A WORD FOR TODAY, September 26, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, September 26, 2024
“If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, let Israel now say, if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, when men rose up against us; then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the proud waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed be Yahweh, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in Yahweh’s name, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124, WEB
Cliffs have long fascinated people. When we stand at the top and look down, we are awed by the thought that one slip of the foot could bring our death as we plummet to the bottom. When we stand at the bottom, we long to climb to the top just to see what is beyond our view. Cliffside adventures can be dangerous.
I have always been a bit adventurous, willing to go out on the ledge for the perfect picture, but I have to admit that there were more than a few moments when I was not sure on my feet. At one park I felt lightheaded as we walked along the cliff, thankful for the railing that kept me safe. At another I carefully sat on the edge so that Bruce could take the perfect adventure photo; I felt a little shaky as I did so. I really wanted to look over the edge of those cliffs even if there was no safety rail, but I did so with more caution than I would have used half a lifetime ago. Things weren't much easier at the bottom of the cliffs as I nearly got a headache staring up so long and I tripped over more than one rock and tree root. We are headed on vacation in Wyoming next week, and I though I am feeling stronger and healthier these days, I have to remember that I’m a sixty-year-old woman, and be careful to follow the rules for my safety.
There is a story about a man who slipped and fell off a cliff while hiking on a mountaintop. On his way down he grabbed a branch. He was twenty feet from the top and a long way from the bottom. He feared for his life and cried for help. A booming voice spoke up, “I am here, and I will save you if you believe in me.” “I believe, I believe,” the man yelled back. “If you believe me, let go of the branch and then I will save you.” The man’s fear of death was so great he yelled, “Is there anyone else who can help?” What he didn’t know is that he was just feet from a shelf; if he let go, he would land and it would be easier to save him. We don’t always believe the voice. It takes faith to let go and trust that our Lord will save us.
Today’s psalm is a song of praise that praised God after He delivered His people from her enemies. Israel hung perilously on some spiritual cliffside over and over again, but God was with her all along. The people sang songs of thanksgiving after He saved her, but they often went looking to others for help. They turned to the strength, power, and might of other nations, unwilling to be obedient to God s words. “Is there anyone else,” they asked, ignoring the truth that God is greater than even the greatest nation.
As we look back on our lives, we can see moments when we have slipped off a cliff. When we cry for help, the voice of God asks, “Do you believe?” All too often we cry back, “Is there anyone else?” Yet in hindsight we can sing this hymn of praise knowing that our help is the Lord. We will experience new adventures, sometimes looking down from the top of a cliff in awe of the potential danger or gazing up to the top of a cliff pondering what lies beyond. As we do, let us remember that if the Lord had not been with us, we would have been destroyed. This gives us the courage, hope and peace to face each new adventure with faith in the Lord who is always faithful.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org