Living Life by Design

During the first week of junior high school, as a freshman you quickly learn to stay away from situations where older classmates could take advantage of you. I stayed away from the bathrooms, locker room (when it wasn’t PE), and around corners of the school hidden from plain sight. I always wanted to be where a teacher could see me. I had faith that an adult would always come to my rescue when needed. 

I can (vividly) remember being ‘pantsed’ by older classmates in front of the woods shop classroom. Someone from behind grabbed me, held my hands down while someone else dropped my pants, pulled them off (with my shoes) and threw them on the roof of the school. I shouldn’t complain because I certainly faired better than some of my other freshman classmates. Typically, after you were pantsed, you were tossed into a trash can…head first. Being a ‘beach ball with fingers’ I was too heavy to lift into a trash can. 

This was absolutely terrifying! The worst part was that during my ordeal the wood shop teacher came out of class to observe the spectacle. I yelled for help and the teacher said, ‘there’s only one person holding you. Take care of your own business.” He then walked back into class. I learned a valuable lesson that day about whom I should put my trust in. 

There are times in all of our lives when our faith is tested. We come under ‘attack’: ‘When everyone went against us’ (Psalm 124:2) and there seems to be a ‘torrent’ (v.4) of ‘raging waters’ (v.5) – fear in particular.

These things could overwhelm you, but for the fact that the Maker of heaven and earth (unlike the wood shop teacher) is on your side (v.1). Faith means trusting that he won’t leave you defenceless. He frees you from the traps: ‘Their grip is broken; we’re free as a bird in flight’ (v.7, MSG).

I love reading about David. He is indeed one of the most tried and tested figures in the Bible. Like David, remain faithful to God. Trust in the Lord. He will protect you from raging torrents and as it says in verse 3, ‘swallowed alive’ (no trash cans). Your ‘help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth’ (v.8).

Trust in the Lord today…