We are now entering the second day of the lockdown, the second day staying at home. I can only just thank the Lord for our home, a place where I know His peace rests – despite all the noise! There are certainly far worse places to spend 21 days, and that’s what is on my mind this morning. For my family, home is a place we want to be – at least most of the time, in a push my kids would probably say their grandparents homes would be preferable! But for some others home is not a place they want to be. For them home is a place of argument and conflict, even of physical or emotional abuse. Home may be a place of loneliness. For some, these 21 days are a sentence, a prison lockdown. This is a difficult and sad reality to acknowledge.
It is in thinking of those who face this difficult situation that I read the words from Psalm 68:4-6.
4 Sing praises to God and to His name!
Sing loud praises to Him who rides the clouds.
His name is the LORD—
rejoice in His presence!
5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6 God places the lonely in families;
He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But He makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
My God is a Strong God. He is a Father to the fatherless, a Defender of the most vulnerable. He is near to the lonely, drawing them into His family where they are loved. He sets free those who are imprisoned, even though they are locked down. I will sing the praises of my God because He is able to save those who are in danger, He will heal the hurt, He will preserve the suffering enabling them to endure. Though I am powerless to help the vulnerable and afflicted, He is not. Therefore I will pray and ask Him to rescue them, to protect them, to comfort them, to set them free in their hearts so that they would fear no man.
Please join me in praising our Strong God. Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God…
Thank you again…ALL these blogpost are so encouraging…..ensuring our time with the Lord and His flock. Thank you Luke and Graham! May God continue to bless this amazing work. We love you!
For so many of us this has come as blessing in disguise. We have time to breathe, recharge our batteries. Get off the roundabout and do the things we should be doing to live healthy lives. But yes also we need to take our eyes off ourselves and reach out to those who are trapped in a lonely lifestyle and uplift them too. Thank you for reminding us.
For so many of us this has come as blessing in disguise. We have time to breathe, recharge our batteries. Get off the roundabout and do the things we should be doing to live healthy lives. But yes also we need to take our eyes off ourselves and reach out to those who are trapped in a lonely lifestyle and uplift them too. Thank you for reminding us.