12 March 2008 Devotion for Today "Drawing Waters" Psalm 18

12 March 2008 Devotion for Today "Drawing Waters" Psalm 18

On our tour of Ronneburg castle with my cub scout troop we
visited the castle well that is known to be one of the deepest on
the continent- 93 meters deep! For a fifty-pfennig piece, one can
drop a coin into a box that runs a series of lights that illuminates
the well all the way to the bottom of what looks like an abyss. It
is even more fascinating to fill a wooden bucket with water and pour
it into the top of the well and wait several seconds until one hears
the splash of the water as it hits the bottom. Once, as I leaned over
the edge of the well and trying to get a better view, the thought of
what might happen if someone were to accidentally fall down the well
shaft glanced across my mind. Thankfully there is a heavy metal mesh
provided for the saftey of tourists. To be certain, this mesh was not
always there. On one occasion, a tour guide told us about an individual,
a household servant, who plunged into the well hoping to escape a
maurading force of invaders as it overran the fortress during the
Thirty Years War. He survived the nearly 100 meter fall and lived for
about three days in the darkness until someone drew him out with the
elaborate pulley system rigged to haul large quantities from the well.
He lived through the invasion and was hauled to saftey after the fortress
was retaken.

Quite a story, I thought. I thought about the man who thought
he could hide in that well. How could he have gotten himself into a
situation like that? BUt the more I thought of it, I know that on more
than one occasion, I have gotten into such trouble. I never thought to
jump into a 100 meter well, but other things have had about the same
effect. If we were all honest, all of us could concurr with the same
experiences. Sin causes us to get "in over our heads" in deep trouble.
Trouble that is easy to get into, but nearly impossible-if not impossible,
without God's help.

I am reminded of God's mercy and grace in Psalm 18, where David
tells of such trouble as he writes, "He sent from above, He took me;
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." Verses 16-17.

Are you in "deep waters" today? Call upon God and He will answer
you. God always has an ear for the voice of repentance. Call upon Him
today. Have a blessed day.

(from 23 May 2000)