April 2 - Escaping to comfort
Contributed by
Joy Houser, a junior elementary education major from Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday April 02
Scripture
Psalm 61:1-5
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead
me to the rock that is higher than I;
for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of
your wings. Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the
heritage of those who fear your name.
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Devotion
My friend Emily recently shared a childhood memory of running
away. She remembered packing and on some occasions walking
out to the pine trees in her back yard. She vividly recounted the
details of one particular time that she wanted to make her family
think that she was running away but, on account of the cold
weather, didn’t actually want to leave. She filled her red suitcase
with provisions, opened the front door, and slammed it without
going out. Then she hid under the dinning room table and ate her
packed food.
After the telling of this story, all of my friends had a story to tell
about a time they wanted to escape. The desire to run when things
get bad, to flee from problems is something that we all feel at one
moment or another, not just as children. How do we deal with
times of hopelessness?
In the midst of the Lenten season I am reminded of some faithful
followers long ago who probably felt immense desperation. For
Jesus’ disciples his death must have hit like a ton of bricks.
Looking back, we know it was a mere three days that they were
without Jesus, but what a time of anguish it must have been! Jesus
had turned their worlds around and introduced them to a new life.
They had spent three years by his side, learning and loving.
Imagine the desolation Jesus’ disciples must have felt when their
best friend was crucified. They probably even feared association
with Jesus.
Psalm 61:1-5 articulates these universal feelings of despair. At the
end of this passage we are left with a new sense of hope.
Suddenly it seems plausible to trust the strong tower of God. It is
conceivable that we can find protection under the wings of our
Lord.
As a child, Emily didn’t have to flee her situation. She needed only
to escape with her red suitcase to a comforting place under the
dining room table.
May you also cry out to God in those moments of affliction, and
may you rest in the protection of God’s wings.
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