18 day plan

Stormy Waters

Day 12 of 18

CEV

Psalms 32:6-7

6We worship you, Lord,

and we should always pray

whenever we find out

that we have sinned.

Then we won't be swept away

by a raging flood.

7You are my hiding place!

You protect me from trouble,

and you put songs in my heart

because you have saved me.

Reflection:  I’ve asked Mary, my wife, what I might say that is helpful from her perspective, as she has had to live with the prospect of losing her husband to cancer for the last four years.

“Tell them,” she said, “that God is my hiding place. God is my ‘safe place’.”

So there you have it.

Mary has discovered something very special. God has not rescued her from her circumstance but has lifted her above the circumstance, so she views it from God’s perspective, i.e. from the safety of his love, and from a position of confidence in his ultimate plans. This has enabled her not to be crushed under her circumstances, but to sit over them with God—albeit sometimes with tears.

It is a good place to be.

Prayer:  Dear Father, thank you that I can hide in the safety of your love anytime, anywhere, and in any situation. Please lift me into your presence when danger threatens.

Psalms 32:1-11

(A special psalm by David.)

The Joy of Forgiveness

1 Our Lord, you bless everyone

whose sins you forgive

and wipe away.

2You bless them by saying,

“You told me your sins,

without trying to hide them,

and now I forgive you.”

3Before I confessed my sins,

my bones felt limp,

and I groaned all day long.

4Night and day your hand

weighed heavily on me,

and my strength was gone

as in the summer heat.

5So I confessed my sins

and told them all to you.

I said, “I'll tell the Lord

each one of my sins.”

Then you forgave me

and took away my guilt.

6We worship you, Lord,

and we should always pray

whenever we find out

that we have sinned.

Then we won't be swept away

by a raging flood.

7You are my hiding place!

You protect me from trouble,

and you put songs in my heart

because you have saved me.

8You said to me,

“I will point out the road

that you should follow.

I will be your teacher

and watch over you.

9Don't be stupid

like horses and mules

that must be led with ropes

to make them obey.”

10All kinds of troubles

will strike the wicked,

but your kindness shields those

who trust you, Lord.

11And so your good people

should celebrate and shout.