by John Grant
“O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.” Psalm 3:1-8
Most of us have faced times of experiencing an abrupt and unhappy ending to a chapter of our lives. Even though we are not ready to move on, we are forced to. David wrote Psalm 3 when he was forced to flee from his son, Absalom. David at this stage was a mature but still highly capable king. He had made mistakes and people were aware of his flaws, but to be evicted by his upstart son was initially beyond belief.
This is a good Psalm to read in moments of internal pain and painful public humiliation. It reminds us that when we get knocked off our secure pedestal, the God of all hurts is there to nourish us. No matter what happens to us, God’s comfort can still reach down and touch us.
Several years ago, we purchased a new puppy. We showed her our love and gave her good care. But I remember that one day I was sitting in my reading chair and placed her on the ottoman where my feet were propped up. She curled up and seemed to securely enjoy herself. Suddenly the phone rang and I got up to answer it. She stood up, looked over the edge at the floor below and began to whimper and shake, as she was in great fear and experiencing a high level of insecurity.
When I got off the phone, walked over to her and gently scratched under her chin. Instantly her fear was gone and she looked up with her big brown eyes as if to say that with my presence and gentle touch, she had nothing to fear.
God does that for us, making us to feel secure and look up to Him. When we struggle through our moments of distress, He is there to scratch us under our chin and look into our eyes with a message of calm assurance that He is in ultimate control of all of life’s circumstances and everything will be okay. We learn through our mistakes, but we also learn through God’s victories in our lives. He is the Lord of both the ups and downs of life. He is the Savior of all seasons of our life.
How has God comforted and encouraged you recently?
(a thought by John Grant)
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2011/07/23/jg_under-the-chin/
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
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Short Thoughts for Cell Phones – God-daily.com
