Devotional by Karen Rees
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge.” Psalms 18:2
The Mt. Pinatubo volcano erupted in the Philippines in June, 1991. In a matter of days, villages, rice fields and roads were buried under thousands of tons of pale ash.
When I traveled through the affected area in 2001, I saw one of those villages people had previously called “home”. A church-roof cross sticking up like a grave marker in the barren white landscape was all that remained to be seen. The villagers had moved away, their lives changed forever.
I was told that, over time, the volcanic ash will create rich farmlands and benefit future generations. This will be another change.
Change
We eagerly welcome some changes. We dread others. King Solomon, writing about change, said there’s a time for everything: a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away. (Ecc 3:1-8)
Solomon’s father had firsthand experience with change, both good and bad. In one lifetime David was a shepherd, a warrior, a fugitive, a king, and a song writer.
In Ps. 31:14-15 he wrote, “I trust in you, O Lord… My times are in your hands.” He could confidently say this, not because of who he was but because of who God is and because of the relationship David had with God.
Unlike men, God does not change. He remains faithful. He remains trustworthy. He remains loving. He is the maker of all things. He is the keeper of promises. He is our refuge in times of trouble.
Fearful times
Right now, frightening and unprecedented events are happening that we never imagined we’d see. As of mid-January 2021, Covid-19 has caused two million deaths, created severe economic hardship worldwide, and hindered the education of many millions of children. Added to this is the political turmoil in many countries including Hong Kong and the US.
Because of Covid, we’ve had to make changes in how we live and sometimes accept the previously unacceptable. Political turmoil also brings unwelcome changes to life as we knew it.
God wants to help us during these difficult times. He is still as faithful, trustworthy and available to us as he was to David. But to benefit from his help, we must give him priority over everything else – family, possessions, social status, political loyalties, occupations – trusting in and obeying him.
Priorities
Early church history tells that when the Roman army began laying siege to Jerusalem in AD 70, the Christians heeded Jesus’ prophetic warning given in Matthew 24:15-18. Leaving all their possessions behind, they fled the city. Their obedience saved their lives. The siege ended in the destruction of the Jerusalem and either enslavement or death for its starving inhabitants.
When Mt. Pinatubo began erupting, people in the area fled. Their actions saved their lives. But one woman, having spent years working in Hong Kong so she could build her nice house, refused to leave it. She died there.
Today
My prayer during this uncertain time is that I will keep God first in my life, trusting and obeying him, letting him guide me through whatever changes I need to make, and showing his love to those I meet along the way.
Thank you, Karen, for the reminder that in changing and often frightening times, we are cared for by an unchanging God and Father.
Thank you for sharing this, Karen. I love those Scriptures that remind us that the Lord is our Rock, our Fortress, the One on whom we may depend no matter what comes our way. Some seem to have greater difficulties that come their way than others.
We have had an ongoing involvement in the Philippines since our first visit in 1978, but more particularly over the last 20 years. We have made many short term mission visits, have been involved in three major church building projects, helped others, especially after severe damage as a result of typhoons, feeding programmes, education scholarships and support of young pastors and so on. We have seen some of the volcano sites as mentioned here. We have also seen where General MacArthur left the Philippines at Corregidor with the promise, “I shall return”, and the Leyte Landing where he fulfilled that promise. We lived many years close to his headquarters in Brisbane, so that promise means a lot to us as we look forward to Christ’s Return always holding on to His promises to be our refuge and strength.