“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him”. (Psalm 34: 8)

This is one of my favorite statements within all of the 150 psalms that are contained in Old Testament writings.  David is credited for penning this particular psalm; he did so when fleeing his homeland in order to escape Saul’s rage.In order to further protect his life, he actually acted insane under Abimelek, the ruler of the Philistines where David had escaped. In the earlier portion of the psalm David declared he would “extol the Lord at all times”, that “His praise will always be on my lips”. He offers an invitation –”Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together”. David describes the protection God gave him as “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them”.

In light of California’s devastating fires raging through neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area, I did a quick search to find any stories of the miraculous. I stumbled upon an article describing how a $9 million home survived total destruction while considering each home on both sides were total losses. Looking at the accompanying photo is proof of its resilience against fire and wind created by the wildfire.  Explanations for the mansion’s survival are attributed that the house was built with fire resistant materials, including stucco and stone walls, along with a specially designed fireproof roof. These elements likely shield the property from the intense heat and flames. (source businessstandard.com)

Wisdom. Forethought. These are two themes often taught in scripture. As the words of David in Psalm 34 instruct, likewise Jesus’ own words regarding wisdom are found in a parable He taught in Matthew 7: 24-25: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation built on the rock”. 

You and I, when creating and building our faith, can do well to follow God’s blueprint for a beautiful and successful outcome for our personal journey with Him. Like the mansion, we will be surrounded by people who are constantly negative, who will attack our belief systems, who challenge the very fabric of our biblical truths. By standing firm, by placing our trust in God, those weaker than us face the possibility of destruction, all while living “lost” and “unprotected” because of refusal to surrender pride and arrogance to an almighty God.

Let me make it clear, I’m not saying that God caused the wildfires in California. Although I’m a novice at best when it comes to that locale, I am wise enough to understand how policies prevented ample water supplies along with years of not performing deforestation practices may have greatly contributed to these current fires. Comparing years of enacted laws to that of common sense leadership appears to have been a mute topic until thousands of families are now displaced who are now calling out for answers and accountability from those who’ve been making decisions for Californians. 

Beautiful homes require months to construct. Likewise, faith in Jesus takes time, too. All too quickly–in the blink of an eye–material possessions can be destroyed, leaving us homeless, empty, loss of hope, despair filling our once joyful hearts. Faith can also come under an onslaught of attack in the forms of illness, death, loss of income…but when wavering faith keeps eyes focused on the architect and builder–Jesus Christ–reconstruction comes! Faith is nurtured once again, perhaps even restored as something stronger than when life was smooth sailing.

Finally, to the families in California, to anyone who feels as though life is hard, take refreshment from David’s own words in verse 17-18: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

(source: businessstandard.com)