Most of us face a daily battle of illness but unfortunately that doesn’t make us immune to other disasters in life too. Fiona explains how to cope when they start to stack up.
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed” (Psalm 57:1).
God gave me this encouragement at a time when I was facing pain at a much increased level to my “usual.” Sure, medication may have helped decrease the pain, but the assurance of God’s presence and care helped so much more.
David wrote this Psalm when he fled from Saul and was hiding for his life in a cave. (A great story if you’ve not read it before in 1 Samuel 24:1-12!)
An NIV study note suggests it is “a prayer for help when the psalmist is attacked by enemies and his very life is threatened.” This qualifies as a disaster!
Chronic illness means that we have our own “disasters” from time to time–or sometimes it may seem quite frequently.
Pain may flare up for no apparent reason. A new diagnosis or maybe just new symptoms with no diagnosis yet. We may miss out doing something we really wanted to do. Someone close to us may die or be diagnosed with something terrible. There could be loss of employment.
There are many disasters, or what may seem like disasters to us at the time.
The note also says “It is marked by consoling trust in the face of unsettling fear.”
In verse 3 “He sends from heaven and saves me . . . God sends His love and His faithfulness.”
In verse 4 “I am in the midst of lions . . . ravenous beasts . . . tongues are sharp swords.”
A tough situation, but what does David do? He acknowledges and trusts God in the face of his fears.
In verse 5 “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”
In verse 10 “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies”
God’s love and faithfulness–reaching to just where we are–whatever disaster may face us.
Prayer: Thank You, God, that we can hide in the shadow of Your wings–in Your care–until whatever disaster we face is over. Life with illness can seem like one long disaster at times, but thank You that we can weather the disasters as we trust in You, instead of letting our fears consume us. Amen.
About the Author:
Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is thankful that God walks each step of her life with her, and that He continues to teach her new things as she learns to live with chronic back pain. She enjoys finding time for reading, writing, and photography, and to share those things with others.
Do you know someone facing some kind of disaster right now? Is there something you can do to remind them that God is faithful?
This is truly a beautiful video–the song, the lyrics, and the video itself, of Mia Fieldes singing “Fearless.” As I listened it made me hear the words, “God, you’re for me.” Sometimes we can look at our circumstances and wonder how anyone can be encouraged by the mess of our lives. When people see our life, does it make them want to believe in a God that allows this? But what we all discover over time is that tough days come to all eventually. And it is how we handle them, where we turn for strength, that shows the power of our God. Be blessed. -Lisa
Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 