What if?

Regret is something that plagues today's society.  We look at the things we've done and we say "If only I had been wiser.  Smarter.  More patient.  There's SOMETHING I clearly missed."  I can't honestly say that regret is something that's biblically healthy.  However, reminiscing, or even reflecting upon the glory of God is something that most certainly is healthy.  David himself realized this and wrote innumerable times about how God had delivered him from the hands of the enemy.

Psalm 124:1-5: What if the Lord had not been on our side?  Let all Israel repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?  They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger.  The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us.  Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.

He knew it!  He not only knew his life wouldn't be the same without God, he knew exactly what would have happened.  He knew the tumult and the destruction of life would have completely overwhelmed his mortal soul.  But with God, and only from God, can we succeed from the dangers, destruction, death, and evils of this world.

Psalm 124:6-8: Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!  We escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap.  The trap is broken, and we are free!  Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

Relief

Psalm 122:1-3: I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached.

How often are we truly enjoying the refuge of God? Like getting caught in a rainstorm, our first instinct is to head for shelter.  To get to SOMETHING that is away from the destruction of water.  It's funny to watch dozens of people try and cram themselves under one canopy in the city.  Their quickly fleeting hope that the are promised some of this shelter from the world falling down around them.  Well, I can say you are indeed promised shelter from your world falling down around you.

Ultimate what is best is our undying devotion and desire to run to God for shelter.   There is never "not enough room" and we are all comfortable at once under his shelter.

Psalm 121:5-8: The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.  The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.  The lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.  The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.