I have a large picture hanging in my office that Diana gave me a few years back— a picture of a stone lighthouse in the midst of a terrible storm, maybe a hurricane. The sea has the lighthouse surrounded, and the waves are crashing into this rock-hard structure. But that is not the purpose of the picture. If you look closer, you can see a solitary man standing in a doorway about three stories high, looking very calm! How can that be in the midst of this storm? Below the picture is a plate that says, “The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, in Whom I take Refuge” (Psalm 18:2).
Knowing what I know today, having been in the midst of storms that I would call a Cat-5 level, that picture is so perfect. We all face storms in our lives, marriages, careers, finances, and the list goes on. The good news is that we have a choice as to how we face up to the storm. We can allow the storms to dictate how we live, being tossed this way or that based on the whims of our enemies, or, as the picture would indicate, we can take refuge in the Lord and let Him handle the storm for us, allowing us to be calm and give Him praise.
Lord, How I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me. The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; He is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull. All I need to do is cry to him—oh, praise the Lord—and I am saved from all my enemies!
—Psalm 18:1–3
He reached down from heaven and took me and drew me out of my great trials. He rescued me from deep waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, for those who hated me—I who was helpless in their hands. On the day when I was weakest, they attacked. But the Lord held me steady. He led me to a place of safety, for he delights in me. The Lord rewarded me for doing right and being pure.
—Psalms 18:16-20
I’m a visual person, so the picture above sticks in my mind—place yourself in that picture as well. The storm has kicked in, all around, the wind is howling, you can feel the spray of the sea on your face—but you are surrounded by the Rock, by the Lord! You are safe.
So today, let us say, “Oh, Praise the Lord for being our Rock and our Fortress and delivering us from our enemies! Lord, you know each of us so well; while our storms are so different, You have given each of us the promise of refuge in Your arms. Allow us the strength and confidence to stand boldly on Your Word and to tell the world, ‘Bring it on!’ Because we’ve got the biggest, mightiest Lord on our team.”
Have a powerful day.
