Psalm 18:18-19, 25 (NKJV)
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. 19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me…..25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
One thing is for sure! You cannot get through it alone. I don’t know how people without faith get through a calamity. My strength comes from the Lord. I know He will work out all things for my good even when I cannot see a way. I have faced a lot of loss this year and it was not easy. January was skin cancer. February was my best friend Carmen going home to the Lord. March was the sale of my parent’s home and disposal of its contents; seeing my Dad’s chair go to the Lord’s Closet. My friend from Church went to be with the Lord in his fifties. And on it went. Yet here I am. I will admit that losses can become cumulative. I am sad at times. The grief sneaks up on me from a movie, a song or who knows what else. I am honoring my grief! But the Lord is my support! It is my love for Him and His great love for me that sustains me.
David wrote this Psalm about his deliverance from King Saul who was trying to kill him. It looked like everything was against David and his death imminent. But because God was with David, God delivered him from the hand of Saul. David praises God for His mercy and support.
I praise God for the same. Without His support, how would I face these things? There are many kinds of loss. People moving away is a loss. Moving to another Church is a loss. Foster children returning to their parents is a biggie! All these things take their toll. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” When you are in the middle of the storm, that is not so evident. There were a lot storms last year. The only way to see the good is to look back. My cancer was completely removed. Carmen found the Lord before his passing. The burden of taking care of the house is gone. God has worked things for my good. He has shown Himself merciful to me. I wish I could say I am blameless but it is just not true. Even so, God shows Himself blameless and faithful to me. He is my strength and shield, an ever-present help in times of need. Thank You Lord for walking me through the valley of 2015.
Father, I thank You that You walk with us throughout trials. Thank You that You never give us more than we can handle. I thank You that You have blessings in our future that will overshadow the trials we face. Your mercy is far greater than anything we face. In You, we have hope. In You, we are blessed. You are our support, our delight and our deliverer! All glory, laud and honor be to You our Lord and King. Amen!