“If the Lord had not been on our side, let Israel say, if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 124
When Christianity began to breathe into Haiti it would have been so very easy for satan to have crushed those bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ…if God had not been on their side. I visited this preaching station southeast of Thomassique towards the end of the week and there was nobody there except the pastor and as you can see, the door was not locked. There were several little preaching stations like this in the Central Plateau and often I thought how easy it would have been for the vodou priest to just set this structure on fire but then our Sovereign Lord was on their side. When photos of Haitian children who are attending Lutheran schools you need to realize they are in the minority being Christians but God is on their side. No matter what challenges you happen to be facing, no matter how big or small always be thankful that God is on your side. I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘If God Had Not Been on Our Side’ that were written by Martin Luther in 1524 at the age of 41.
“If God had not been on our side and had not come to aid us, the foes with all their power and pride would surely have dismayed us; for we, His flock, would have to fear the threat of men both far and near who rise in might against us. Their furious wrath, did God permit, would surely have consumed us and as a deep and yawning pit with life and limb entombed us. Like men o'er whom dark waters roll their wrath would have engulfed our soul and, like a flood, o'erwhelmed us. Blest be the Lord, who foiled their threat that they could not devour us; our souls, like birds, escaped their net, they could not overpower us. The snare is broken; we are free! Our help is ever, Lord, in Thee, Who madest earth and heaven.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay