Have you made a bed in the depths?
Psalm 139:7-16 – This well-known Psalm is a great comfort to read. It is telling us that wherever we are, wherever we go, God is there with us. Sometimes though, it can feel like God isn’t anywhere near us! ‘Where are you, Lord?’ we ask. Life throws curved balls at us- Sickness, bereavement, broken relationships, job loss, rising costs, failed exam, house move gone wrong. The list seems endless at times!
But Psalm 139 reminds us that,’ even if we make our bed in the depths, you are there’- even when all is going wrong around us you are always there. I began to realise that in periods of feeling very low, I’ve sometimes made a bed in the depths. Like a hippopotamus wallowing in mud, I have wallowed in a bed of despair. I was duped into thinking it was the safest place to be, but it is the most dangerous place to be! I was thinking if I stay in the depths, nothing else can go wrong. What a lie!
In the depths we are lying still, not moving forward. We are an easy target for our enemy. We have no armour on to protect us. Its uncomfortable to wear armour in bed!
Ephesians 6:13-18 – encourages us to put our armour on! It encourages us to STAND several times and mentions all the different armour parts we need.
1) STAND firm – putting on the breastplate of righteousness- do and say what is right.
2) STAND – having fastened on the belt of truth- listen to the truth and tell the truth.
3) Take up the shield of faith-extinguish all the darts/lies of the evil one – believe the truth.
4) Put on the helmet of salvation- you are saved!
5) Use the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God- read daily!
6) Put on the WHOLE armour of God that you may be able to STAND against the schemes of the devil.
So, if we’ve made our bed in the depths, we need to get up and put our armour on! For some of us, it may mean walking out of our front door and engaging with a local church family. It may mean blowing the dust off our paper bible or re-downloading our favourite online bible version. It may also mean deleting stuff we’ve been listening to or watching.
Ephesians 6 also says, ‘For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.’
It says in 1 Peter 5:8 ‘The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ Our enemy loves it when we are lying down in the depths! We are an easy target for all his lies.
Let’s STAND UP and put on the whole armour of God so that we may be able to withstand the schemes of the devil and help others too!