- araratchurch
- Oct 31, 2025
- 3 min read
“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies speak against me; And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.””
Psalms 71:9-11 NKJV
I have seen people, once mighty and powerful, through the ravages of old age, becoming extremely frail and dependent on others for even their basic physical well-being. I have seen the terrible struggle they have with adjusting to no longer being strong and self-sufficient.
I have seen others, feeling extremely vulnerable when given a scary diagnosis. The in-your-face reminder of their mortality, throwing their world into a spin.
Others may feel vulnerable because of a bad turn in their fortunes.
But, whatever precipitates the feeling of vulnerability, the common denominator is that vulnerability can be a very scary feeling.
If it isn’t bad enough to have a heightened sense of one’s own vulnerability, it’s made much worse by the reality that we live in a scary world. Sadly, we have all seen horrifying images of evil people hurting and abusing vulnerable souls.
Now, sometimes we know exactly why we feel vulnerable. As mentioned, there are circumstances that would make most people feel vulnerable.
Additionally, there are more nuanced dynamics (like feeling somehow inferior to others), that can also make you feel vulnerable.
With that, there are actually times when we might feel vulnerable without really knowing why we feel that way, an uneasiness that defies description.
But, whatever the reason for the feeling of vulnerability, it always produces the same emotion: fear. Sometimes that fear can become overwhelming, paralyzing.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV
The above passage of scripture from Isaiah has been a comfort to me for as long as I can remember. You see, the Lord Isn’t looking for us to show Him how strong we are. He is looking for us to allow Him to show Himself strong through and/or for us, for us to learn by experience how strong He is. The apostle Paul described his struggle resulting from the awareness of his own shortcomings.
“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT
Praise the Lord, Paul eventually “got it.”
In today’s portion from David’s psalms, we see David beseeching the Lord to not leave him now that he is old and weak. The fact that he was feeling vulnerable because of his age, was magnified by the fact that there were those who were waiting to destroy him. But, as at so many other times, he turns from fear and despair and affirms his trust in the Lord.
“You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side.”
Psalms 71:20-21 NKJV
For whatever reason you may be feeling vulnerable, just not up to the challenges at hand, remember, the Lord does not forsake us when we are weak. Rather, He waits to show Himself strong on our behalf!
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
The Lord won’t forsake you when you are vulnerable.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.”
Psalms 71:3-4 NKJV
There are a variety of ways in which people who are in positions of power can extend relief to individuals finding themselves in trouble.
In the United States, our governmental system gives the president and governors, the authority to offer sentence relief for those convicted of a crime. The relief offered can vary from commutation of a sentence to a complete pardon. But—no matter what remedy is issued—it is binding. It doesn’t matter how many people may disagree with a particular pardon or remedy issued, the remedy stands.
Sometimes, American citizens get caught up in the operations of war and end up being held prisoner by other countries.
Additionally, United States citizens are sometimes taken captive (for a variety of reasons: ransom, leverage, suppression, etc.) by other countries or groups. But, how ever the person found themselves in such a situation, if the President of the United States authorizes an operation to extract those people, it will be done (or at least attempted).
Ultimately, the command to be saved/rescued is only as good as the authority of the one issuing it, and the ability of the one issuing the command, to back up the command with the necessary resources to make it so.
Now, think about it: The Creator of all things has issued a decree for us to be saved! Yes, by the sacrificial blood of His own Son, God has obtained a pardon for all who call upon His name through Jesus Christ. And, whereas governments may not have the clout to make good on their promises or decrees, God has no such difficulty.
“For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””
Romans 10:11-13 NKJV
Throughout the word of God we see people calling out to the Lord for His salvation. Time and time again, He heard and answered those who put their trust in Him.
“For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob.”
Psalms 44:3-4 NKJV
In today’s portion from David’s psalms, we see David, in the midst of severe trouble, commenting that God had given the command to save. Repeatedly, we see David expressing his complete trust in God‘s power to deliver His own.
The decree of the Lord, the command sent from His holy throne, cannot be thwarted nor overturned. And—as mentioned earlier—whereas other authorities may lack the ability to cash the checks they write, God’s irrevocable word, resting above His undefeatable name, will save you to the uttermost!
Additionally, every moment of your life, the Lord is ready to make good on His promise to answer your urgent cry.
“But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Hebrews 7:24-25 NKJV
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
For those who trust the Lord for their preservation, the command has already been given for their salvation.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Oct 29, 2025
- 3 min read
There is a 13 year old boy who has become famous for the photos he takes with a smartphone. The photos show beautiful classic cars in a variety of interesting settings. But here’s the thing, the cars are actually models. He uses a technique called forced perspective to make the cars appear to be actual size. It’s amazing to look at his work and then see what he was actually using. The optical illusion accomplished through the forced perspective technique uses the distance between objects, and their relative sizes, to achieve the desired effect or illusion (make something look larger, smaller, nearer, or farther, than they actually are).
We’ve all seen those photos people take on vacation, making it look like they’re holding the Eiffel Tower or kissing the Sphinx; again, forced perspective. The same type of technique can also be used to fool the eye into thinking that some dangerous feat is being accomplished such as standing out on the edge of a very high cliff.
Anybody who is conscious of their size, already knows about the affect positioning has on perspective, and definitely will not be standing closest to the camera in a photo.
Now, think about it. Don’t we do the same thing with our thoughts, our focus, in terms of what seems big or small in our life? For a Christian, nothing should ever seem to be bigger than God. Given, most Christians would say they believe God is bigger and stronger than anything else. But, if we are consumed with worry over our situation, then somehow or another, in our heart and our mind, our situation has gotten between God and our “camera.”
If I view my problems through the word of God, I can clearly see that His word is true and my problems are not a catastrophe. If I am looking at God through my problems, then I make God small, way off somewhere, as my problems loom big and threateningly in my face.
In today’s portion from David’s psalms, we see David talking about magnifying the Lord. This statement comes within the context of a prayer where he is asking the Lord to deliver him. But no matter how bad David’s problems ever got, he always seemed to make sure that God was in front of his problems. No wonder David could declare,
“I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”
Psalms 16:8 NKJV
Yes, David started early on to put the Lord in front of the challenge at hand. This is why he successfully went up against a menacing giant who had the armies of Israel bamboozled.
“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.””
I Samuel 17:45-47 NKJV
Child of God, if your difficulties are seeming to be bigger than God, it’s time for a perspective shift. Put God back in the forefront of your thinking and let the problems recede into the background where they belong!
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
We must magnify the Lord in our lives.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!