Psalm 118:5, 6

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? ~ Psalm 118:5, 6


These words take us from the confinement of oppression to the room of freedom, gained through our tears as we cry to the Lord in the expression of pain. We are never alone when we stand in the compressed space of trouble. A few years ago, I went with my granddaughter into a “House of Horrors” here in my hometown. She laughed at me the whole way through the imaginary games room. First, we had to walk in pitch dark areas, which were fearful enough for me, but I am also claustrophobic. We came to an area where the walls began to close in on me. Fear broke out and my heart began to pound. By now you may be laughing as hard at me as my granddaughter was, but for me, the feeling was pure panic. This was not a real-life situation for we were in a make-believe place, but my feelings were the same as if it was real. When we are hard-pressed by the tribulations of life which press in upon us, fear rises us, the world closes in, our faith is tested, and our hearts pound so hard we think it will break free of our chest. When I exited the building into the bright sunlight of the summer day, a great relief entered me. This is an image of what the psalmist is saying to us here. He cried to the Lord and the world opened up and the pressure was released as he was led into a spacious place. Sometimes life will close in on us, sometimes God allows it for a reason, but when we cry out to him, he hears our cry. Pressure heats us up; God is our release valve. We cry out because of our need, and perhaps that is the reason we were hard pressed – we had forgotten Who we need! The Lord is with you and with me when we cry out, when we appeal to him for help and he will care and love us through our fear. In him we need not be afraid of anything or anyone! There is no trial he is not aware of, no need he will withhold, no fear he cannot conquer. He is victorious in all things!

Pastor Julia

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