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Devotional

Before the Rescue

by NICOLETTE HUTCHERSON SECURITY Fear
Before the Rescue
  • by NICOLETTE HUTCHERSON
  • Comment
“The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.”
Psalms 18:4

I've lost count of the number of times over the years that the wisdom of raising our family in a volatile region has been questioned. “God's will is the safest place to be,” I would reply, and my mind would jump ahead to the part of the Psalms where God reaches in to rescue His child (18:16), or to the New Testament promises that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor 4:17). I found comfort and security in these truths. 


But that was before. 


Before the mental gymnastics I did every morning deciding if my baby should go in the stroller or the sling... because if the car were walking by exploded, what would give her a better chance? 


Before choking on tear gas in my own living room. 


Before hiding in the bathroom with my crying children when an explosion shattered our world. 


Before getting frantic texts from my 12-year-old asking if we could come get her from school because there was shooting in the streets.


Now, I don't skip ahead to the end of the story, to the promise of rescue. I find it helpful to sit with the writers of Scripture in their fear. Job knew that in the end, he would see God, but that doesn't mean he didn't experience excruciating physical and emotional pain to the point he thought he would die. David knew that ultimately God would save him, but he still feared for his life while hiding from Saul. Paul knew God would use all things for His glory, but he still begged the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. Let's not gloss over these parts of the stories to rush to the end. 


Finding our security in God feels easy once we've been rescued, but His promise isn't only for the after – we can find our security in Him even in the midst of danger. This is where our faith is proven, and this is where we learn who has us in His hand. 


Closing Prayer
God, enter into our suffering, enter into the scary and dangerous situations we find ourselves in and remind us that this is not the end of our story. Help us to feel secure in Your promises even when the world around us seems to be falling apart. You are good and Your promises are true, help us to understand that in our darkest moments. Amen.
Resources
Book: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom The incredible story of Corrie Ten Boom's life – from hiding Jews in her home to the Nazi death camps. Her faith in response to danger is both challenging and inspiring and serves as a clear example of how a believer can and should respond in the midst of life-threatening circumstances.
Song: You are my Hiding Place by Michael Ledner, performed in English and Arabic by Eliane Aoun An “oldie but a goodie,” this song is the perfect prayer when we find ourselves faced with fear.
Question for Reflection

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you truly felt afraid for your life? How did that experience help you better understand the security we find in God?

Comments
Nicolette Hutcherson
May 29, 2023

I don't think I truly understood what it meant to find security in the Lord until I experienced situations where my physical safety was really at risk. It took having my “safety nets” - that I had so often confused with security from God - taken away to truly understand what it means to find shelter, to take refuge, to depend on God for my rescue.