With Christ In The Vessel, We Can Smile At The Storm
BRD REFLECTIONS:
(Eddy Chan, Associate PTM)
READ:
Psalm 27: 1- 14 (NLT)
OBSERVE:
The Psalmist here affirmed that in God, he can be rested with great confidence that no weapon or trouble will overtake him or destroy him. Not only does the Psalmist say this of himself but he encourages everyone else in the faith to have this confidence. (v14)
The affirmation that the Lord is my light and salvation are carefully thought words inspired by the Holy Spirit to suggest that though the situation and circumstances seem overwhelming, God is the One who can and will guide us and ultimately rescue us.
APPLY:
Fear and anxiety can sometimes challenge one’s ability to trust in God. Yet, I would often find the subtle presence of such emotions prevalent in the rhythm of my daily experiences. It’s almost like a default mode to focus on the negative aspect of the problems instead of faith in God.
One such time was when I encountered a health crisis some 7 years ago. Fear and anxiety gripped me almost so naturally. I thanked God for a godly community who surrounded me with their love and concern. A brother in Christ encouraged me with this Psalm which helped me to continue to hope in confident expectation that the Lord will see me through, and He did.
DO:
I particularly found solace in Ps 27:4. Here the Psalmist points his readers to three essentials to preserving faith:
- to live in the house of the Lord – to abide in God’s presence daily through word and worship.
- to delight in the Lord’s perfections – to appreciate/adore the Lord for who He has revealed Himself to be. (His holiness, faithfulness, mercy, love, etc)
- to meditate in His temple – to seek His wisdom and to align to His ways and not ours.
As I read His word, worshiped, acknowledged His character and sought His ways, I experienced His peace. My friend continued to check on me and I experienced God’s love as he encouraged me with prayer and scriptures. In as much as I had wished that God would take away my crisis, He did not. Instead, something more beautiful happened to me. He walked me through it. Through it I gained a better perspective of who God is. As the song goes, “with Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm”.
PRAY:
Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I have often not trusted You and allow You to reign and rule in my life and circumstances. Please forgive me. I ask that You reveal yourself afresh to me and rekindle a passion for You that takes courage to trust You to shine Your light and lead me in the paths You ordained for me without fear or anxiety.
Father, give me the grace to stay committed to You all my days. Let my relationship with You be a lifelong journey of growing closer, trusting deeper, and loving more fully. Even in the challenges of life, may my heart remain steadfast, seeking You as my refuge, my strength, and my greatest joy.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
