Rescued by the Shepherd

There are times, when you may feel threatened and overwhelmed by your circumstances. Sometimes, we may be in a desperate situation because we are suffering from the consequences of a bad decision. At other times, we may be in a bad place because we misjudged a situation and underestimated the challenges we might encounter, thinking that we could handle the matter alone. The psalmist David recalled a time when he was in a hostile situation. “The floods of ungodliness made me afraid…the snares of death confronted me. In my distress…I cried out to my God,” (Psalm 18: 4-6). When the people of Judah were in captivity, and they were scattered across the Babylonian empire, they lived in a state of fear and despair. The Lord sent a word of hope via the prophet Jeremiah. “Hear the word of the Lord, oh you nations, and declare it in the nations afar off. He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does a flock. For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he,” (Jeremiah 31: 10-11). Kingdom citizens can take comfort and encouragement from these words. Your Heavenly Father will nurture and protect you because you are part of His flock. When Jacob was returning home from his lengthy stay with his uncle Laban, he was travelling with his family and his livestock. Esau, on the other hand, who was coming to meet Jacob, was travelling with an army. Jacob knew that he could not win any battle against his brother, and It was then that he prayed for deliverance from his seemingly invincible opponent. The psalmist David recalled a time when God rescued him. “He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my Support,” (Psalm 18: 17-18). When you face things that are too much or too strong for you, cry out to God. He is able to deliver you from the most formidable of enemies. They may well be too strong for you, but they are not too strong for God. Whatever or whoever confronts you in the day of your calamity, rest assured, the Lord will be your Support.