Several highway drivers phoned the police, reporting that a truck was erratically swerving down the road and jerking from side to side. About 6:30 a.m. the police spotted the vehicle and flashed their lights for the truck to pull over. When the officer approached the vehicle, he found an 8-year-old boy at the wheel. The boy’s father was asleep in the passenger seat.
This father’s reckless behavior (apparently he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs) put his son and others in immense danger. The boy’s dad should have been the one person he could trust to keep him safe; and yet this dad placed his son in jeopardy. Many of us have had someone we trusted leave us exposed or unprotected. As a result we wonder who will truly watch out for us. Who will never abandon us?
The psalmist declares that there is only One who can always be trusted. God is the One who “will not let you stumble.” He’s the “One who watches over you” and “will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). God’s eyes are always open and he is always vigilant. God’s hand is always poised, ready to act.
Each of us has felt the sting of betrayal. Each of us has borne the brunt of another’s good intentions gone awry. What’s more, we all have done the same to others. While God intends for us to receive encouragement and support from family and friends, we must never believe another person to be the ultimate source of our security. “My help comes from the Lord,” says the psalmist (Psalm 121:2).
God is always awake. God is always attentive to our need. God does not doze. God does not grow weary. God stands, ever ready to help us.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Matthew 2:1-12
More:
Read 1 Peter 5:6-8. Who should carry our anxiety and concern? Yet we’re told to “stay alert” (v.8). Why do we need a posture that’s both alert and free of worry?
Next:
How have you been disappointed by others? Why is it important for you to lay down your self-protection and trust that God is watching over you?
OnMyWayHome on June 12, 2012 at 12:37 am
My wife and I became co-dependent so when I became seriously ill she did not know whom to turn to for help as I was always figuring things out and getting things done. We learned that we needed to look to the Lord, find our strength, and refuge with Him, that’s when I our lives changed. Thank you for the reminder.
winn collier on June 12, 2012 at 11:00 am
These difficult places become an odd mercy, don’t they? I pray you are finding peace these days.
agbenaza on June 12, 2012 at 4:18 am
Sometimes i wonder if there is ever going to be someone in my life i can trust. This message answers all my questions. Thank you Jesus.
winn collier on June 12, 2012 at 11:01 am
There is, agbenaza. And it sounds like you’re finding him…
GChoo on June 12, 2012 at 6:27 am
Winn, thank you for your reminder that when we need not fear or worry when we have God, our Maker and Sovereign God.
What a privilege to be God’s children. We know that when we pray to Him, He will hear our prayers and provide us with the help we need. God wants us to have a good and trusting relationship with Him, and in turn we learn to fellowship with our fellow brothers and sisters to establish a good and meaningful relationship where we can support and pray for each other about anything. In the bible, God reminded us that it is important to have fellowship with fellow christians because we are all in His one big family. In Christ, we are all in God’s family. His love for us brings us to Him and others together. I praise Him for His great love for us, without it life on earth becomes meaningless.
God bless.
winn collier on June 12, 2012 at 11:07 am
God’s presence is a grace indeed.
jennifer benson schuldt on June 12, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Two thumbs up for this devotional. It’s easy to overlook God’s ultimate care and suppose that the nursery workers at church will protect our kids, or the teachers at school will make sure they stay safe. In other cases, we may look to a spouse or another family member for protection. While God does bless us with people who diligently watch out for us, it’s God who ultimately stays up 24/7 with His eyes on us! Thank you for this piece of encouragement today.
melissak on June 12, 2012 at 11:52 pm
I guess this was for me. Just yesterday, my boyfriend called me on my job and told me he has been seeing someone else for a while, and that was where he preferred to be. I wondered why this was happening to me, why now, and how could he use someone so much and just drop them like they never mattered. I decided not to wait, I began my process of forgiveness, because I refuse to allow this to shake me more than it has already. Reading this tonight made me remember from whence cometh our help. God never leaves neither does He forsake us, even when we think that what we have means the world to us. God is always patiently waiting, reminding us that we should never put our trust in man, but instead, seek His face so that He may grant us the desires of our hearts, and if it is to be, then God will make it so, and it will stick because He will sustain us. I pray my strength in the Lord. I needed to see this today. God said that in everything we must give thanks, doesn’t matter if we want to or not, and as terrible as I feel, I must give thanks and allow God to see me through this. Be blessed everyone.
nivla on June 13, 2012 at 5:23 am
Indeed! Amen. Amen. He never draws away from us. Whenever I feel He’s far, I just realized I was the one actually drifting away. But the better news is I can always come back to Him and accept and grab His welcoming embrace.
Sharing with you this song I am currently listening to:
(by Don Moen)
When you’ve prayed every prayer that you know how to pray.
Just remember the Lord will hear and the answer is on it’s way.
Our God is able.
He is mighty.
He is faithful.
And He never sleeps, He never slumbers.
He never tires of hearing our prayer.
When we are weak He becomes stronger.
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him.
Do you feel that the Lord has forgotten your need.
Just remember that God is always working in ways you cannot see. 🙂 🙂 🙂