Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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PEOPLE OF GOD: AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST
Psalms 18:1-6

v2 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” 
 
Through this bible passage, we are going to meditate on the power of trusting in God and his promises. To start off, we know that this is a psalm which was written by David along with many other ones throughout this book. David was definitely a man who went through many trials and tribulations in his life. Such as Saul plotting his death due to jealousy and so many other roadblocks in his life. Regardless of what he was going through, he never gave up hope in God. He knew that somehow God would hold him and get him through his tribulations. As human beings when we go through a problem in our lives, some people generally cry out and tend to even angrily question God with things like, “why would you let this happen to me? or what have I done to deserve this?” But even in your weakest moments, cling onto that faith in the Lord and know that he will never give up on you nor will he let go off you. He will carry you through every single obstacle and be right by your side. Through this Psalm, you can see how David never turned his back against God and kept his faith strong even while not knowing what the outcomes of his situations would be. He considers God as “his rock” (his protection from all the bad in the world), “his fortress”(where he knows he will always be safe and secure), “his deliverer” (always fulfilling his promises and listening to all his prayers), “the horn of my salvation” (where he knows God will use his power to save and deliver him from all of his enemies) and “my stronghold” (he knows that God will be his foundation and hold him together when everything around him is in chaos). This is how David and us as Christians should see God and his unconditional love for us.

I just want to end with a short personal event from my life where I witnessed the power of prayer and God’s unconditional love. I was recently studying for my board exam and I was at a roadblock. As the test day was quickly approaching, I couldn’t figure out if I was prepared enough, confident enough or focused enough. There were points while I was studying where I would think I wouldn’t pass or ever be ready. The stress and anxiety were at an all-time high and that was clouding my judgement. However, during this time is when my faith became stronger. I read the bible morning and night, prayed a couple of times a day, read devotionals to help ease my anxious mind. I cried out to God during my prayers to help ease my fears and I asked the Lord to be with me through every single question on my exam. Cut to the day of the test. I was scared of course, but there was something different in me. I could feel the presence of God working through me. I could feel God clear up my fears and hold me tightly. I found out a couple of days after I took the exam that I passed. Prayer is a powerful thing. I took refuge in God when I was scared, and he covered me with his wings, and he delivered!

PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for always listening to our cries and for answering even when we don’t think we deserve your love. Thank you for being our foundation and for protecting us from all the chaos around us. In Jesus Name, Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
He is always listening to your cries and his love will always bring you peace and comfort.

Ashley Alexander, St. James Mar Thoma Church, New York
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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