Ever-present

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam 
and the mountains quake with their surging.” - Psalm 46:1-3 NIV

Some time in the early morning hours, Hurricane Idalia began to make landfall in the Big Bend area of North Florida as a major Category 4 Hurricane (as of this writing, the eye wall had yet to reach land). The storm will affect/affect most everyone in the area, including many of my family’s friends and family in Apalachicola, Tallahassee and Thomasville, Ga. Our hearts and prayers go out to each of them (and folks a bit south and east of them.)

As we begin to look at the destruction and aftermath of such a significant hurricane, let’s be reminded of where our help and our strength comes from. Not from government or politicians... or even from the throngs of volunteers wielding a hope-giving hand and cases of water, but from Immanuel - God With Us - He is our God, our hope, our refuge, our strength, our ever-present help.

Ever-present. I love that thought. 

Knowing that He is ever-present will calm and strengthen those in the midst of the storm (and the storms of life), reminding us that we are never alone. We have nothing to fear.

Jesus gives us strength to overcome and hope to carry on. He loves us and gives strength, mercy, grace, faith hope and love.

Let’s be reminded that He is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.

Thank you Lord for being ever-present... in the eye of the storm, in the immediate aftermath, in the clean up, in the plans to rebuild, and in the normal day to day.

Keep the Faith... Carpe Diem