07.10.07

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah. - Psalm 46:1-3 NKJV.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. - Psalm 46:10-11 NKJV.

Yesterday, there were a few crashes in Meadville, Pennsylvania when a three foot wide, 1,500-pound wrecking ball somehow came loose from a crane and rolled downhill. At least a dozen vehicles were damaged, and three people injured by the runaway ball. The monster ball finally stopped with one final horrendous crash into the back of a car stopped at an intersection.

Crash, as in a wrecking ball crash is defined as: “to break violently and noisily.” A wrecking ball crash is definitely bad news when it is a runaway wrecking ball. Crash, as in a computer crash, is also bad news as defined by one dictionary: “to suffer a sudden major failure usually with attendant loss of data.” Crashes are nearly always bad news whether it is a wrecking ball, a car crash, a computer crash or even worse a personal crash. Some of us know what it is like to have our world come crashing in on us.

How do you recover from a crash? When a car has been crashed, it is usually taken to an auto body shop for repairs. When a computer has crashed, we take it to a computer technician to be repaired. But what do we do when our lives come crashing down?

Often the tendency for many is to turn away from God during the bad times. They think, “God has forgotten about me, so I’m forgetting about Him.” This is a mistake because those are the times when you need God more than ever. It may appear at times that God has left the building never to return, but He is ever present.

What happens if we turn away from God when our world comes crashing in upon us? Of course, you compound the situation if you turn away from God, because He will allow the natural consequences of your actions to occur. He will withdraw His protection, withdraw His wisdom, and withdraw His wisdom from your life. You will begin that downward spiral with things in your life tending to fall apart everywhere you turn, everywhere you look. If you turn away from God, everything good in your life will begin to be replaced with all things bad; with everything deteriorating. That is what happens when you leave God out of your life, nothing good.

Job of the Old Testament could have given up on God, and most would have given the terrible circumstances of his life. Job, however, remained faithful to God. Job’s life had come crashing down to the lowest of lows. Job remained faithful and God raised Him up. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the golden image and King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Just before they were thrown into the furnace, they said this to the king: “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up (Daniel 3:17-18).” The Son of God walked in the midst of the furnace with them and saved them from certain death.

The response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the response that we need to have when our world comes crashing in upon us. That response is that we will serve God, seek God, worship God, and be faithful to God no matter what may happen in our lives. Where do you take your life when it crashes? You take it to the Master, the Creator - you take your life to God and place yourself in His hands. Remember, God is still God no matter what may happen in your life, and He is your “refuge and strength.”