Chair
WORD PICTURE: CHAIR
Scriptural Reference: Proverbs 10:25
When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
1. Have someone(s) read the scripture from various translations.
2. Showing a chair, lead to the idea of a broken chair -- how it will not hold you when you sit down on it, but will tip over. This scripture reminds us that God is the stronghold that is truly safe -- the ONLY stronghold that is truly safe. Anything short of God will end up being a broken chair for us and we will fall down if we rely on it too heavily.
What I Shared
Many scriptures show that the God of Israel is The One Chair that won’t let us down -- a truly safe place in times of trouble. I am going to start this discussion by sharing about what happened when I was considering a part-time job every morning just a mile down the street. Though this sounded ideal in several ways, I found myself unable to breathe as the time for the interview approached. My husband was all for it, but I had absolutely no peace about this, as ideal as it seemed. I talked with people; I inquired and got a myriad of ideas. Finally, however, I was so confused that I turned it over completely to God, promising to do whatever He wanted. Immediately, He sent the answer: the phone rang and I was told that the position was not going to be filled after all!
What I learned is that everyone let me down except God. When I finally gave this issue to Him, He simply removed me from that path! In the aftermath, I realized it is a mistake for me to work outside my home unless I must; that my job is to be centered at (and on!) home until my young son is grown. This is not me being an anti-feminist -- it is me realizing what I need to take care of myself.
I would like to invite sharing on how God has been a stronghold for YOU in times of trouble.
All Scripture references from the New International Version of the Bible (NIV).
Copyright by Whitney McKendree Moore, November 2006