October 1, 2024 „Jumping over walls“
With my God I can scale a wall.
Psalm 18, 30
Dear Readers,
on October 3, we in Germany celebrate the “DAY OF GERMAN UNITY”, our annual national holiday. The peaceful revolution in East Germany brought down the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. For the people of East Germany, the door to freedom finally opened. The end of oppression had come. Now everyone could travel to the free West.
I still recall that time very well. As shown on the stamp, the East German Car “Trabants” were finally welcomed to drive on West German roads! The total country was in high spirits! The stamp from 1994 is a lasting reminder of this event.
The fall of the Berlin Wall reminds me of a psalm by King David. He even “leaps over walls”. It is his song of thanksgiving for his salvation. David thanks God for his deliverance from his enemies. In mortal fear, he cried out to God. God heard his cries for help. Almighty God delivered him from his distress. God gave him new life and with God's help he was able to “leap over walls”. Over walls of fear, despair and death.
I read this sentence by well known American pastor Max Lucado: “The power of prayer does not depend on the one who says it, rather on the one who hears it.” David had exactly this experience. His psalm song testifies to the greatness of God. David's song of thanksgiving tells of the strong hand of God that freed him from his fear. It was not by David's great faith. He too, like many people, was afraid and he knew despair. It was not his strength that allowed him to overcome walls of fear. I am convinced that no human being overcomes walls of fear, despair or the threat of death through an effort of will or slogans of perseverance. It was God himself who helped him over these walls.
In the chorale “Praise the Lord, the mighty King of Honor”, the poet Joachim Neander sings “In how many hardships has the gracious God spread his wings over you!” We do not know what hardships affected him. Was it material hardship or illness or loneliness? When God spreads “wings” over us and protects us like a bird over its chicks, he helps us to jump over “walls”. With God's help, “walls” can be flown over.
The Berlin Wall has been torn down. Individual parts can still be found here and there as reminders of a dark period in German history. But the obstacles in our lives cannot be torn down as easily as a concrete wall. Some walls often remain stubbornly in place, some even for life.
But with God's help, we can leave them behind us! How valuable is this experience that the almighty God can also bring down the everyday “walls” around us. In his love, God always places us in a wide-open space. When God helps so that we can leap over “walls”, he opens up a new space for us to live in. Then he lets us move forward again, comforted and confident. No matter how many obstacles we may still face. No obstacle, no wall will be big enough not to be overcome with God's help.
I encourage you not to remain fearful of the “walls of worry” in your life. Entrust your worries and needs to Jesus Christ. Ask Him to help you get over them. Please remember faith in God can move mountains! Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Thank you very much for listening to me. I cordially invite you to the next devotion on October 15. May God bless you and may He keep you in body, soul and spirit.