Security in the Midst of Distress

Isaiah 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

God is the sure foundation of our times. In the midst of distress, He is the solid rock on which we stand, though storms may come, we will not fall, because the Lord is our foundation.

The context of this verse is a time of suffering, distress and judgment. The destroyer and betrayer had shaken the nations and the people of God were in distress. In verse two, they were crying to the Lord, they longed for Him (not just His blessings, but HIM) . They asked God to be their Strength and their Salvation. They didn't just ask for strength and salvation per se but for GOD HIMSELF to BE their strength and BE their salvation.

In times of distress, whether it is economic, or natural (typhoons and hurricanes), or spiritual/emotional (depression, discouragement), we should lift our eyes to the Lord, who will be the sure foundation of our times. We should long for Him and not just His blessings. His blessings are not the sure foundation for our times. It is God Himself.

Isaiah 33:1-10
1 Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.
2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
3 At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter.
4 Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it.
5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
7 Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected.
9 The land mourns and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
10 "Now will I arise," says the LORD. "Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up."

Psalm 37:37

This is a wonderful verse, and it is easy to memorize the verse number.

In the New King James Version, this is how Psalm 37:37 is written:

"Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace."

Has anyone tried to sell you insurance? Usually the strategy used is fear about the future. "Will you have enough money? What if you die? Will your children be hungry?"

I'm not putting down insurance companies or insurance salespersons here. My husband and I have bought some insurance policies and pre-need educational plans, as part of our setting aside for the future. But sometimes in the effort to sell, insurance salespeople "scare" buyers into getting policies.

One thing I know...my insurance policy is not our security. Money is not the source of my security. I will buy insurance, but I will not be scared into buying it.

Psalm 37:37 is God's ASSURANCE promise... Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace.

God says my future is peace. That means my INHERITANCE from Him is peace, not fear. I don't need a horoscope to tell me that. My God says that my future is peace. It's not something to wish for that we might not have...if God says my future is peace, IT IS.

Better yet, read the entire 37th Psalm. In my kids' Adventures in Odyssey Bible, Psalm 37 has a "subtitle": The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked. The whole psalm shows the difference between the righteous, those whose sins have been covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus, and the wicked.

Psalm 37:16-20 says:

"A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.The LORD knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the LORD, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away."

Because of the blood of Jesus, I have been made righteous. Because He has triumphed over sin and death, I am more than a conqueror. Because He rose from the dead, I have hope in the face of anything.

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know, I know He holds the future, Life is worth living, just because He lives."

Psalm 35:1-2 -The Unborn Baby's Prayer

I just wanted to share with all my blogroll friends out there a pro-life picture that I made. I was reading Psalm 35, then the Lord made me realize that Psalm 35:1-2 might as well be coming from an unborn baby's lips.

So I made this graphic. I am not a professional graphic artist, okay. I made it on powerpoint then I took a screenshot of it.

I have posted this picture on our pro-life blogs and other sites.


Here's a Spanish version. I got the verse from the Nueva Version Internacional at Bible Gateway.com