Passing Disasters

Prayer Focus: Dominica, Dominican Republic

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 22 - 23, Psalm 57

Scripture

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. (Psalm 57:1-3)

Observation

As I have been reading the Psalms over the last few weeks I’m struck with the tendency to take these verses with their imagery and melodies (that are the templates for many praise songs) and completely skip over the tops of them like a flat rock across a stream. It’s easy to forget the turmoil and crisis that precipitated them.

Today’s Psalm comes from David, a man literally “hotly pursued” by Saul, not metaphorically. Taking refuge in God while being chased by the enemy with the resources of an entire nation wasn’t just poetic prose, but life and death for him. I find it interesting that even in these moments, David sees perspective in his circumstances and calls it a "passing disaster".

Application

In the last few weeks, I have been made aware of no less than three families who have lost their homes due to tornado, fire, and economic circumstances. I am not taking creative license to illustrate a point – I’m talking about displaced and homeless people who are desperate for refuge.

The storms come. No matter if the storm is literal, like the tornado that hit Dexter several weeks ago, or financial, like the economic recession that ate so many jobs, or elemental, like the fire … the storms come. Sometimes we find ourselves in temporary shelters (hotel rooms or living in a car) instead of caves, chased not by soldiers but creditors.

Prayer

Lord, show me how to best use the resources that you’ve blessed me with. Help me know how to best help these families. I pray that you would show them your love and faithfulness. I pray that their passing disaster drives them to take shelter and refuge in you; that their souls awake to salvation and that they meet you at their point of great need.

Amen!