MY HEART IS DISCOURAGED!

I MUST DIRECT MY THOUGHTS TO THE TRUTH

Psalm 61:1-3

        1 Hear my cry, O God,

                listen to my prayer;

        2 from the end of the earth I call to you

                when my heart is faint.

        Lead me to the rock

                that is higher than I,

        3 for you have been my refuge,

                a strong tower against the enemy.

David’s heart was faint! He knew that he needed his God to come to his rescue. He needed to be heard, and he needed refuge in God’s strength, just as we do when we are struggling.

There are many times when our hearts grow faint and discouragement lingers, as we do not see the change we are hoping for. We easily feel overwhelmed by situations that are beyond our ability to resolve. We begin to worry over the possible outcomes, and usually, our minds take us to the worst of those. The fact that our heart grows faint is not wrong in itself, but the potential problem is where it takes us!

Our resolve must be to not rely on ourselves or allow our human thoughts to take over, but to go to a higher place and the perfect refuge.

God said that His thoughts and ways were higher than ours. We must trust His Word and what it says about His sovereign control, His character, His wisdom and His love.

Romans 8:38-39

        For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear friend, this verse does not leave any angle open to doubt. We are protected, we are loved forever, from before the foundation of the world unto all eternity, and yes, that is forever!

As you can notice, David remembers that God has already been his shelter n the past. How quickly we forget the constant protection and care we have received all through our life.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

Difficult times, when our hearts are weak, should drive us to God because we need Him, we know there is no better place to go, and we are thankful for the ways He has sustained us in the past.

Psalm 61:4-5

        4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!

                Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

        5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;

                you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Our prayer, like David’s, should be to dwell in the arms of God forever. Our commitment should be sure and resolute.

Psalm 61:6-7

        6 Prolong the life of the king;

                may his years endure to all generations!

        7 May he be enthroned forever before God;

                appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

As David prayed for his kingdom to endure forever, we know that it was fulfilling the promise of God for the Messiah, Who will rule eternally. We know Christ and we know that God sovereignly planned all things for the arrival of the Messiah, the One who would provide salvation and become our eternal hope and shelter.

Psalm 61:8

        8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,

                as I perform my vows day after day.

Our commitment should as David’s: to live a consistent life of praise and devotion. I love the author’s ending, ‘as I perform my vows day after day’. We cannot, we must not take a day off! Every day, we must set our mind on Christ, focusing it upon the truth. God is our only hope; He has proved Himself in the past, I can make no better choice than to trust Him because life is hard and my heart does grow faint.

GRATEFUL FOR YOU!

1 Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you

GOD'S LOVE MUST MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Philippians 1:3-6

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 

We are so thankful for everyone who has become part of our supporting family. When Paul wrote these words, his thoughts were directed to a group of people that God had brought into his life. His sentiment was not a generic feeling for all believers, but for those that by the providence of God were part of his life of ministry.

Dear friends, as you read these devotionals I want you to know that I am thankful for every one of you. My prayer is that the word of God would impact your life daily, that the truths of the Word would challenge, encourage, nourish, and prepare you.

I am humbled by the notes I receive, about how God uses these meditations at specific times in lives of those who are going through very difficult situations.

The gratefulness that the Apostle Paul felt was for the fact that these men and women were fellow believers. He knew that all true faith is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit. Every person who understands and receives the Gospel has been lovingly chosen by God before the foundation of the World. God knew how much it would cost Him, He knew very well their depravity, their inclination to sin, and He was intimate with every thought and struggle they would have. He loved them completely, perfectly, and forever.

Dear friends, as I look at fellow believers, I am not naturally inclined to want to love them, serve them and care for them. But reflection upon God’s love for me and for them must bring the same results that it brought in the Apostle Paul.   

Knowing that God has lovingly saved those believers who intersect our lives also binds us together as partners in the Gospel, in a common cause sovereignly ordained by God. God’s desire is for the Gospel to progress in our lives. Our lives must therefore be driven by obedience to His will.

