At The Center Of Imbalance

Posted on August 25, 2020 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore, I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:6-8 (NKJV)

 

It was a long drive from where I live in Jersey to Niagara Falls, but on June 15^th, 2012, with the family in tow, we made it there. And since we drove all that way to see the infamous falls, we decided to go check them out at night. Little did we know that a tightrope walker, Nik Wallenda, planned to cross over the falls that same night. We stood at the place he was starting off at and the thing I noticed was that, even though you’d think that all those guys need are a balancing pole and a skillful step, Nik had a safety harness attached, hmm. Oh, here’s one of those “by the way” tidbits of info, he was praising Jesus Christ the entire 1,800-foot stroll across the widest part of the falls. Not Too Shabby!! Anyway…

 

I just happen to be one of those guys who wakes up in a world that can’t stand anyone who takes a political middle ground. Apparently, this world wants you either radically far left or conservatively far right and to be honest with you all, I genuinely could care less. Why? That’s easy to answer. I’m not putting my confidence in the folks that hold on to those political positions like luggage, that’s why. As a Christian I should know better anyway. I can’t be a student of Biblical doctrine on one hand and try to pepper it with a political agenda on the other. Now, don’t get me wrong here either, I do have my political views but, ultimately, if Solomon’s wisdom holds true then, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1) Like it or not, we’re all just gonna have to deal with it.

 

The stuff I really need to hold to is the truth’s in Gods Word. In a human way, it is ironic that the center of the Bible says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8) Now in God’s economy that’s exactly on point but if we took a few steps back in Psalm 118 we’ll see, “The LORD is on my side, what can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6) This is one of those moments where ya gotta go, “This tune sounds familiar” and it should because earlier on in the Psalms this was written, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) When you look at these verses you get the sense that the writer has seen them prove themselves in his own life.

 

And if you’re a student of His Word, these verses should arrive in a moment where the imbalance of life’s situations come at their worst. For David they did. Psalm 27 is written by David when King Saul is chasing him all over the place. If you look at the situation David was in, it seems like he is being paid evil for the good he has done for God’s people. Psalm 118, also written by David, was sung at the founding of the second temple (Ezra 3:10) after those who were in the Babylonian Exile came back to a broken Israel. What’s the take away here is that in the middle of the imbalance that life had brought, God’s goodness remained at the center of everyone’s focus.

 

Ya know, I’m sure Nik Wallenda felt pretty secure with the safety harness on as he stepped out to cross Niagara Falls but I believe it’s what he chose to keep his focus on that give him the strength for the challenge ahead of him. I’m not too sure I’d do a tightrope walk across a swimming pool letting alone Niagara Falls but I do a balancing act every day of my life. Being a Christian and working out in Secularland during this season of social unrest may require a safety harness of some kind but if I’m not choosing to keep God’s goodness in the center of the imbalance of daily living, I’m making a loud splash.

 

After the chaos of feeding 5,000 men (with their families in tow), a boat is in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus appears and a stunned Peter says, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” But it got a little iffy and Peter will lose his focus, “Lord, save me!!” Jesus will stretch His hand, “Why did you doubt?” May this not be us today. Be mindful that at the center of imbalance there’s Jesus. Amen?

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a husband, a father, has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of The Colony of Mercy. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net

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Think About This: “When we have God in clear focus, His powerful presence eclipses our fear.” — Charles Swindoll

The Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 28-31| You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: ⁹ not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. -1 Peter 3:9

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.