experience of people like Jonah, I better just step up to the plate and take my swing. God will let it happen, whatever that may be.

Sometimes, I just want to sit back, lay my head down and sleep. Sometimes I want to let someone else do the work. Well, okay, a lot of the time, I want that. But I know that if God wants me to do it, I better do it. No matter what it is. Some days he wants me to lead. Some days he wants me to follow. I am content in whatever he wants me to do. But if I am going to do something outside my comfort zone, I know that God will be going before me, paving the way and easing the burden of the situation. I may feel uncomfortable, but I will remember that God put me here and he can carry me when I can’t go on.

Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson