Firehose

A lot about life right now seems a tad overwhelming. On our first day of PT school in January, one of the second years warned us that this whole first year we'll feel like we are standing in front of a fire hose turned all the way up when all we wanted was a sip of water. They were definitely right. At the time, I didn't realize that the Lord intended for my fire hose to blast across every aspect of my life, shaking up the world I had haphazardly built for myself. (Praise the Lord that He saves us from ourselves!) In the midst of the inundating blast that has been the past few weeks, He refreshed me this morning with a "nice walk" through the 23rd Psalm (a "walk" according to Dr. Platt. I was still scribbling furiously trying to write down all the amazing truths presented). It's probably my favorite sermon ever, mainly because I could see the Lord looking directly at me, reminding me that He is greater than anything I could ever fear. You should listen to it.

After his family, crops, animals, and property have all been taken from him, Job says, "The Lord gives and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised" (1:21). Now come to Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Dr. Platt said that most of the time, our struggles are a result of lack, but God our Father promises here that He will provide for us always. "I shall not want." Ever. Though He does take away, God never stops giving. He just gives to us in different ways, ways that He knows are best but that we don't always recognize. In the midst of great pain, He gives peace. In the midst of sadness, He gives joy. In the midst of hurt He gives comfort. Out of His great goodness, He never stops giving to us, but in my selfishness I look for the wrong gifts. I have to stop staring in shock at the gap left by what He's taken away, fearing that it may never be filled. Instead, I focus on Him, allowing Him to come and fill that hole as only He has the power to do.

Our God comes to us when we are in the depths of our valleys, longing to draw us into Himself and raise us up in our weakness. In His great mercy, He keeps giving to us, leaving us nothing to fear. And He doesn't just give to us, He leaves us completely satisfied yet longing still for more of Him. Eventually, we will be restored and strengthened (told you I love I Peter 5:10), but until He says its time for that, we rejoice in the valley for He is with us, surrounding us with His loving arms where we are safe and fulfilled. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow.

For I will be with thee, thy trouble to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress."