I woke up sick yesterday morning. There’s nothing like feeling fragile and vulnerable when you have three little people dependent on you and your better half is somewhere far away. Thankfully the two older ones were able to go to school so I just had their younger brother to take care of, and he didn’t get sick till later that night when I was starting to feel a little better.
That night as I was laying in bed scrolling through my facebook newsfeed I came across an article from John Piper that said: “If you wake up feeling fragile, read the Bible until you find a promise strong enough to carry you through the day. God is always faithful and He will come through for you again.”
Now, if you’re going to have a social media account at all, at least follow whatsoever things are good, true, lovely and of a good report and un-follow the rest. (Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil 4:8)
As I lay there alone in the dark, I thought about some of the promises I had memorized in the past and suddenly the Holy Spirit flooded my mind and heart with God’s Word. (But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26)
The first verse He reminded me of was Psalm 138:8a:
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me:
What a beautiful promise.
Next was Psalm 18:30a
As for God, His way is perfect:
What a comfort! Even when we don’t understand what’s happening, to know that God’s way is perfect brings incredible peace!
Then Psalm 36:5-6
Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.
God is so great that all we can comprehend of Him is but a small whisper. What comfort and joy and awe we can find in the greatness of God.
I then spent some time just thinking about God. Isn’t it great that our God never gets sick or hungry or tired?
Psalm 121:3 says:
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psalm 121:5 says:
The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
and Psalm 121:7 says:
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul.
Then He reminded me of 2 Cor 12:9a:
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.
And Psalm 29:11:
The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
And so I fell asleep. Secure in His promises and love.
The next morning when I was feeling quite a bit better I thought about what Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 12:1
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Don’t wait for the storms to come before realizing your house is built on sand, don’t wait for the bridegroom to arrive before realizing you don’t have oil in your lamp!
Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Matthew 25:1-13
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Psalm 95:7b-8
Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
