2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. (NIV)
In 2005 the world watched in horror as Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city was flooded with some parts under 15 feet of water. Words failed me as I watched hurricane winds and rising flood waters hungrily consume New Orleans and her surrounding neighbors. My chest tightened and tears threatened to stream down my face as I watched hundreds, thousands, of people flee their ruined homes. I gazed numbly at my wife and children as news anchors shared story after story of those that didn’t survive and loved ones forever separated. In an effort to avoid the deluge victims looked to higher places for refuge – trees, cars and rooftops – only to find them, too, disappearing under the ever-rising waters. The lucky ones were shuttled off by boat or snatched into the sky by rescue helicopters even as murky water lapped at their feet. We’re reminded by today’s verses that God is our harbor; he is our sanctuary. When life’s waters rise, when all we once thought was so important is washed away, God will always be there, taller and more dependable than any storm raging around us. While we may be tempted to rely on our own strengths, our own abilities and our own wisdom we can be thankful for the hurricanes of trouble that, if nothing else, serve to remind us that there is one who is higher than us.
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