Psalm 124

I have been going through a Beth Moore study, “Stepping Up: a journey through the Psalms of Ascent“. It’s really been shaping my prayer life right now and challenging my views on how God has intervened in my life.

Today, I began the study on Psalm 124 – it is fascinating me in new ways. I have never seen myself as one who has faced strong persecution/trials/attack. (I may be opening a can of worms for myself, having said that – pray for my protection.) I know that a battle wages around me and has the potential of being damaging – I’ve just never felt it to be severe.

Today, I realized that severity of attack depends on the person and situation. For me the attacks of my past have been a lack of faith – faith to step into God’s calling without releasing control to Him. This has limited my perspective on just what God can and will do so that I can see Him show up and experience the joy of obedience. Other attacks have been a lack of confidence in “my story” and ability to use it in the life of others. This has limited my perspective on God’s heart that breaks for those far from Him. It has also limited that boldness with which I have reached out to those far from Him.

I’ve always feared “spiritual” attack – I’ve feared as the Psalmist remarks being “swallowed alive, engulfed, and ripped apart.” But, I’ve never looked at it from the deliverance side “we have escaped, He didn’t abandon us, we’ve flown free, their grip is broken.” Psalm 124:8 reminds me that “God’s strong name is our help, the same God who made heaven and earth.” God does not overlook the attacks on His children, in fact He takes them very personally. Check out Zechariah 2:8!

Peace

Four months ago now, our family left Pennsylvania for Northern Virginia. Leading up to our move I prayed intensely for my sanity, for God’s provision in housing, for my kids to transition well. I worried a lot – about selling our home, packing our stuff, moving our stuff, storing our stuff, finding a good deal on a rental, saying “Goodbye”, saying “Hello”, my kids, our finances. Then I started praying through various Psalms, the more I prayed the less I worried, the less I worried the more I prayed. Finally – PEACE!

I never prayed for peace specifically but it came – it came as I gave each worry over to God.

We don’t know where we will be tomorrow – literally – we don’t know when the home we are renting will sell and we will have to move out, we don’t know where we will be planting a new church , we don’t have all the details of our fund-raising wrapped up yet, we are still living out of boxes. Funny thing about all this, I can not remember another season of life, since becoming an adult, quite as peaceful. Life today is a season of peace – beginning each day, as I pray through what could worry me, as I let go of the control to “know” in the moment, as I sit and enjoy the moments with my children, even as I shuffle through boxes still trying to find that elusive Lego that will make all the others fit together.

Peace