Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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God’s Unfailing Presence in Crisis

Bible Reading: Psalms 34

Key verse 19

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭19‬

DEVOTION

In the world of sports, a perfect test for strength and resilience is adversity. In the pursuit of a championship, a great team often has to endure setbacks and hardship. The Christian life can be paralleled to the journey of an athlete or sports team. When we take a step back, we can come to the realization that the difficulties in our lives have a purpose. Thus, we can walk in the providence that God so freely gives us to deal with our challenges.
As a native New Yorker, one of the things that comes to mind with sports is the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship in 2026. On the surface, one might think that this team was an unstoppable force that faced very little adversity. However, in January, the team faced a challenging period. In 11 games, the team won 2 games and lost 9 games. This downward spiral prompted a team meeting. After the meeting, the team was able to regain momentum and go on to win the championship. 

What does this have to do with the Christian life? Well, one certainty we have is that troubles will come our way. We will encounter periods where very little seems to be working in our favor. Can we recollect ourselves by meeting intimately with the Lord in these moments? We know the answer should be a loud “yes”, but our flesh wages war against us. We sometimes think we can solve our troubles on our own. Let’s examine the life of King David. So many Psalms are an outpouring of the precious time in communion that David spent with God. The reality is, God sees our pangs, pains, worries, anxieties, and fears. As we read the psalms, let us get in the habit of meeting with God. It really is to our great benefit that God avails himself to us. He promises to walk alongside us through the ups and downs of life.
After all, Jesus Christ was in the vessel as the storms raged and rocked the boat carrying the disciples. Everything changed when the disciples brought their crisis to Christ. God is in the midst of it all. We simply have to lay hold of that truth, and bring all our burdens to him earnestly. Then, we can press onward boldly in our faith journey to the prize that is eternal life with Christ Jesus.
 

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, we know that we will experience many times of trial in this life. In all circumstances, may we lean on You and trust that You will deliver us. Grant us the peace that comes from taking refuge in You alone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 
 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Every time I tried to make it on my own
Every time I tried to stand and start to fall
And all those lonely roads that I have traveled on
There was Jesus

“There was Jesus” by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton
 

Christin Mathew
Epiphany MTC, NY

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