(Due to COVID-19 all events have been cancelled.)
Larry’s Lines. . .
By Larry Murphy, Executive Director
In 2016, Toby Mac, a Christian singer, recorded the song “Move (Keep Walkin’).” Now I must confess that if it is not 60’s on the Six on Sirius Radio, I am not a music connoisseur. Hearing this song a year ago, it came to my mind recently as we are going through all that this year has thrown our way.
Some of the words of “Move (Keep Walkin’)” tell of broken hearts, unanswered prayer, feeling that you have nothing left, no sunshine, and dreams that keep passing by. Then Mac says “lift up your head, it ain’t over yet, move, keep walkin’ soldier, keep movin’ on. . . . lift your head, it ain’t over yet.”
I thought of Psalm 13 where David asked four times in the short six verses, “How long Lord.” Then David prays and asks God to lift up his eyes lest he sleep and his enemies prevail over him. In verses 5-6, he closes with: “But I have trusted in thy steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
When I read this Psalm, I really realized that I must rejoice in His salvation given to me as a free gift. After long reflection, I realized God has dealt bountifully with me so why not keep moving on. Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” This encourages us to keep going forward. Then King Jehoshaphat said in II Chronicles 20:12, “we are NO power against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” Keep looking upward is the encouragement here. For salvation and all that God has done for us, we need to keep walking.
Gladys Aylward was a British evangelical missionary to China in the 1930’s. She ministered to orphans, prisons, and worked in other ministries to the Chinese people. When the Japanese invaded China in 1938, Aylward led 100 or more orphans over the mountains to safety.
Aylward was wounded many times, had no food for the children, and was constantly under attack by enemy fire and had just about given up.
Their last obstacle before freedom was a raging river flowing too fast and too deep for her and the children to cross. Aylward sat down and began to cry out of frustration and desperation. A small girl reminded her of the story of Moses crossing the Red Sea with God’s help. Aylward said, “Oh, child, you don’t understand. I am not Moses. The child said, “No, but God is still God.” At that moment a Chinese boat patrol came by and helped them cross the river.
I need this reminder more than you, but may we encourage each other to keep moving on and knowing God is still God.