17 Evening, and morning, and at
noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. 18 He
hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me:
for there were many with me. –Psalm 55:17, 18 (KJV)
The weather today in southwest Virginia is
supposed to be near 70 degrees, which is warm for January. I will
not complain about this as I enjoy warmer weather. What I cannot
say is what this temperature translates into on the Celsius scale.
All I know about Celsius is that 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the same as
0 degrees Celsius. Beyond that, I am lost. I recall being
in the 3rd or 4th grade and just beginning to
grasp the concept of distance and measurements. The light began
to shine in my mind about millimeters, feet, yards, and miles.
I was feeling very proud of myself. Then, I began hearing rumors
about our nation converting to some bizarre system of measurement called
the metric system, and this certainly changed everything. “Whose
idea was this?” I thought frantically. “I was just getting
the hang of it and now you are changing it?”
There was a teacher or two, who probably
did not comprehend it any better than I did, who made passing references
to the metric system, but eventually the talk about it ceased altogether.
We gave it a go in later years when interstate road signs showed miles
and kilometers, but the powers that be must have decided we Americans
are too set in our ways to become like the Europeans, so they ended
that experiment too. Perhaps future generations will tackle it,
but for the time being it seems to have lost steam.
I remember how confused I was about the entire
system, for my way of viewing the world, was changing. The thought
filled me with dread. Life can take a similar turn when problems,
anxiety, and uncertainty about the future crowds into our minds.
Where and how do we find peace in the midst of it all? The Word
of God reminds us that God hears us when we seek Him, and He is able
to delivers us from the personal struggles we often encounter.
God will deliver us, make us stronger, and fill us with His peace in
the process. We know we live an evil and fallen world, and if
we are faithful, we will look to the Lord for empowerment and strength
to help us through and give us the peace we desire.
Whatever you are facing today, whether is
it problems related to family, finances, employment, depression, anxiety,
or plain old worry, please know you are not alone. Christ came
into the world to bear our sins and our struggles. A personal
relationship with Jesus Christ helps us to make sense of the troubled
world in which we live. Seek the Lord, for He will hear.
Look to God, for He cares for you and will bring you through whatever
you are facing. Do not give up.
God bless you today.