We must, first of all, be dedicated to the growth of the truth of the Gospel in our lives. Paul’s all-surpassing desire was to know Christ! His desire was to be transformed and live for Christ every moment of every day. He knew the Word, he prayed for its truth to drive him to the goal of pleasing Christ. Is the Word causing you to grow? Do you love Christ more and more? Are you being transformed into the image of Christ? Only the study of the Bible can produce these effects. Are you regularly attending a church that is committed to teaching and obeying the Word of God? Are you availing yourself of every opportunity to learn, submitting to the leadership of your church? Your commitment to the Gospel produces a commitment to the local church.

As you are praying for the Gospel to progress in your life, it will be natural for you to be committed to the second responsibility that the Gospel brings: investing your life so that other believers will also grow in their love for Christ and His service. As you can quickly see, this commitment is fulfilled in the local church. Our local churches are filled with imperfect sinful people, like us! The Apostle Paul was grateful for all of the believers, because he was committed to love Christ and therefore love those for whom Christ died. When you read on in the letter to the Philippians, you will see that Paul was convinced that he was alive for the purpose of spiritual benefit to the believers. Dear friends, our lives should be intentionally involved in the lives of other believers for their spiritual growth. You can see that if the Gospel is not progressing in us, it will be impossible for us to be committed to caring spiritually for other believers.

Lastly, Paul’s partnership in the Gospel with other believers reminded him that they were all ambassadors to an unsaved world, where they needed to shine as lights. We live in a difficult world; it is our privilege to have brothers and sisters who are also dedicated to spreading the good news. Paul was pleased when other believers were encouraged to evangelize by watching his life, and when they gave financially for him to be able to carry on his ministry. They were partners and this brought him joy.

I tend to be grateful for what benefits me, for people who please me, and when my life in this world is comfortable. But Paul’s gratefulness was driven by his God-given eternal perspective. He knew that God was the initiator and sustainer of every good work. He was willing to leave the results to God, and was pleased to be used by Him, even when it cost him dearly.

Dear friends, in this Thanksgiving season, this is what I am asking God to produce in me: a thankfulness for the work of the Gospel in me, a desire and gratitude for the progress of the Gospel in fellow believers, and a heart for the proclamation of the Good News to a lost world.

The progress of the Gospel is the work of God. If we are driven by that truth, we will never be ungrateful. And God will always be at work in us, in the true church, and in the world!

When you are grateful, you don’t complain!

When you are grateful, you don’t criticize!

When you are grateful, you don’t rebel!

Resolve to love God by submitting to Him, resolve to love your brothers by serving them, and to love the lost by evangelizing them.

WHAT IS OVERWHELMING YOU?

RUN TO THE LIGHT!

READ PSALM 60

Psalm 60:1-4

1 O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;

you have been angry; oh, restore us.

2 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;

repair its breaches, for it totters.

3 You have made your people see hard things;

you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.

4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you,

that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah 

Israel is under threat from its neighbors, and their request is for God to protect them. David realizes that what the people of God are experiencing has been very hard for them to handle.

David does not lose sight of the fact the God will continue to provide protection and care, and the Israelites must continue to fear God.

Today, we don’t live in a theocratic nation, but we must continue to trust God and never forget that He is our shelter and help. We must not look elsewhere for our care and protection.

Psalm 60:5

That your beloved ones may be delivered,

give salvation by your right hand and answer us! 

David knows that God will answer and has the power necessary to accomplish His will. He never doubts the love of God. When we are going through our own difficulties, we can easily be driven to have wrong thoughts: ‘God doesn’t care, He does not love me, He is angry with me, I am not important enough to attract His attention’.

God’s character, wisdom, power and love drive His meticulous, sovereign work in our lives. I cannot understand why God would love me so and why He would have this incredible care for me. I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that even though evil happens in my life, it’s always used by God for my own spiritual good. Nothing ever happens that God could not have stopped. God will always be faithful to His promises.

