As I awoke, there was a tightness in my spirit, a worry because of the email I sent on Saturday. I was afraid of what the person would think. This was fear of man, not trusting God, while trying to find my security in others’ reactions.
I praise you, Lord God, because in reality, my security is in you. If the person is upset by my letter, then it is an opportunity to demonstrate a positive response on my part, to show how to work through such an issue. It is an opportunity to deepen a relationship, to work more on the issue of motives. It is a chance to lower a burden before you in praise and have it become the next step up in my relationship with you and potentially in my relationship with him.
Psalm 124 speaks of a much more intense and dangerous situation and how you actively involved yourself: “If the LORD had not been on our side,” Praise you, LORD, Yahweh, the Holy and faithful One, that you are on our side, that you are intensely, consistently, actively protecting, helping and guiding us.
“…let Israel say— if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive.” Lord, we recognize your holding back the tide of evil. You are always there, you are good, you are active, you are powerfully gracious.
“…the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away.” The forces surrounding us are much more powerful than we are; our strength is totally inadequate to deal with them, but you are able and utterly willing to help us stand, commanding us to, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand” (Eph. 6:13).
“Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.” We have gotten away from the power of sin and Satan, not by our own strength or cleverness, but because you, Lord God, our good Shepherd, have broken the trap too strong for us, you made a way out through your own sacrifice, released us, led us to safety.
“Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Our eyes are on you, Yahweh, the Holy One whose glory is in His holiness, who hates sin and will punish it, but has made a way out of the trap of sin for sinners.
Your help is astounding, immense, expansive, expensive, wonderful beyond conception and powerful beyond understanding. No person, no angel, no created being would have, could have thought up such a salvation.
Praise be to you, the awesome, exalted, immensely powerful and entirely good God who is at work delivering your quarrelsome, troublesome children from daily harm and eternal condemnation.
