“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” ( Isaiah 40: 31)
Think of a situation where you are in a boat rocked by ugly winds and almost drowning! It is hard to remain silent. One day the disciples when the boat they were in was hit by storms cried out to him for help ( Mark 4:38). Of course, it is only human to cry out for help when life is at crossroads; you are in the middle of some wicked storm, what else but scream for relief.
But while this is all true, one could also be silent, especially once one has made his case to the Lord. Psalm 62:1-2, says, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He is my rock and salvation. He is my defense; I shall not be moved.” The preacher and writer Charles Spurgeon ( 1834- 1892) once observed that after we have cried out to God, sometimes, like David, we wait upon God in silence, because our faith is steadfast in Him. Our silence is not a sign of abdication. We are silent because we know the Lord has heard our prayers and is in control.
We are silent because looking back we know the Lord has come through and rescued us from peril over and over again. True, the storms may still be raging, and the boat we are in is being tossed up and down, but we know the Lord has heard our pleas and he will come calling in time.
We remember that while undergoing storms of all nature David wrote, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies” ( Psalm 18:2-3).
Perhaps you are going through some storms. Cry out to God as indeed you should. But after, remember what He has said, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” ( Psalm 46:10). The Lord is in control.
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, in the midst of storms I cry out to you and remain silent knowing that you have heard me and in your time shall bring deliverance because I have waited upon you, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
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27/04/2024 - 28/04/2024 All day“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God” (Psalm 42:1).
In the wildlife, a common feature is predatory animals chasing after less ferocious ones, which on a bad day become good dinner. Through the savannah plains of Africa the antelope tends to suffer that fate. After a long chase from a mighty lion, cheetah or leopard; antelopes that survive tend to retreat to a fresh water spot. There they gladly refresh their quench with streams of water.
King David, must have been more familiar with deer, as there are more common in the Northern Hemisphere. For us in the tropics we can substitute the deer with our antelope, commonly chased by predators. After a long chase, of course all pant for pints of water.
The significance of this metaphor is that whenever we encounter any situation that puts us on a chase, where do we run to! Habakuk 3:19 says, “The Lord God give my strength. He helps me run fast like deer. He leads me safely on the mountains” (Habakuk 3:19).
Two things of note here. The Lord can make us run as fast as the fastest antelope being chased by a predator to a well of safety. And of course, as we run, we have that the well of God to end up to and refresh ourselves! This is why David wrote, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11).
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today like the antelopes of the wildlife I run to you, to that well of life, which refreshes my soul, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
