He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. Psalm 18:16–17 NKJV
Spring showers caused them to pop up everywhere.
My grandmother called them mud puddles. Living in the flatlands of South Carolina, I typically saw them after a spring or summer rain. Water settled in roadside ditches, fields, and low places in dirt driveways until it had time to soak in the ground. And as the puddles waited to soak in or for the sun to draw them into the atmosphere, my cousin and I waited nearby to traipse through them.
Nothing was finer than removing our shoes and wading in mud puddles or running through them—at which point our clothes got soaked. Since the summers were hot and humid, the water on our feet and bodies felt exhilarating—until our grandmother delivered us from our game of fun.
Our dalliances in the mud and water meant she’d have to wash clothes…and us. And there was no telling what might lounge beneath the puddles. Ringworms or other parasites, jagged glass, and tin cans come to mind—all recipes for a trip to the doctor or emergency room.
As our grandmother drew us from playing in shallow waters, which carried potentially dangerous risks, the psalmist said God pulled him out of many waters that represented the enemies trying to harm him.
For the believer, opposition is natural. The presence of light and darkness explains it. We walk in the light, while those who ignore God choose darkness. According to Jesus, light and darkness don’t mesh. Darkness will always oppose the light because light exposes its dastardly intentions.
God is sovereign over any opposition we face, no matter how unfavorable. He still controls even if it brings unfathomable consequences or ends in our demise. He is forever greater than any opposition we face.
Opposition also confirms our identity. Jesus said if His enemies persecuted Him, they would also torment His followers. Christian history is filled with the truth of His statement. Light hates darkness and reacts against it.
Comforting, however, is the thought that one day, Christ will bring all opposition under the authority of His reign. Believers living in the new heaven and earth won’t experience it because God will eliminate all forces of sin. Puddles of opposition may be numerous, but God will deliver us from them all.
How has God delivered you from puddles?
–Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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