Set Me In A Large Place
“I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.” Psalm 118:5
In the 118th Psalm, the author begins the chapter by giving thanks unto the Lord. The psalmist had found God to be worthy of praise due to His goodness and His everlasting mercy. All the people – Israel, the house of Aaron, and all those who feared the Lord – were called to give God praise because His mercy endures forever.
God’s goodness and His kindness are far beyond one’s lifetime. And His love is unchanging in the midst of changing situations.
One would agree that changing situations seem to be our norm in this day and time. As we try to adapt to life issues, the lifestyle we once were familiar with has met its challenges. 2020 was a year of constraints, restraints, and restrictions. Some people felt their freedoms were taken away and infringed upon. They did not want to temporarily conform to a state of being, which had the potential to save many and slow down the spread of the invisible enemy at hand. So, the constraints, restraints, and restrictions crossed over into the new year with us.
However, the faith that we hold to be true has awarded us hope. We can reflect on the testimony of our writer, when he says, “I called upon the Lord in distress…” When we look deeper into the word distress, it can mean something tight, figuratively meaning, trouble, anguish, pain, or strait.
It seems our author has found himself in a tight situation. The scriptures do not tell us the cause of his feelings. All we know is that it has caused him to feel distressed and troubled. So he does the only thing he knows to do, call upon the Lord. Pray. And when he prays, the Lord answers. Not only did God answer, but He delivers him from his trouble and sets him in a large place. It’s a broad and roomy place, an open space where he can feel at liberty.
Twelve days into this new year, I ask you, what continues to cause you to feel distressed? What continues to cause you to feel restrained or restricted?
I offer you the same answer that our psalmist found – prayer.
When we pray, God delivers us from our troubles. Prayer shows God we trust Him and that we have given Him lordship over our lives. It is a sign of surrender, acknowledging to God, He is in control and has our permission to do as He pleases. When we relinquish our rights to God, it frees His hand to move us out of harm’s way. In His sovereignty, God will lift us out of the constraints of four walls and set us in a place without walls. A place where the possibilities are exceedingly, abundantly above what we could ask or imagine – a wealthy place.
Yes, it is a large place. But it’s not too large that the wings of the Almighty can’t cover us and shelter us, giving us a sense of security, safe in His arms.
So, I leave you with this thought; there is no space too tight – no dwelling too stressful where God can’t squeeze in and move you to a larger place.
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?”
Jeremiah 32:27
Join me next week for Coffee on The Couch