The Great Rescue

Here is a picture of my basement right now:

It may not look very bad to someone else, but to me it is a mess.  Sure, we have all of the components to a wonderful family room--but they are all out of place and messy looking.

Last night I was feeling so frustrated and sad.  My life isn't really bad but it is out of place and messy looking.  The place where I long for all of my family to be is the place I merely visit on the weekends.  Yes, Adam is getting very slowly better, but the place where he longs to be seems still so far out of reach for him--to be home and working and leading a normal life.

All of the "furniture" of my life is nice and beautiful.  But it is a mess.  And that is how I feel.  Not trying to make you feel bad for me.  Not really complaining.  Just want to be understood.

This morning I was directed to 2 Samuel 22 which was a balm of comfort to me.  I will share with you some of the verses that helped me.  Maybe they can help someone else who is going through a tough time.

"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.
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.

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 heavens 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 drew me out of deep waters. He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the LORD upheld me. 

He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

O LORD, you are my light; yes, LORD, you light up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

As for God, his way is perfect.  All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

For who is God except the LORD?  Who but our God is the solid rock?

God is my strong fortress; he has made my way safe. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, leading me safely along the mountain heights. He prepares me for battle; he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze. 

You have given me the shield of your salvation; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. 

The LORD lives!  Blessed be my rock! May God, the rock of my salvation, be exalted! You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.

For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing joyfully to your name.

2 Samuel 22:1-20,31-37, 47,50 (bold mine)

I love the imagery of God seeing one of His children in distress and coming down out of heaven in great boldness and power to stoop down and rescue him.  Outside of the context of the passage, it just shows God storming down, clothed in His great power and majesty to blast into the situation and reach down to rescue the writer from deep waters. 

 Many of us are there right now.  The waters are swirling around us and we feel like we are going under in our weakest moments. We are feeling attacked by the situations in our lives where we feel exposed and vulnerable.  But God himself is waiting to lead us to a place of safety.  

I'm not sure that it is always a literal place of safety.  But He leads us to His presence, to Himself.  That is the only place to be truly safe.  

God loves us more than we can imagine.  He is willing to ride across the heavens to come to our aid and be with us.  Whether or not he changes our situation isn't relevant if we can just rest in His presence and feel the comfort of His shield around us. I'm trying to remember that.