God's faithfulness:
1 O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
2 For You have made a city a ruin, A fortified city a ruin, A palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You.
4 For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
Are you buried under the weight of disappointment, guilt, or even sorrow? Are you carrying burdens that have diminished your capability to function? We can certainly look to the Lord, who gives strength to the needy. He empowers the weak, and equips the humble. We have to admit our need for help - and not try to do it ourselves! When we cry out to the Lord in our desperation, we can know that He is there and He will walk with us through the darkest times of our lives, leading us into His light.
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In Psalm 40, we can read about the God of deliverance Whom we serve:
(1b) I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.
Several weeks ago, a deadly avalanche triggered by an earthquake struck a hotel in central Italy, resulting in the loss of 29 lives, according to a piece on the Faithwire website, which reports that people are upset that help did not come once heavy snow fell and earthquakes were experienced. But there are those who are finding comfort in Christ.
Dr. Guy Sotille of Italy for Christ, who lives about two hours from the devastated hotel, is quoted as saying that, "I do not have fear but excitement” concerning his home country. He said, “You see the only way to alleviate fear is turning on faith! All this ordeal has opened many hearts to the Lord and uncovered what sin can bring to an entire nation.” The article notes that is a reference "made to previous natural disasters that have struck down homes and broken communities within the country."
That article, notes that, "Among the survivors and rescuers there have been a slew of miraculous stories of survival." One involves rescuers finding "three puppies still alive after being buried underneath piles of snow from the avalanche for six days."
Another story on the same website does state that "Survivors of the devastating avalanche in Italy last week are beginning to tell their harrowing stories, and recount how they managed to escape the freak natural disaster alive with the help of ‘angel’ rescuers."
The story includes a video from the BBC Twitter feed, in which 22-year-old Girogia Galassi, one of the first nine people who were rescued, said that it "felt like a bomb" when the avalanche first hit and glass exploded around her. They held on to ice, but it was running out - then a rescuer came:
“When we heard a rescuer it was as if an angel was talking to us as if someone had come to pick us up literally from under the ground.”
“I was born again. It was a miracle..."There are several takeaways for us:
Tragedy can turn people to the Lord. When people are without hope, it is the hope that comes through Christ that can comfort and sustain through difficult times. And, people are looking for something in which they can trust, that can anchor their souls; and hope in Christ, according to Hebrews 6, provides such an anchor.
This story can also remind us of the reality of angels. These "ministering spirits," as the Scripture calls them, are sent to perform the will of God. We see in the Bible where angels not only were messengers, but they were fighters on behalf of the people of God. Angels have been sent to protect us and even to rescue us. We do not worship them, but we worship God, who has sent them according to His plan.
Figuratively speaking, you may feel buried under an avalanche of oppression - it may be overwhelming sorrow, you may feel overwhelmed by financial woes or relationship issues. In those times when you need someone to dig you out, to rescue you, or to get you through the avalanche of life, the Spirit of God is available - He will provide hope and power as you call on the name of Jesus. Your difficulty may last a bit longer in order to accomplish the loving purpose of God, but He will strengthen you, even in the middle of it all.
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