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5 God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not? 6 He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I'm set for life. 7 My help and glory are in God 8 So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be. 9 Man as such is smoke, woman as such, a mirage. Put them together, they're nothing; two times nothing is nothing. 10 And a windfall, if it comes - don't make too much of it. 11 God said this once and for all; how many times Have I heard it repeated? "Strength comes Straight from God." 12 Love to you, Lord God! You pay a fair wage for a good day's work! (Psalm 62:5-12 The Message)
A blessed and tremendous Thursday to you, ConCafe Family! And may the full joy of the Lord bless and strengthen you today and all days! May this day bring answered prayers to you and yours. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.
Some years ago, mothers would not let their children leave the house without a dime. That's right, ten cents. That's all you needed to make a phone call. You see, kids, in those days, God had not yet invented cell phones and the only way to call home was to find a phone booth or a pay phone. Now I realize I may have blown your mind with some unknown terms; a phone booth was either a wooden or a metal enclosure with glass windows and glass doors. Inside the booth, a huge contraption was the phone. You could find the coin slot and insert the dime and you would dial the number of the person you wanted to reach. Or, you could reach the operator, and she (usually) would connect you with the person you were calling. As soon as the operator answered, you would immediately get your dime back. The dime was immediately returned to the pocket, wallet, or coin purse as soon as possible for the next call. One could then drive without fear of getting distracted by a call, because as I said, cell phones were not yet invented. That dime was a security blanket of sorts for your mom and/or dad, and for you. As long as you had that dime you had the security of being able to make a call to each someone. Nowadays, our cell phones are much larger than dimes, but just as easily lost and misplaced. Yet, for some it is a security blanket.
Our greatest blessing when it comes to security, is the gift of prayer. God is as close as a thought or breath. Many of you reading this know the days before cell phones and could attest to the millions of miles we may have driven in the dark, in threatening weather, to get home, or to get to a destination, and the only assurance of our not being alone, was the knowledge that God was with us. In some parts of the world, including sections of our country, the dependence on cell phones would shock most adults. They would also be shocked to know that many of us are too attached to our electronic devices.
The psalmist shows us how it was with him and his prayer life. His knowledge of God, and love of God, allowed him to write these words. God was his hope and his assurance that in God, he would find all that he needed for all things. Our faith should reflect that same belief. Our "solid rock" under our feet, our "breathing room" for our soul, and "an impregnable castle," which has set us for life! In God, we have our help and glory; in Whom we can and should place all our trust. God is our safe place to be! We cannot see ourselves as more "than smoke" or a "mirage." Our strength comes straight from God and as such, we should be people who love and serve Him.
Let us close our devotional week with a commitment to trust God more fully and resolve to develop our prayer life. May this psalm serve as a prayer guide to aid us in this, as we pray:
Loving God, You are my one and only; my patience is found in Thee, and all the hope that I have for my future is based in You. Lord, I affirm that You are my solid rock on which I stand; in You I find room to fully live and breathe. You are my shelter and dwelling place; in truth, I am set for life. Lord, You are a safe place for me, and my hope is in You. May I glorify You in all that I say, think and do; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray for one another.
Receive my blessings of health, joy, and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
