Above and Not Below

"Adonai will make you the head and not the tail; and you will be only above, never below – if you will listen to, observe and obey the mizvot (command) of Adonai your God and not turn away from any of the words I am ordering you today, neither to the right nor to the left, to follow after other gods and serve them."

– Deuteronomy 28:13-14, CJB

Just the day before the flood on Sept. 1, Deuteronomy 28:13 was the topic of a daily devotion I had read.

"You will be above and never below" took on a more literal meaning the very next day. We watched all morning as the creek slowly swelled and rose. We watched as a waterfall formed and cascaded down the steps of our sidewalk into the grass. We peered off the front porch as the old spring which had sprung to life again burbled up out of the ground and gushed through the yard, covering it with water.

As the day went on and the rain continued, the creek backed up, flooding the meadow and totally surrounding our neighbor's house in a torrent of muddy water. We discovered new leaks in the attic roof and spent quality time together crawling around on pink insulation carefully placing many plastic containers just-so to catch the drips so the ceiling below wouldn't collapse. Both ends of our road were eventually cut off by the high water and even if we did need help, it would not easily get to us any time soon. What an odd realization.

Through it all, God was with us. The rain stopped, the water receded. By the next day, the sun was shining, the creek was back where it was supposed to be and all creation was acting like nothing had happened the day before. We explored the meadow, eventually locating our two wooden benches and the huge stump we use as a table down by the fire ring. Both had been swept away. We found them in the Indian corn.

"Above, never below" came to my mind then. God had kept us above, never below. It's been a phrase that I've thought of many times since, and it relates to so many other situations. It also reminded me of the time Jesus walked on the water out to the boat where the disciples were.

"It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:26-31, NIV

Peter was confident until he started thinking about the wind and then he realized the fullness of his situation. In that moment, in his distraction at the world around him, he sank into the water. He momentarily turned away and went below.

I don't know about you, but I feel like I might have gone below this past week. Things are happening in this world and especially in this county that make me feel sunk. The darkness is closing in and it's hard to breathe. Evil is all around us, laughing and pointing. It's like being surrounded by water and knowing that the cavalry will not be riding in to save us. Or so it seems.

THANKFULLY, we've got a heads up on how to combat this problem. Keep our eyes on God. Listen, observe and obey what God tells us to do. Keep our eyes on Jesus, keep doubt away. It actually does work. When I think about how bothered I am with mandates and decrees, it eats away at me like a cancer, which is probably exactly Satan wants.

If I concentrate instead on what little thing I could be doing right now in this moment to benefit the work of God or encourage someone else, all the other stuff falls away and I begin to feel lighter. We can feel joy in the midst of despair, love in the presence of hate. It's not always easy to shift gears to that frame of mind. It's faster to spiral into despair and can be a difficult climb back out.

I won't kid you by pretending I'm Mrs. Cheery all the time. I see stuff and it bothers me. It bothers all of us. We can't ignore the bad things, but we can't let it overcome us spiritually either. See it, acknowledge it, claim a victory over it.

Sometimes listening, observing and obeying God is the opposite of what the world is telling us to do. For some people the risk of going against the grain of what the world is doing is just too much. There will be persecution. It's not an easy ride. A rocky road is to be expected, but not feared.

In my own experiences, I know what God has told me personally to do. It may be different for others. Each person is responsible for developing their own relationship with God and being in communication with him about what the next step is on the path he has before us. If we ask, if we stay focused, God is with us. He will not leave or forsake us. When actual flood waters surround us, he'll be there. When the social, governmental and emotional storms of life surround us, he'll be there. So claim his words. Keep his commands, keep your eyes focused on him and he will keep you always above and not below. Believe it. Claim it. Live it.