Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."¹

Brennan Manning, in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, tells about a child caught on the second floor of his house when it was on fire. The family members were all running out of the house when the smallest boy panicked and ran back upstairs.

Terrified, he screamed from a smoke-filled window. Below his father could see him and cried out, "Jump, Son, jump! I'll catch you."

"But I can't see you," the boy cried.

"I know," the father called, "but I can see you."

Many a time when we are in difficult situations and panic on the inside, if not on the outside, we long for God to help us. Not being able to see him or sense his presence, we don't know what to do. However, let us always remember that God is there regardless of our sight or our feelings, and he can see and hear us. When we call on him for help and choose to put our trust in him, he hears our prayer no matter how feeble it is, and will help us. Underneath are his everlasting arms and he "is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."²

And that may be all we need to know.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to trust you when darkness surrounds me and I am lost and do not know the way. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."

1. Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV).
2. Psalm 46:1 (KJV).

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