Our Daily Bread 3 October 2017 Devotional – Conceived in Crisis

Topic: Conceived in Crisis — Tuesday October 3, 2017.

Read: Psalm 57, Bible in a Year: Isaiah 17–19; Ephesians 5:17–33

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Psalm 57:1

Marc recalls a moment from his childhood when his father called the family together. Their car had broken down, and the family would run out of money by the end of the month. Marc’s dad paused and prayed. Then he asked the family to expect God’s answer.

Today Marc recalls how God’s help arrived in surprising ways. A friend repaired their car; unexpected checks arrived; food showed up at the door. Praising God came easily. But the family’s gratitude had been forged in a crisis.

Psalm 57 has long provided rich inspiration for worship songs. When David declared, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens” (v. 11), we might imagine him gazing up at a magnificent Middle Eastern night sky or perhaps singing in a tabernacle worship service. But in reality David, fearful for his life, was hiding in a cave.

“I am in the midst of lions,” David said in the psalm. These “ravenous beasts” were “men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords” (v. 4). David’s praise was conceived in crisis. Although he was cornered by enemies who wanted him dead, David could write these amazing words: “My heart, O God, is steadfast . . . . I will sing and make music” (v. 7).

Whatever crisis we face today, we can run to God for help. Then, we can praise Him as we wait expectantly, confident in His infinitely creative care for us.

Your next crisis is your next opportunity to trust our unfailing God.

Insight:

Scripture often uses the image of wings to speak of God’s strength and protection. The image of a chick hiding under the wings of its mother helps us understand the refuge that David seeks in God (Ps. 57). When chicks take refuge under the hen’s wings, they are not simply sheltered but are completely hidden—totally covered in the feathers of their mother, out of sight and out of the way of danger. Whatever danger comes must come to the parent first. Like David, we can “take refuge in the shadow of [God’s] wings” (v. 1).

How does this image encourage you to trust God during your trials? J.R. Hudberg

This message was written By Tim Gustafson [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]