When the Lion Comes

Grace and peace to each of you today, followers of Chris' blog, and more important, followers of Jesus Christ our Lord! This is Katrinka writing today. It is my hope that you will add your thoughts to those which I have written. Sharing makes is so much more fun! I always go back for several days and see what others have added to the previous lessons. It is encouraging to see you here today! Thank you for joining in!

Today we are sharing the reading of Psalm 40. I have read it several times and thought it over, and I hope you will too. What struck me was that it seems to have some of the same characteristics as my real life. That is what is amazing about Scripture, it never gets out-of-date. Inspired writers filled with the Spirit of God gave us food and encouragement for every day and every situation we meet in our modern everyday lives.

In the beginning of this Psalm I see blessed relief and thankfulness! David, as king of Israel, was often in really bad and unpleasant circumstances. His song of relief and thanks for the help the Lord provided comes first:

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry,

he lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,..."

a hymn of praise to our God." (vv.1-3).

As I read this, the word "patiently" jumped right out at me, and I am thinking, "If I were the one sitting in the slimy pit of mud and mire, would I be waiting patiently for help?" I don't think so! I would be panicking! I would be yelling and flailing my arms trying to find something to grab onto! And the worse part would be that I would be thinking about all the snakes, leaches, and other slimy stuff in that mud about to make me their lunch! If it were quicksand and I could not feel anything solid underneath, you can be sure I would begin to pray, but not patiently! I want relief and I want it NOW!

How about you? Do you think you have the calm faith to be praying and "waiting patiently" when things in your life get really out of your control? This quality of faith that David has must come from spiritual exercise. This is a man who has done his "spiritual aerobics" By this time in his life, David has had a lot opportunities to experience the power of God in his life. David knows by now that true help comes only from God, the Lord.

The shepherd boy David still lives in the grown man, King David. Inside his soul still lives the boy who had the faith to meet Goliath the Giant when everybody else was terrified and and running away in panic. This kind of patience that David shows definitely comes from experience, from the fact that God always comes through and "sets his feet on a rock." Here in Psalm 40 we read that David has experienced it again! He has been rescued and put into a place again where he can "stand" and assume control of his life. He praises God in song with his whole heart!

You and I can become strong in the Lord in the same way, by keeping on trusting Him and seeing His deliverance in our lives. Jesus told his followers to "become as little children" if we want to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Our children have their own "heroes" such as Spiderman or Batman. They play and pretend to have such super-powers. They like to be the invincible one who wins every battle because of some special "force" or ability that puts their abilities over the abilities of normal people. This is all in good fun, of course. But Superman and Spiderman cannot give me or my child the real power he allegedly has. But there is One who can! Jesus Christ!

We are God's children if we are washed in the blood of Jesus and set him up in our lives as our Hero! We know about His amazing power --  and that is real power! We know of His amazing love and protection that He gives -- and that is real! We know that He does not have to go into a phone booth to change clothes before he can come to our rescue when we call! We have the Lord God Almighty --  the One who created earth and heavens -- watching over us! We have the King of kings leading our small band of soldiers as we meet the hoards of the enemy, Satan, in battle every day of our lives. Wow! What Power we can call on in time of trouble!

And now I need to ask myself , "If the proverbial  LION comes into my life today, will I call for help from my God and then 'patiently wait' for the deliverance He will surely bring?" I may not get immediate rescue, immediate removal of the lion or the situation immediately resolved, but I have the promise of God that He will bring the Victory! Wait on the Lord, and be faithful for as long as it takes. He will OVERCOME, and I will overcome right along with my God, praise the Lord! Come! Let's follow Him with a song of thanks in our hearts!