Scripture
"In whose hand are the depths of the earth; the peaks of the mountains are His also" (Psalms 95:4)
Observation
How deep is the earth?
I have been to the Niagara Falls and seen some great rivers cradled in its depths. It's a long way down! Yet, it doesn't even begin to register the caverns beneath it or the bottomless mysteries that lay below the river.
Ever feel that way, though? Ever feel like you are in the depths of the earth? I have. Things close in around you and there's no way out. It feels like being buried alive. God seems far away, and any hope is obscured by inescapable dead-ends that have been swallowing us alive. At the church camp recently, we called such a condition despondency.
David felt that way too. He fled as a fugitive, hid in caves, saw his families stolen as slaves, and he saw his home burned. He was rejected by his own sons, cursed by his neighbors, and stood helpless as his wives were raped. He cried until he could cry no more.
But here in his diary, David restores to us a glimmer of hope. Regardless of how deep the pit seems to be, we find a promise embedded in his 95th entry:
"In whose hand are the depths of the earth..."
In other words, no matter how deep the valley is, His hands are still under me. If I fall to the uttermost point of no return, I am still in His hands. Even the depths of the earth as still in His hands!
He is deeper than the deepest depth. He is higher than the highest heights. He is greater than the widest breadth. He is my all in all. And hence, I arise still hoping in Him, my God!
I have been to the Niagara Falls and seen some great rivers cradled in its depths. It's a long way down! Yet, it doesn't even begin to register the caverns beneath it or the bottomless mysteries that lay below the river.
Ever feel that way, though? Ever feel like you are in the depths of the earth? I have. Things close in around you and there's no way out. It feels like being buried alive. God seems far away, and any hope is obscured by inescapable dead-ends that have been swallowing us alive. At the church camp recently, we called such a condition despondency.
David felt that way too. He fled as a fugitive, hid in caves, saw his families stolen as slaves, and he saw his home burned. He was rejected by his own sons, cursed by his neighbors, and stood helpless as his wives were raped. He cried until he could cry no more.
But here in his diary, David restores to us a glimmer of hope. Regardless of how deep the pit seems to be, we find a promise embedded in his 95th entry:
"In whose hand are the depths of the earth..."
In other words, no matter how deep the valley is, His hands are still under me. If I fall to the uttermost point of no return, I am still in His hands. Even the depths of the earth as still in His hands!
He is deeper than the deepest depth. He is higher than the highest heights. He is greater than the widest breadth. He is my all in all. And hence, I arise still hoping in Him, my God!
Application
So I will wait on the Lord. Even though I think it is the end, though I find myself at the bottom, I cannot give up. I am still in His hands!
It's easy to make hasty decisions and call it quits. It's convenient to throw in the towel and make a decision with irreparable consequences. It feels like an escape, a respite, a release from the pain, but it will always be the wrong choice.
I am encouraged by His promise in Psalm 95 that He will never lose His grip on me. Even though it feels as if the earth has opened up beneath me, His embrace encompasses me still.
And should I stumble over the edge, I will free-fall into His hands.
It's easy to make hasty decisions and call it quits. It's convenient to throw in the towel and make a decision with irreparable consequences. It feels like an escape, a respite, a release from the pain, but it will always be the wrong choice.
I am encouraged by His promise in Psalm 95 that He will never lose His grip on me. Even though it feels as if the earth has opened up beneath me, His embrace encompasses me still.
And should I stumble over the edge, I will free-fall into His hands.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus:
Thank You for Your unfailing love. How I need to trust You more. Teach me to continue to press forward and do my best knowing that there will be times when I feel lost and broken.
And when I think I am at my lowest point, help me to realize that I may never be closer to being in Your hands.
The place I hurt most is the place I will experience Him the most.
Thank You for Your unfailing love. How I need to trust You more. Teach me to continue to press forward and do my best knowing that there will be times when I feel lost and broken.
And when I think I am at my lowest point, help me to realize that I may never be closer to being in Your hands.
The place I hurt most is the place I will experience Him the most.
