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. . . The Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.
--Psalm 32:10
Surrounded
Early September is a time of
separations. Many children leave home for school; young adults go away to
college. While some Moms breathe a sigh of relief at the end of summer chaos,
others sigh at the thought of stepping back on to the fast moving treadmill
of curricular and extracurricular (hyper)activities. The luxury of summer
flexibility we anticipated a few short weeks ago has evaporated. We find
ourselves confined again to our cells of responsibilities and commitments.
Reduced access to the people and circumstances that help us feel human and
connected, can result in a sense of isolation.
Some of this has to do with the normal ebb and flow of life. We just have to get back into the swing of things - and we will. But there can be extended times and circumstances where aloneness becomes our main companion and isolation is much of what we know and feel.
A praise song we sing at Evangel based on Psalm 3 is "Thou O Lord Art A Shield About Me." It is usually sung with feeling by our congregation. We hunger to be surrounded not with isolation but with the secure presence and goodness of a loving God. So did David the writer of Psalm 3 and Psalm 32 quoted above. He spoke of being surrounded in two other places also:
Psalm 12:5 also describes this reality. "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore."
I suggest, that if you need to, write the verses above on a 3x5 card and put it in a place where you will see it often, or carry it around with you. Affirm and rejoice in God's presence with you at all times.
Our emotions and circumstances lie to us when they tell us we're on our own. God's Word assures us He's there. We're surrounded.
-- Steve Wilson, Pastor
For more information, contact
Evangel Baptist Church, Dr.
Steve Wilson, Pastor
1114 College Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931
906/482-6626, evangel@up.net
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