You and Me Against the World

Do you ever feel alone against the world? Is there someone you count on to be there, regardless?  Have you wished for that quiet safe place where you can really rest in safety from the stress of life?  Do I have news for you!

There is a place; or rather there IS a Person where you can find relief, safety and protection. In the book of Psalms, chapter 32, verse 7, King David wrote about God: Your ARE my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Challenges and situations face us each day. We secretly wish for some protection, some shelter from the aggravation or issues at hand; something between us and the issue. Our day is great and suddenly—trouble has come to River City!

Psalm 32:7 says God preserves from trouble. He volunteers to watch over you, to keep and guard you from danger.  And, the word preserve means to guard you with fidelity! Fidelity seems in short supply in the midst of 2011. Don’t you long for someone who is loyal to you? We all want relationships that are trustworthy and dependable. God volunteers that to you!

I was intrigued by one description of the word trouble. It can mean distress, adversaries, or hard-pebble. Who or what is that constant irritation or distraction that is like walking along barefoot and striking your heel down onto a small pebble? Repeatedly, we encounter small frustrations that destroy or distract our day! God says He guards you from the pebbles in a loyal and trustworthy manner. Do you allow Him to? This is His promise to His sons and daughters, those in His family.

If you answer “Yes”, then you sing songs of joy for His deliverance/relief. Selah, the last word of this verse means, “stop and pay attention”; it’s really a musical term meaning pause and accentuate.

Here are the “family benefits”: God protects us from adversity, and painful annoyances, with His faithful presence. When we see Him active in our life, we sing for joy at His activity in our life. Now, pause and think about that!

By Anita Onarecker Wood, Christian Minister and Author