I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. ~ Psalm 118:13-14 NIV

Even if we think that God has never done anything for us, His Name is worthy to be praised!

Sometimes in the midst of life’s defeats, people may curse God; blaming Him for calamity. When I passed this historical home in Old Town, Kenai, I had to stop and reflect: Who lived here so long ago?  Who cut the trees, and hewed the timbers?  Most likely the neighbors helped out, since that was still the culture when I arrived in Alaska over half a century ago – and this house is much, much older than that.

How did they survive the harsh climate?  There were no modern appliances or conveniences to ease their daily burdens.  Did they attend the old Russian Orthodox Church around the corner?  Were they people of faith?  Old Town is situated on the bluff overlooking Cook Inlet.  It is an old fishing town.  Was God their strength when loved ones perished at sea; or when the hunt for moose produced no meat for the winter?  How many families lived there before it had to be abandoned to the wind and snow?  It most certainly rode out the great Alaskan earthquake of 1964 also.  But finally, it succumbed, and is now teetering on the brink of collapse.

I am thankful to the Father of all, that He sent His Son, Jesus, who is the cornerstone and will never be shaken.  He is my Rock of Salvation.

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord save us! Lord grant us success! ~ Psalm 118:22-25 NIV

I sat there a long time, reflecting upon my own life’s defeats.  There have been too many to count.  Through it all, the Lord has been with me.  He picks me up, and sets me upright with my feet pointed in the direction I should have been headed – always drawing me nearer to Himself – to safety.  He does not want us to fall.

I still stray into circumstances that test my abilities to cope.  At times I feel that I am reaching the tipping point and only then remember to call upon Jesus to save me!

“What are you doing here?” He lovingly inquires.  He does not accuse me in my desperate state of exhaustion over fighting some battle on my own – in futility, without Him.

“Am I the only one?” I cry to the Lord, “Where were You?” – still casting my cares upon Him; not as an obedient servant, but as an afterthought; the bleating of a wayward lamb who lost its way again.

Are you reaching the tipping point?  Cry out to God – and quickly.  He will not linger, but rush to save us from any circumstance.  Trust in Him, for He is right there; waiting for us to call upon Him.  He is mighty to save and deserves our praise:

You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, and I will exalt You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. ~ Psalm 118:28-29 NIV