Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7
He was lying face down where he had fallen. His last act was to cover his face in an effort to breathe before the noxious fumes and excessive heat overtook him. He looked no more than a boy. From his clothes, he appeared to have been a slave. Was he forced to stay behind? Was he running for his life or was he overtaken before he had a chance to flee?
Mount Vesuvius is an imposing volcano, towering over the nearby towns on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. On a recent trip, I had the opportunity to visit Mount Vesuvius and tour the excavated ruins of Pompeii. I learned that the population at the time Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD was about 20,000 people. It’s estimated that 1,000-2,000 died that fateful day. While I was glad most inhabitants escaped to safety, I felt sad that so many still perished, like the slave boy depicted in the plaster cast I viewed.
Modern-day Pompei (spelled differently) sits in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Although there has not been an eruption since 1944, scientists predict that someday Mount Vesuvius will explode and once again cover everything within its reach with volcanic ash and pumice while spewing poisonous gas. The air will become so hot that it will kill a person before they asphyxiate.
Almost three million people live within twenty miles of this active volcano. According to one local, people who live there are afraid of a potential eruption. They trust in the patron saint Gennaro to keep them safe. They also trust in scientific predictions to warn them with enough lead time to leave.
As I pondered what it was like to live in ancient Pompeii and what it is like to live in modern-day Pompei in the proximity of one of the most dangerous volcanoes, the question “whom do I trust when I’m afraid?” filled my mind. In whom or what do you entrust your cares and concerns?
The key verse today says while some trust in material possessions, we, as believers, trust in the name of the Lord our God. Sometimes it is all too easy to trust in ourselves, to believe we can control the outcome. Perhaps we trust in our assets, our position, our power, or in people significant to us. The problem with trusting in anything other than God is that everything else can change overnight. Stock markets tumble, jobs are eliminated, relationships crumble. But God never changes.
We can trust God in His sovereignty to be in control, especially when circumstances explode all around us. Jesus said in John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” We can trust Jesus, the One who died on a cross for us to know God, to deliver us and give us peace, despite the situation. When we look vertically up to God, our line-of-sight is no longer horizontal across our current state of affairs. We can live in peace, not fear. Worry doesn’t control us. Whether we live in the shadow of an active volcano, in the path of wildfires, or on an earthquake fault line, we can experience peace and know that God alone is in control and totally trustworthy. Out-of-control circumstances cannot control us when we place our trust in the One who is Lord of all. Thanks be to God!
Sovereign God, I thank You that You are in control. I trust in You when life’s circumstances spin out of control. You are my God in whom I trust. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Mount Vesuvius as seen from Sorrento, Italy.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
He was lying face down where he had fallen. His last act was to cover his face in an effort to breathe before the noxious fumes and excessive heat overtook him. He looked no more than a boy. From his clothes, he appeared to have been a slave. Was he forced to stay behind? Was he running for his life or was he overtaken before he had a chance to flee?
Mount Vesuvius is an imposing volcano, towering over the nearby towns on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. On a recent trip, I had the opportunity to visit Mount Vesuvius and tour the excavated ruins of Pompeii. I learned that the population at the time Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD was about 20,000 people. It’s estimated that 1,000-2,000 died that fateful day. While I was glad most inhabitants escaped to safety, I felt sad that so many still perished, like the slave boy depicted in the plaster cast I viewed.
Modern-day Pompei (spelled differently) sits in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Although there has not been an eruption since 1944, scientists predict that someday Mount Vesuvius will explode and once again cover everything within its reach with volcanic ash and pumice while spewing poisonous gas. The air will become so hot that it will kill a person before they asphyxiate.
Almost three million people live within twenty miles of this active volcano. According to one local, people who live there are afraid of a potential eruption. They trust in the patron saint Gennaro to keep them safe. They also trust in scientific predictions to warn them with enough lead time to leave.
As I pondered what it was like to live in ancient Pompeii and what it is like to live in modern-day Pompei in the proximity of one of the most dangerous volcanoes, the question “whom do I trust when I’m afraid?” filled my mind. In whom or what do you entrust your cares and concerns?
The key verse today says while some trust in material possessions, we, as believers, trust in the name of the Lord our God. Sometimes it is all too easy to trust in ourselves, to believe we can control the outcome. Perhaps we trust in our assets, our position, our power, or in people significant to us. The problem with trusting in anything other than God is that everything else can change overnight. Stock markets tumble, jobs are eliminated, relationships crumble. But God never changes.
We can trust God in His sovereignty to be in control, especially when circumstances explode all around us. Jesus said in John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” We can trust Jesus, the One who died on a cross for us to know God, to deliver us and give us peace, despite the situation. When we look vertically up to God, our line-of-sight is no longer horizontal across our current state of affairs. We can live in peace, not fear. Worry doesn’t control us. Whether we live in the shadow of an active volcano, in the path of wildfires, or on an earthquake fault line, we can experience peace and know that God alone is in control and totally trustworthy. Out-of-control circumstances cannot control us when we place our trust in the One who is Lord of all. Thanks be to God!
Sovereign God, I thank You that You are in control. I trust in You when life’s circumstances spin out of control. You are my God in whom I trust. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Mount Vesuvius as seen from Sorrento, Italy.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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