June 20 – Don’t quit on me now

God, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance, he knows everything about us. When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, with your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal––don't quit on me now. (Psalm 138:6-8  MSG)

The great paradox about God is that He is the most powerful and mighty, but cares for the most weak and defeated. It’s rare to ever witness someone with such power being so gracious and merciful, and usually it’s only to soothe a guilty conscience. We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that God is like a man, that He’s too busy for us, that our “small” problems don’t interest Him, or that we are too unworthy of His attention. All of these excuses could not be further from the truth. God is not a man with human weaknesses. He is Almighty God, and is vastly different than anyone or anything we have ever experienced. Though He is high above, He sees far below!

When we’re in the middle of “angry turmoil” we should switch on our faith, being absolutely certain that God is by our side and that nothing the world tries to do can harm us. Our natural tendency is to panic and expect the worst, but if we truly are men and women of faith, aren’t those times what we live for? Goliath made David into who he was. Who would he have been without the giant? Read and see that David never once called Goliath a giant, because he was determined that he was the stronger of the two through the mighty power and presence of God. 

What would Abraham have been without the sacrifice of Isaac? That sacrifice, or angry turmoil, made him who he was. And we can say the same for the falling of the walls of Jericho and Rahab, Pharaoh and Moses, Gideon and the Midianites, the cross and Jesus. God is the champion of finishing what He starts, and all of the very best lessons that we learn from Him come in deserts, in times of trouble, in moments of angry turmoil. But as long as we have faith in God and are determined to overcome, we will see His power and bring glory to His name.