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God
is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will
not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let
the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! A river
brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God himself
lives in that city; it cannot be destroyed. God will protect it at the break of
day. The nations are in an uproar, and kingdoms crumble! God thunders, and the
earth melts! The LORD Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our
fortress. Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings
destruction upon the world and causes wars to end throughout the earth. He
breaks the bow and snaps the spear in two; he burns the shields with fire. “Be
silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be
honored throughout the world."
(Psalm 46:1-10 NLV). The Indians call them Paha Sapa; we call them the Black Hills. If you ever visited Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills, you probably drove by or through Keystone. But the Keystone you drive through now isn't where Keystone used to be, not since the devastating flood of 1972. Back then Keystone was in this valley by a lazy little creek, which suddenly became a raging flood, roaring through the valley, destroying the town, and claiming many lives. Well, it was then that the folks of Keystone decided to make a change. When they rebuilt their business district and many of their homes, it wasn't on the ground they had always been on. They moved up the mountain to higher ground. Life's
floods come in many forms; major crises or disasters that carry away much of
what we had been depending on. An illness maybe or a death can do that, a
divorce, a disaster, a broken relationship, the loss of your job. Upheavals that
rush in and change the landscape forever. And make you think about where is the
best place to build the rest of your life. Today’s
reading declares that "God is our refuge and strength; an ever present help
in trouble.” You may be experiencing one of Life's major upheavals, everything
you used to count on seems to have washed away. But remember, "God is our
refuge and strength," so we don't have to fear those things. The truth is
that when you've lost everything, you haven't lost EVERYTHING! Not if you have a
deep, personal love relationship with the God whom never leaves, never lets go. The
Psalm continues, "The Lord Almighty is with us, come and see the works of
the Lord." That simple statement may explain the reason the flood was
allowed to happen; so you would finally, "Be still and know that I am
God." Maybe, you've been "God" in your life, controlling things,
living life your way. And you've been building your life around someone or
something here on earth. Something or someone that the flood may wash away.
God's message to you through all of this stress and pain, "It's time to
move to higher ground." Having seen how loseable all our earth-stuff is,
maybe you're ready to build on something you can never lose, no matter what hits
you. You were created to build your life on the One who gave you your life, God
Himself. The flood has sent its message. The ground you've been on is not where
you're meant to live. It's time to move to higher ground you were made for. And,
Jesus IS the higher ground where you will be safe, forever. |
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