Living Water Church

“If the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us…they would have swallowed us alive.”  Psalm 124:2-3 NIV

I still find myself reeling from the school attack this week in Littleton.  Perhaps this was such a hit to me because my niece is a survivor of the attack on Columbine High School.  I will never forget that day.  After I got the phone call that she was in the school, and had not been heard from, I frantically drove across town to her family’s home.  I will never forget slowing down, over and over again, as ambulance after ambulance passed me by.  Helicopters were hovering everywhere.  It all felt so ominous.  I cried out to God the whole way there, asking Him to spare her life.  And He did.

As I heard the news of another attack this week in our city, I couldn’t help thinking, what is this world coming to?  But then I realized the amazing truth—a man gained access to Deer Creek Middle School, walked around the school, even got a visitor’s pass.  At some point, he got his gun and began to shoot—and no one was killed.  Only two students were physically injured.  They are both doing well.  This is nothing short of a miracle!  And rather than shaking my head in disgust at our society, instead I got on my knees before God and gave thanks.  Thank you Father for Your protection, for Your mercy.

Will you take a few moments today and just thank God for intervening in this violent act?  And will you pray?  Pray for our schools and for our children.  Pray for the 2 injured students and their families, for emotional, physical, and spiritual healing.  Pray for Deer Creek Middle School, the students, the staff, the parents.  Pray for Divine protection.  The Psalmist wrote, “God is our very present help in times of trouble.”

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2.

I have talked with numerous people in the last few weeks who are struggling with various life issues.  Sadly, God never promised that life would be easy, but He did promise to walk through the hard times with us.

I find Psalm 121 very comforting when I am walking through valley-experiences.  The Psalmist wrote that he lifted his eyes to the hills.  This refers to the mountains of Jerusalem, the OT symbol for the dwelling place of the Lord.  In essence, the psalmist is looking toward where the Lord dwells.  He declares that his help comes from God.  Then, in the next six verses, the writer acknowledges that the Lord is his Guardian and Caretaker.  “He who keeps you will not slumber.”  v. 3. The Hebrew word for keeps (preserves) is used six times in this psalm, dramatically emphasizing the care of God.  “The Lord is your keeper…The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.”  v. 5-6. God offers 24 hour protection.

Yes, hard times come.  But there is something so very comforting about the fact that God is our keeper.  He is our very present help in times of trouble.  Wrap your thoughts around the promises of God.  He is our helper and comforter, our source of strength and our hope.

“Now these three remain:  faith, hope, and love.  And the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13:13

Ken and I participate in LWC’s Open Door Outreach.  Once a month, a team from LWC goes to Aurora City Park and we hand out food and clothing to the homeless people gathered there.  At the last outreach in January, we fed about 80 people!  Hats, gloves, coats, and shoes were taken the very moment we put them out for distribution.  Most of the people in the park do not speak English, so it’s very hard for me to communicate with them, in that my Spanish is very limited.  But I’ve noticed something, even if we don’t speak the same language, everyone, everywhere understands the language of love.  I can say hello, smile, shake hands and show kindness.  Though few words are said, love is spoken.

Col. 3:12-14 tells us to “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other…  above all these things put on love.”  Love is the greatest of all human qualities because it is the expression of the very essence of God.  God is love.  Today is Valentine’s Day.  It’s the day of love.  Choose to love someone today.  Show someone you care.  Be considerate of others.  Ask someone questions and really listen to their answers.  Show love.  Love is the language everyone understands.

Last Sunday’s sermon began with an alter call.  (Isn’t church fun?  You never know what you’re going to get.)  The message of the altar call was from Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Are you like me and you experience times of weariness and drought?  As Ken and I have taken over the responsibilities of being senior pastors, we have noticed an enormous increase in the barrage of enemy assaults.  Since we are more on the “front lines” of ministry, we feel the hits more directly and more intensely. It’s easy for us to get overwhelmed.

But I am discovering that in times of stress, I can do one of three things.  I can do nothing but worry.  Or, I can take action (hoping that God agrees with my plan).  Or, I can trust God and pray.  I am finding (sometimes the hard way) that worrying doesn’t help me or solve any problems.  When I take off and try to solve the problem on my own, I usually create more problems, not less.  And so, by the grace of God, I am learning to trust and pray.  Jesus said, “Come to Me…”

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to come to Jesus.  All you really need to be is like a child.  That pretty much makes everyone qualified, doesn’t it?  Come to Jesus.  He is teaching me to learn to trust, obey, and pray.  God is completely aware of my troubles.  He knows the problem and thankfully He knows the solution.   I can find rest and help as I trust in Him.  Come to Jesus.