Tonight, I flipped open my Bible for the second time in several weeks. As much as I would love to say that I am completely consistent in my pursuit for a deeper relationship with my Creator, I can’t. I don’t read my Bible nearly as often as I need to, and my thirst for God simply gets overlooked. My sole purpose for fasting movies this summer was to reawaken that passion, that hunger, for God, and I regret to report that, though I’ve been faithful in my fast, I have found other things in which to devote my time. It’s not like these things are sinful or shameful, in fact, some of them have been of great benefit to me. However, they have taken precedence over what should be my highest priority...and that’s not okay.
Tonight, I found comfort. When I flipped open my Bible, the page landed on II Samuel 22, which is David’s Song of Praise after he and his warriors fought a battle against the Philistines and won. I find that I am always challenged by David and his faith in the mighty power and grace of God. The chapter starts off with David praising God for Who He is and for what He has done. Challenge #1 David never forgot to give credit to whom credit is do.
Verses 2-4
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold, my high tower, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.”
David continues with a poetic description of his recent struggle and raw commentary on the depth of his despair. Challenge #2 David openly shared what he was facing: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Verses 5-6
“The waves of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face.”
The next part of the chapter is what hit me tonight. David paints a vivid picture of God’s “Saving Private Ryan” mission to rescue David. Why did God intervene? Why did He rescue David? Challenge #3 David was never too proud to cry out for help.
Verses 7-17, 20
“But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I called to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundations of the heaven shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angel, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds. A great brightness shone before him, and bolts of lightning blazed forth. The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave a mighty shout. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused. Then at the command of the LORD, at the blast of his breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. He reached down from heaven and rescued me...he rescued me because he delights in me.”
I love how this passage goes into this high action display of God’s power with the lightning and earthshaking and storms and enemy scattering...to end with a simple, peaceful, heartwarming finale...”He reached down from heaven and rescued me.” The same God Who created the foundations of the universe, Who spoke life into existence, Who’s Son defeated death and the grave, Who’s voice the winds and seas obey...the same God is relentlessly pursuing YOU, rescuing you from the deepest, darkest, most shameful place you’ve ever been imprisoned! Even when you stop the pursuit, God keeps going. God will never let go of you! And no matter what you’ve done or said or thought about, this same God delights in you!
Romans 8: 38-39
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demon’s can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You are never too far, too lost, too bruised, too buried to be rescued.
“Oh, how He loves us.
How He loves.”
