The Things We Cling To

Entrance to Neighborhood

Looking from inside the house into the yard

Neighbors leaving with their important belongings

The above pictures are of the flooding in Bangkok, Thailand in the Province of Nonthaburi where our daughter and her family live.  Our son-in-law Jeff wrote this concerning the flood waters:

"As much as we prepared and tried, we couldn’t keep the flood waters from coming. As we watched districts all around us succumb to the floods, it became clear we wouldn’t be spared.  Our neighborhood received about three feet of water in just over two hours, and since our house is raised just a little bit, we have about 6 inches of water standing in the first floor." 

As I've read the reports and looked at all the devastation in pictures from Thailand Newspapers and Internet News Websites.... I seemed to be focused on the devastation of all the things these people have lost.  The Lord has such a way of teaching us lessons... and this evening I read something that I felt the Lord placed into my path of view.  As I read the following words my heart was so convicted:

He doesn't want us clinging to His gifts,

He wants us clinging tightly to Him.

 "My soul clings to you;
   your right hand upholds me." 
Psalm 63:8

 

Here is one of the last posts our son-in-law made before leaving Thailand to come to the States for a long awaited furlough (which will be interrupted in a few weeks for him to return to Thailand to clean up the mess): 

Is there any better way for us to evaluate our first term on the mission field than to lose some temporary, material possessions? What have we accumulated that is of eternal value? Thankfully, we can look back at souls won for Christ that water can't touch, no matter how high it rises.

 

Thank you Lord for your tender teaching!  

May all who read this... please pray for the people of Thailand whose lives have been affected by this devastating disaster and pray their hearts will be drawn to cling to the Lord!