Isaiah 25:4 ‘For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall’

DAILY READING; • 2 Thessalonians 1; Isaiah 25-26; Psalm 117

Mike Couillard, is a Colonel in the United States Air Force, who served in Turkey, as the operations chief for the Office of Defense Cooperation.

On January 15, 1995, Mike took his 10 year old son, on a skiing trip along with some people from the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. However as father and son went up the slopes to a mountain summit, a blinding blizzard hit, and the pair lost their way.

As they strayed deeper into the frozen forest, with no food or source of light, their survival looked very unlikely. For the first few days, Mike applied his knowledge from his Air Force survival training to keep them alive. However, after one week of no food, warmth or proper shelter and having come to the end of his knowledge on how to survive, Mike cried out to God for help.

Though, the News of the missing American Air force officer and his son dominated the Headlines in Turkey, all search and rescue efforts failed to yield results. And after missing for eight days in the cold forest, they were given up for death, and a “service of hope” was held in their honor.

However, though on the very edge of death, Mike continued to pray to God and hoped against hope. Then at the last minute, a miracle happened. Some Turkish lumberjacks who by God’s providence, had come to that remote forest to gather wood, found Mike. Recognizing him from the news reports, they immediately rescued Mike and his son and brought them to safety. Mike’s story is captured in his book, ‘miracle on the mountains.’

Isaiah 25:4 says ‘For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall’

For many people this year, it indeed feels as if they have been hit by a blizzard. The magnitude and speed of collapse in global activity, has left many lost and looking for a way out. In just a few months, the world has experienced dramatic and unprecedented changes that has left many people now struggling for survival.

However, as believers, looking back sincerely at these past few months, we can see that God has indeed been faithful. Despite our coming close to the edge of the precipice sometimes, God has always showed up for our rescue. In our finances, in our health, in our families, in our careers and businesses, God has remained our ever present help in time of need.

Truly, if the Lord had not been on our side, there is no telling where we would be by now. Despite the global shaking, God has kept us. We have not survived because of our expertise or knowledge of survival, neither have we thrived because of our strength or smartness. We have survived so far and will continue to survive because of God’s love wrapped around us.

Indeed God has been our refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones was as a storm against the wall (Isaiah 25:4)

When we have been weak, He has been strong for us. And even in the times when strength seemed to fail us, He has been our rock. The eternal God has been our resting place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. In every tight situation, He has always been our way of escape.

Therefore on this last day of the month, let us lift up our voice and bless the Lord because of His many mercies. Let us bless Him for giving us peace and rest, even in the midst of the global storm.

And as we praise Him for bringing us through the first half of this interesting year, surely He will do even greater things for us in the remaining half of the year.

PRAYER: Lord, I am truly grateful for Your grace and mercy that has seen me through the first half of this year. I know indeed that with You on my side, I shall yet see even greater and more glorious things in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

You are too loaded on the inside, to ever consider failing in life. WORDBITE 222