by Matt Poss

Ps. 122

I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the LORD!”

Our feet have been standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem!

Jerusalem—built as a city

that is bound firmly together,

to which the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD,

as was decreed for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

There thrones for judgment were set,

the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

“May they be secure who love you!

Peace be within your walls

and security within your towers!”

For my brothers and companions’ sake

I will say,“Peace be within you!”

For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,

I will seek your good.

This past year Iowa faced one of the most devastating storms to ever sweep across its golden plains. The derecho raged across the state, uprooting trees, tearing down power lines, and ripping apart homes with impunity. It caused over seven billion dollars in damage and left thousands destitute.

As I watched the derecho rage through Des Moines, I felt a mix of awe and fear. What could I do amid such a powerful storm? Humanity could not withstand the hurricane-force winds. No man-made wall could stand against its fury. From my apartment I could do nothing to stop its claws from tearing the roof off the building across the street. I was helpless.

There are few things as humbling as a storm. Mankind has never been able to control the weather. The best we can do is huddle in our homes and pray for the winds to pass over us. As we look upon the darkened skies and flashing lightning, we are reminded of just how pitiful and weak we are. We yearn for security, peace, and safety, yet every castle we build only delays the inevitable. Each storm wears away at our fortress until nothing but a pile of rocks is left.

We, like our creations, are temporary things. However, our desires stretch far beyond this world. We are stuck with needs that cannot be fulfilled by anything around us, and every disaster is a reminder of how fragile our “solutions” are.

When our so-called solutions fail and our world is in shambles, we seek out the One who can provide eternal security. In Psalm 122 God calls us to ascend to His home. He houses us in a fortress that will never yield a single stone to assailants and feeds us from storehouses that are always full. Under His care is grace that strips the sin from our souls and clothes us in salvation.

During Lent we remember that Christ sacrificed Himself to build that fortress for us. This fortress will not protect us from rain or wind, but it stands stalwart against the greatest storm of all: the sin in our hearts. We are the cause of spiritual storms, but through His death and resurrection He calms the storms and gives us the eternal peace we yearn for. All we need to do is to cast our weakness and sin on His altar and let Him do the rest.

Matthew writes dystopian science fiction and fantasy novels in his free time. He loves video games, running, all things fantasy, politics, and reading biographies of his favorite politicians. Matthew co-authors a blog, The Poss Post, with his wife Christina. He also writes love poetry to his wife.

Lent Day 29