Are you struggling through difficulties? Are there some that have been going on for a long time? Dear friend, do not lose sight of two truths. God loves you and He listens to you.
Read Psalm 31
Read Psalm 31
Psalm 31:20-24
21 Blessed be
the Lord,
for he has
wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a
besieged city.
22 I had said in
my alarm,
“I am cut off
from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of
my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for
help.
23 Love
the Lord, all you his saints!
The Lord preserves
the faithful
but abundantly repays
the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let
your heart take courage,
all you who wait for
the Lord!
David is certainly an
example for us. In this psalm, we have walked along his difficult journey, been
encouraged by his resolve to trust his God, been challenged by the review of
the character of his Lord and been encouraged by the wonderful faithfulness of
his Lord.
David’s God is our God!
His Lord is our Lord! We must never fret. There is hope.
The writer reminds us in
the last verses of this psalm, of both the reality of his difficulties and the certainty
of God’s care in the midst of them.
David has seen the steadfast,
personal love of God and knows that his cries have been heard.
Are you struggling through
difficulties? Are there some that have been going on for a long time? Dear
friend, do not lose sight of two truths. First, God’s love has never been a
conditional love. God loves at all times; He always loves perfectly! God’s love
is steadfast, and He always has our best in mind. His love can be neither
thwarted nor diminished! Secondly, He always listens to our cries! God is never
distracted or overwhelmed by our cries for help. He is always attentive and is
always powerful to provide for our needs.
Do not lose heart, for God
is specifically providential. Your difficulties will not last a minute beyond the
duration that God has intended, they will never be more difficult then what He
will give you grace to endure, and they have always your good as their goal.
As David reflected upon these truths, he could
only end by encouraging us to praise our God, to love Him as we should, to be
faithful to Him in our walk and reactions, and to be patient as we wait upon
Him.
Be strong and of good
courage, as you trust Him in all of your ways. God commanded Joshua to do this:
Joshua 1:7-9
7 Only be strong
and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that
Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or
to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This
Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate
on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is
written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will
have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for
the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
We should keep in our minds
the same commands that were given to Joshua: to be courageous to stand for
truth and to do what is right according to the Word of God, without allowing enemies
or situations to frighten us.
Dear friends, our
faithfulness and service is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved
brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
As we deal with the our
difficulties and encourage others in theirs, we must never forget that we are loved
and protected by our God, Who loved us enough to send His precious Son to die
for us so that we could have eternal life. We are truly blessed!
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