“My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.” (Psalms 55:4-5).

For many, the words of David in this Psalm are far too real. Loss of a loved one, worry about someone sick, our own illness or other trials. It is “overwhelming” and so we cry out for help:

“I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm. ”

No-one wants to be in a storm. However, far too often we find ourselves despairing as “tempest and storm” threaten to overwhelm us. And our only thought is to get away. “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove I would fly away and be at rest”.  But how does we do that?  Let's, for a moment, follow the dove, for maybe we can find this rest in our storm. 

The first time we find the dove in he Bible is in the story of Noah. The world has been deluged with water, the ultimate storm, and Noah sends our a dove to see if it can find dry ground. At first is doesn’t find any place to rest. The second time it returns with “a freshly plucked olive leaf” and finally it does not return. It’s found rest. (Genesis 8:6-12). 

In this story there is an important lesson. Simply praying for wings and flying somewhere will not guarantee us rest. Often we do this. We desperately grasp whatever we can get. Yet often the peace in the storm is short lived. 

Rest in a storm is only found if we go where the dove went. Where did it go? Following the dove in the Bible, thousands of years later, we find it landing on a very special person. 

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Jesus. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”” (Matthew 3:16-17)

The dove lands on Jesus. And for good reason. It is he who gives us true rest in our storm. Jesus says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). It is he who gives us true peace in our tempest - a peace that defies human reason:  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

And so, if life’s storms are raging around you. If it’s impossible to know where to turn. Let’s do as David did and pray for the wings of a dove so we might find divine rest and peace in God. 

“As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me.” (Psalms 55:16). 

My prayer for you today is that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind  in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:7) Amen. 🙏🏻

The tension was palpable as Laura stepped up to the wheel. Three others stood behind clinging to their already earned prizes of $30,000. Yet here was Laura risking it all for the almost impossible prize of $10 million. No one ever won this and she would lose everything. 

"Inconceivable," I thought to myself, "it's an inconceivable amount of money. Imagine what I could do with that. My financial issues solved for ever and my dream of doing outreach work in Africa a reality. But it's not me. I just can't do it." 

"So you know how it works Laura," the  game show host says in his lilting TV voice. "You have one chance to hit the gold spot with the dart." Laura looks down nervously at the small dart she is holding. The other three contestants stand looking on thinking about what they have decided - "Keep the certain cash and don't go for the impossible." 

The giant wheel begins to spin as the music starts. Faster and faster it spins as the tempo of the music rises too. 
"Are you ready Laura?" The game show host shouts beaming his whitened-teeth smile at her. "Are you ready to receive the impossible. Are you ready to get your dream?"

Laura smiles nervously and says, "Yes, I think so."
"On my count," the game show host continues, "throw the dream dart and claim your dream....three, two..." the music has reached it's crescendo and the wheel is a blur of lights as it spins..."one, THROW!"

Laura seems to close her eyes as she throws. It's almost as if time slows down as the studio audience holds its collective breath. The small dart flies towards the impossible target and all of a sudden a dazzle of sparks and lights erupt from all around the wheel. The impossible has happened. Laura has won!

I look on stunned from where I stand with the other two contestants. I can almost touch the wheel - that fortune - it was so close yet so impossibly far. That's my life. Seeing the impossible but never experiencing it. Seeing the dream but never reaching it. I suppose that's the way it's meant to be. I must accept what I have and not reach for the impossible. At least I have my $30,000. 

I am sure we can all relate to this story in some way. We see others getting things that we don't have. Or we see a life that we would love, but it's just out of reach or just to scary to go for. And so we accept our lot and make the best of what we have been given. 

In Bible times, when the people were dependent on farming for their survival, where you lived was important. So for example while the views might be nice on a mountain, living there was not always a good idea. Mountains are stony and nearly impossible to farm. However valleys are flat and fertile and often have rivers or other water available. So the dream place to live was a wonderful fertile valley. Crops would be fruitful, farming would be easy and life would be great. 

However it so happened that in the days of the Judges that these awesome fertile valleys had a problem...an iron problem.

So there the people sat, living in God's strength up in the hills, looking longingly down at the valley - but unable to go there because of thee impossible to beat iron chariots. 

HOLD ON! This does not make sense. It says "The Lord was with the men of Judah" and then it says they are unable to drive out the people "because they had chariots fitted with iron." Iron chariots are stronger than God Almighty! What?

How can this be? How can it be that God is with these people but He can't drive out a few iron chariots?

BUT read carefully. Yes "the Lord was with the men" but "THEY were unable" to drive out the people. It was not God whose power was insufficient. 

God, who at a word parts seas has no issue with iron chariots. However the people did. 

The problem was not with God, as it was not with Jesus when he sought to show God's power - it was with the people and their lack of faith!

So we sit here reading this, marveling at how a people who have God with them, who have experienced his power don't believe He can do more. We are astounded by their unbelief, their limiting of God. Yet this story is not about them - its about you and I. 

Forget the Israelites - this is us. This is our shocking story!
From the beautiful fertile valley of life Jesus says to us living on the harsh mountainside conditions. 

He is saying - "Come down and live in the fertile valley of life."
And what is our response? 
"It's not possible Lord. I know you are with me. I know you have worked amazing miracles in my life on this harsh mountain side, but Lord, the valley...the abundant life...the fertile life, that's not possible."

And so Jesus stands in the beautiful valley calling...

Yet we cannot enter the valley because (we believe) God is unable to give this life to us. And so we are left looking down into the valley of promise with some questions to answer. 

Do I still live in the difficult, trying conditions of a life of sin, temptation, and struggle? 
Do I still look at the fertile valley of life and Jesus' offer and believe that is not for now, not possible? 
Is it iron chariots that stop us from experiencing the abundant life? Too many trails, too many stresses, too many sins. 
If so am I limiting the power of God?

Stop standing there looking on as others claim the impossible prize. Jesus offers us the life of promise. A life worth more than $10 million. Step forward and claim it. Unlike the Laura story, there is no risk here, there is nothing to lose, and everything to gain. All we need is to believe.

God is able. God is willing. There is nothing besides faith that stands between us and experiencing his life of abundance. There is nothing besides faith that stands between us and the valley of life. Let us not limit God.