“I will exalt you, O LORD, for You lifted me out of the depths…”
Psalm 30:1
It was a typical Texas summer afternoon…hot, lunch was over, the little ones were down for naps, and the moms (three sisters) were deep in conversation; it was the perfect opportunity to hone our softball skills. My dad and two uncles ambled along as Texas men do, while my younger sister and I, along with two even younger cousins hopped, skipped, and ran to the school baseball diamond three blocks away. Ages ranged from five to nine, not a single ball player in the mix.
My dad and the uncles positioned themselves as pitcher and a tight infield. Crowded around home base, cousins pushed and shoved to create a batter’s line up. Who screamed first, I can’t remember. Everything quickly became shrieking, crying, swatting, jumping, and blurred chaos. The dads running to our rescue immediately saw the stinging red ants that covered our legs and were scrambling up our bodies at warp speed, biting as they went. We had awakened the giant mound of red ants that was home plate.
There were too many ants to be brushed away. Each dad lifted his kid or kids out of the fiery mound, and began running. What a sight we must have been; three grown men racing down the street, each with at least one screaming, crying child under his arm. Of course, the angry ants saw this as an opportunity to move on to bigger and better – they began a stinging transfer relocating from child to father.
Three blocks later, met by our moms – they had heard us coming – the water hose was turned on all of us (dads included) and the fire ants began to turn loose of their victims. The moms took over, removing our clothes, wrapping us in towels as they slathered us from head to toe with a soothing ointment. In our momma’s arms tears dried, sobs were choked back, and our spirits started to calm. Truly an unforgettable day at the ballpark!
What I recall most vividly about that day was my daddy racing to my rescue, lifting me up in his strong arms, and pulling me out of my stinging, burning misery. I am eternally grateful for the loving earthly father that blessed my life and consistently modeled the character of God to our family in so many ways.
My heart breaks for those who have never known a loving father, a dad willing to stand in a fiery ant mound to pull his little girl to safety.
O friend, do you know that there is a Father who went to much greater lengths to demonstrate His love for you? Stings of fire ants are nothing compared to flesh being torn away by a centurion’s scourge or spikes driven through hands and feet. A fiery mound of ants is nothing compared to a cross. God the Father sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to take on human flesh so that He could pay the penalty for our sins and in doing so, lift us out of the despair of sin and eternal death.
“Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O You who lift me up from the gates of death that I may recount all your praises, that …I may rejoice in Your salvation.” Psalm 9:13, 14
Our Father doesn’t stop there. Once you accept Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior, repent of the sins in your self-centered life, and surrender yourself body, mind, heart, and soul to God, He will continue to lift you. When life seems hopeless, friendless, unloving, unkind, and the walls seem to be closing in, God will wrap His loving arms around you and lift you out of your stinging mess.
That doesn’t mean all the difficulties disappear magically, it means you are not alone in your challenges. You do not have to come up with all the answers. It is not all up to you. Your immediate circumstances may not have changed, but you are no longer mired in a quicksand of problems that is pulling you under.
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Psalm 3:3
God will lift you above the circumstances; He will give you a new perspective and renewed hope. No longer will you be focused on the mess of your situation. Your lifted eyes will be focused on the only Father whose mighty arm is unbreakable and whose unending love is unshakeable. He will never forsake or disappoint you.
For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy: I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Psalm 27:5-9