A Force to be Reckoned With

God with you - A Series from the Psalms

Psalm 91

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091&version=NIV;NLT

 

Patrick Mahomes is the 24 year old quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs who played in Super Bowl LIV. For the first 3 ½ quarters, the San Francisco 49ers defense dominated Mahomes and his high powered offense. Following his second interception, Mahomes was quoted to have said to a teammate, “You’ve got to believe brother. It’s going to happen man, I can feel it.”

 

When the Mahomes led offense returned to the field, they were down by 10 points with 6:13 left in the game. At that point, Mahomes willed his team to victory by scoring three touchdowns. Even in the face of desperate odds, Mahomes’ confidence proved to be a force to be reckoned with.

 

The author of Psalm 91 wrote of a confidence that is also a force to be reckoned with.

 

⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.

¹¹ For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. NLT

 

A refuge doesn’t have to be just a safe place. It can be the thing that you trust in the most when the chips are down. That could be your career; your family; your possessions; your achievements. The problem with human nature is that we try to make everything else other than the Lord Almighty our “refuge”.

 

You most likely will never win a Super Bowl, but you may find your refuge through the promises of God. And that refuge will give you the confidence to face trials and temptations.

 

¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”               NLT

 

So the question that you need to ask yourself is, “Who, or what, is your refuge?”

 

² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.  NLT

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather the Storms of Life

God with you - A Series from the Psalms

Psalm 46 

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2046&version=NIV;NLT

 

The saying, “weather the storm” can refer to the actual weather outside, but often it is used to refer to real life struggles. Struggles like having a still born baby; the unexpected loss of a job; your fiancé breaking up with you; the death of a loved one; dealing with an addiction.

 

The possibilities of storms in your life are endless. So how do you deal with them? What do you place your confidence in when storms come into your life? Because one thing is for sure; they will come.

 

Some people put their confidence in a relationship. Some prefer to face things on their own, trusting in their own ability to manipulate, intimidate or problem solve. Some trust in their material things; their bank account or portfolio; the car they drive or the neighborhood they live in.

 

David had this to say about how to weather the storms of life when you feel like your world is falling apart.

 

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
² So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.
³ Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! NLT

 

Maybe your life isn’t falling apart, but the stress and struggle of daily living can begin to feel like that. Regardless of whether you are facing a crisis event or daily struggles, David suggests an answer that will help.

 

⁷ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress.

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God! NLT

 

Spending time in the presence of the Lord sounds so easy and makes so much sense. And yet, it’s so hard to do in our modern world of business. However, in order to weather the storms of life, no matter how acute they are, we must spend quiet time, alone with the Lord.

 

¹¹ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress. NLT