My Friends and fellow Fire Marshals, 

Psm: 42

  I recently had a “episode” that caused me to believe that I was having some heart problems and when you reach my age (three score and 7, and hopefully none of you know just how OLD that is) then you don’t want to mess around with delaying getting a diagnosis. But at the same time, I didn’t want to “bother” the Dr. in case it was no big deal. So while I waited a few days to make sure it was a real situation and not a imagined discomfort, I had some of those moments that I began to allow myself to consider the worst of the “what ifs”! Well, that is never good. I saw myself with all kinds of tubes hanging out of me, using bedpans, hospital gowns with no provision for modesty, nurses prepping me, even a CATHETER for goodness sake which caused me to miss a batch of sleep right before my Dr’s appointment. I basically tormented myself somewhat and even went so far as to wonder for a moment if my Heavenly Father loved me anymore!!!! (How silly this was!!!)

  Amazingly when I woke up in the morning after causing so much suffering within my own heart the night before, I was feeling a peace that I could not even describe. I had NO idea what the Dr was about to discover but within that peace God had placed within my heart, I realized that truly, it made no difference what he, the Dr, found. The same God that has proved to me over and over again how much He loves me is the exact same God that will accompany through whatever this world throws at me. It is not God abandoning me that is the problem, it is the “human condition” with all of its worldly vices, sin and in this case, exposure to age, way too much heart unhealthy food and a lack of proper exercise that is probably the major reason for the discomfort.

  By placing that peace within me, God was sending me a message that I could chose to ignore or to believe...my choice! I chose to believe it so no matter what the Dr found, it was going to be GOOD! I pranced into his office (yes, I said pranced) and was thrilled to discover that it was nothing but a pulled muscle and no heart issues could  he find. But I will be taking a stress test soon and that will tell me more. But here is the bottom line. Either God is who He says He is or He’s not. If the Bible is truly His love letter to us and absolute in its inerrancy, then we have nothing to “worry” about because everything we endure in this life has a purpose and He will get us through it.

  That is what I think King David was going through when he penned Psalm 42. He had already been told by God that he was to be the King but King Saul was jealous and wanting to kill David. Even though God had already delivered David from harm on several occasions David still allowed himself to be tormented by his circumstances rather than solely depend upon God’s promise to him and walk in that promise. When we stand in God’s promise and are obedient to Him who loves us, then the “Peace that passes understanding” is ours for the taking. Of course David continued to come back to that reality, that God had promised him Kingship and He will see it through to completion, so as you will read in Psm: 42, David  ends his discourse by declaring “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God.” Here is the deal, God is there and ready to lift us up and carry us through anything...but will we take advantage of it?

  My brothers and sisters, simply know the Word, be obedient to it and watch God be God! He loves us beyond description!

I pray for the Father’s angels to surround each of you,

 

In Christ,

God bless each of you,

Kurt Harris, Chaplain - TXIAAI