The God of Jacob

Psalm 46:7 - The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 

It was a beautiful, quiet morning. The cool air and warmth of the earth mixed to produce a haze low to the ground. As I drove to church for a 9/11 commemoration service I thought about this day ten years ago and recalled the horrifying haze produced by the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings.

Like the sunlight was burning off the haze and bringing brighter light, so can the light of Christ burn through tragedy's darkness and through the darkness of sin. Darkness fades as the Light of Christ emerges.

We have seen the twin towers come down in this nation. It brought people to their proverbial and literal knees seeking God for answers and comfort. Churches filled up again...for a time...till the dust of the tragedy settled and life once again went on as usual.

Sometimes, like the walls of those towers came down, we need to tear down the walls of our hardened hearts to seek and see God in our lives.

First in prayer and then throughout the morning at church the power of the Lord was evident. Pastor Andy Horn read Psalm 46, a prayer President Obama read at a memorial service that morning in New York City. What was so amazing were the words he read that proclaimed that the God in this Psalm was the God of Jacob. This is a proclamation that for some Christians needs no explanation. It is a proclamation that this is the one true God. It was in the line of Jacob from which our soon coming King came. 

This is the God of the Bible. He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46). It is He who is in control of all things and although the nation, the world or our own lives seem to be shaken, He is the one who is in the midst of it all. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Not only is He in the midst but surrounding.

As this Psalm was read in prayer I was reminded that His word will not return void...and those words of Psalm 46 read Sunday morning were spoken in the hearing not only of the God about whom they were written, but also by this country and probably abroad as well. If they were spoken in God's ear they will not return void. He honors those words.

In Sunday school I was touched by the awesomeness of this same God as we read Revelation 1 to get a glimpse of Who this God really is. I was asked to read a portion of the chapter. I came to these words in verse 8:  "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" and was completely undone, so moved by His words of strength and conviction I had to stop for a moment.

Our study for that morning was on perspective. In the very grand scheme of God's plans, we are minuscule. As we discussed this, admitting that we ALL look at our own circumstances as being monumental compared to that of others (Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, crooned Pastor Andy!), it needs to be seen in perspective. Yes, our God is in control; yet we must be in control of our own choices...and one is to choose to just trust God with our circumstances...knowing He's in control. To Him all problems are important and none too great for Him to handle...in His way in His time.

While the discussion went on my head was still wrapped around the Alpha and Omega! When the opportunity became available I told the little class what I had envisioned. Here we are in the middle of our little drama of life but putting it into perspective I saw us standing in the midst of the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, His arms surrounding us. He is our Center, too; yet we who know Him intimately are centered in Him. In Christ and He in us (2Corinthians 13:5 and Galatians 2:20). The Alpha and Omega...a huge concept, all encompassing.

He needs to be the Center of our lives today, not just at moments of tragedy. Look again at 9/11. None of these people knew what was about to transpire that day and we don't know how many of them who were lost had the Lord as their Center. How awful to not know the Hope in their death. 

Even with the events of 9/11 God knew what it would bring. It would bring a, sadly, short-lived return to Him, a new perspective of Him in some lives. Some would continue drawing strength from Him. If only we would live each day like this we might see an outpouring of His love, grace and mercy upon not only individuals but nations.

He is the Author (Beginning, Alpha, First) and Finisher (End, Omega, Last) of our faith. Being these He surrounds us, IF we let Him. There's always that choice to be made. He later tells us in verse 17 we need not fear because He is the First and the Last and "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen."

Is He the First and Last in each of our lives? He should be. Our eternal life rides on this. He is our refuge and He is with us if we choose Him as Alpha and Omega, First and Last and Beginning and End.

Psalm 91:1 - He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.