Daily Devotional for November 16, 2015

Isaiah 46:1-3
God is our mighty fortress,
    always ready to help
    in times of trouble.
And so, we won’t be afraid!
    Let the earth tremble
    and the mountains tumble
    into the deepest sea.
Let the ocean roar and foam,
    and its raging waves
    shake the mountains.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Several days a week, superheroes reign supreme at our house – namely Batman, Spiderman, and Superman.  There is no evil they cannot avenge…no mountain too high to climb nor ocean too deep to swim.  The sky really IS the limit as they soar high above the buildings and earth below and stamp out crime and troubles of all kinds!  Often, three-year-old Nathan wears a Batman cape and mask much of his day…even to eat and nap!

I know this is a rite of passage.  For people my age, the “heroes” included cowboys like the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and the Rifleman…Mighty Mouse…and Daniel Boone.  For many young boys, a “coonskin cap” or a cowboy hat, holster and pistols was as much a part of the daily attire as underwear!

But I think we realized – even as children – that these characters were not real…that they couldn’t really “leap tall buildings in a single bound”…that their powers would not truly save us in times of trouble.  So even at the young ages of six, four, and three, we are trying to make a distinction with our little ones about the “powers” of these imaginary characters…and the TRUE powers of God Almighty.

I sometimes wonder if we “grown-ups” really get it.  Do we honestly know and trust the “super-powers” of our amazing God?  Do we believe that He is our mighty fortress in times of trouble…able to protect us from every difficulty and tribulation?  Do we live with confidence in God’s ability to still the “ocean’s roar and foam” in our lives…to stop the “raging waves” and “shake the mountains?”  Equally important, do we demonstrate this level of trust and faith to those we encounter in our everyday living?

These are all questions worth asking and giving prayerful consideration.  This is a powerful passage of scripture that covers a lot of ground about our Christian faith - and speaks volumes for what we should believe and how we should act.  Will you spend some time pondering its words today and imprinting them on your heart?  Is God your ultimate super-hero…and do you demonstrate this in your own life?  Isn’t it time you did?

© Debbie Robus