Knowing the character of God and remembering His promises is so important to keep us in the right perspective, as we deal with the difficulties of life. We should never be overwhelmed by our circumstances, but we should always be overwhelmed by God’s grace and love in them! We will always be overwhelmed and discouraged when we lose a right perspective of God.

God’s work in our life was never driven by what we could offer Him or what we could deserve.

Romans 9:25-26

 “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’

and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”

“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’

there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

Are you stunned by these truths? Did you forget where you were when God called you to Himself? Do you overlook the many times when you have come short in your relationship to your Heavenly Father? Let’s be overwhelmed by the fact that we have been called by God, that we are His children, and that we are loved!

David’s hope was sure and his resolve was grounded in truth.

Psalm 60:11-12

11 Oh, grant us help against the foe,

for vain is the salvation of man!

12 With God we shall do valiantly;

it is he who will tread down our foes. 

How do you deal with the hurt of broken families? How do you continue on, when you find out that you have terminal cancer? How do you trust when you lose your job and you have bills to pay? How do cope with estranged family members? How do you find the joy of living when a loved one passes away? How do you live in submission to authorities who hate God? The questions and the situations are unending!

But the answer is always the same: Don’t lose sight of God’s sovereign control, and run to Him for shelter. Be satisfied by His daily grace and provision. Be a beacon of light for those whom God has placed in your life, so that they will see the grace of God.

Philippians 2:14-16

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 

Run to the light! Immerse yourself in God’s Word! Surround yourself with Bible-loving people! Any other decision will produce a vain life!

LOOK BEYOND YOUR ENEMIES!

READ PSALM 59

GOD’S LOVE IS FAITHFUL

Psalm 59:1-2

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

protect me from those who rise up against me;

2 deliver me from those who work evil,

and save me from bloodthirsty men. 

This is another psalm of lament by David. As we read these words, we encounter a familiar theme: David’s life is in danger, those who hate him are wicked, and he has done nothing to deserve their behavior.

As David deals with his plight, though he must hide and flee to protect his life, he never doubts the power of God.

Psalm 59:5a

You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.

He does not forget who God is. He is eternal; He is the ruler over all; He has shown Himself faithful to Israel; there is none more powerful than He. Even though the situation is difficult for David, it certainly is not for God.

Psalm 59:8-10

But you, O Lord, laugh at them;

you hold all the nations in derision.

9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,

for you, O God, are my fortress.

10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me;

God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. 

Men and nations can rise up, but never at the expense of God’s eternal purposes. God, in fact, is watching rebellious men scheme and plot as if they are in control, while He watches them and is totally sovereign over all.

When you and I go through the difficulties of life, what are we expecting? What are we watching for? David is expecting the Lord to respond; He knows he is safe in the strong arms of God.

We should ask ourselves if we are reacting the same way. Bitterness, anger, self-commiseration, and complaint are surely not the reactions of a person secure in God’s steadfast love.

David expects to encounter the eternal and faithful love of God. Even when he seeks God’s intervention, he has God’s purposes in mind.

Psalm 59:13

consume them in wrath;

consume them till they are no more,

that they may know that God rules over Jacob

to the ends of the earth. Selah 

His desire is that they may recognize Who is in control, that they may know the God he loves. Meanwhile, his enemies continue to prowl and he has only one thing left to do:

Psalm 59:16-17

But I will sing of your strength;

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me a fortress

and a refuge in the day of my distress.

17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,

for you, O God, are my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love. 

He can sing the praises of his God. Even though he has not seen the liberation he desires, he does not doubt God’s strength or faithfulness. His praise is loud and clear.

I have so much to learn from David. My praise and trust often are overshadowed by my lack of joy. My reactions are not godly; my distress is what people can see, while my reactions should, instead, expose the God in whom I trust.

His love should never be doubted! His shelter should always be desired! His character should never be forgotten! His faithfulness should never be questioned!

Dear friends, when we allow our hearts to push us away from God, the result will always be sinful attitudes. 

BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN…

ARE YOU TRUSTING GOD?

Psalm 58:1-2

1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?

Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;

your hands deal out violence on earth. 

Do you live in a country where those who rule are unjust? Israel did! I am sure that you don’t have to reflect too long to rehearse many things that our government does wrong.

What should not happen is our surprise about that. We live in a corrupt world, where men live in sin and the leaders, in the best of cases, try to follow a human justice. In fact, they rebel at the definition of sin that God gives. They rebel against any notion of the wickedness of man and his inability to do good.

Man is selfish and self-centered, and tends to look after his own interests. This is the world we live in. We are surrounded by people who are looking for their own comfort and self-established rights.

Psalm 58:3-5

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;

they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,

like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers

or of the cunning enchanter. 

David’s assessment is quite graphic, but it reflects the way that God sees the actions of man. How unwise we are, when we expect the world we live in to be any different. In reality, since it’s not as bad as it could be, we should be grateful to God. It is also true that our complaining does not bring any positive results. Instead, it exposes our unrealistic desires, and possibly, an attachment to this world that God does not want us to have.

Psalm 58:6-9

6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!

7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;

when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.

8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,

like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.

9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,

whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! 

The fact that wicked rulers are a reality does not mean that God’s people should approve them or fail to ask God to intervene. As believers, we are responsible to vote with wisdom, as God gives us the opportunity. And we are to pray for our rulers.

1 Timothy 2:1-6

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 

This prayer is not driven by a desire for personal comfort or wealth, but by a desire to live in a situation where the Gospel may progress. The Gospel is so important because it is unique and exclusive. It is the only way by which man can be saved, and there are no alternatives.

Way too often, our frustration with our government is not driven by eternal purposes, but by our own desires. When we see things that bother us, our first question should be if God is using it to promote His kingdom. And the next one should be how we can align ourselves with His eternal purposes.

Psalm 58:10-11

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

surely there is a God who judges on earth.” 

David knew that God would triumph; he knew that he could rest in the promises of God.

Galatians 6:9-10

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

The Bible is clear: we must do good, and we should not tire of it, in spite of opposition. We should have our eyes open to opportunities to take care of our fellow believers. We should never be frustrated when God gives us an opportunity to help someone, and we should not look to the government to take care of believers. We have that privilege.

Even when we work, our goal should never be to just take care of ourselves.

Ephesians 4:28

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 

God is in control! He is the One Who provides, and He expects us to use His provision for Gospel purposes. May God help us to learn to depend on Him more and more.

MY MOM USED TO TELL ME A STORY...

READ PSALM 57

GOD’S GLORY, OR YOUR TROUBLES? WHAT WILL DRIVE YOU TODAY?

Psalm 57:5

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth! 

What will drive our attitude today, our circumstances or our God? God’s glory is visible today! His power and His glory are displayed in nature.

Romans 1:20

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

Paul realized that, as a slave of Christ, he had the privilege of declaring the glorious gospel message.

Ephesians 3:8-10

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 

It is God’s plan that through believers, the reality of God’s glory in Christ would be made manifest.

David’s desire was that, even the darkest moments of his life, God’s glory would be displayed and proclaimed. Are these thoughts driving our desires, our reactions, and our goals?

Psalm 57:6

They set a net for my steps;

my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah 

David knew that ultimately his enemies would stumble, their devices would be exposed, and God would vindicate him. He was willing to wait upon the Lord’s perfect timing.

Psalm 57:7-10

My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds. 

The word ‘steadfast’ is repeated three times here, two times related to David and once to God, but what does it mean?  “Very devoted or loyal to a person, belief, or a cause: not changing”, according to a dictionary. David had steadfast faith in the goodness and greatness of God. Even in the darkest of times, when he feared for his life, he never doubted his God.

David’s resolve was displayed in his gratefulness and praise. His praise began in the morning, before all else. He rehearsed the faithfulness of God early, before the distractions and challenges of the day.

Starting the day with God is not an option for those who desire to keep their hearts and minds in check. The days we live in are evil, and we are prone, by human nature, to allow our carnal desires to drive us to ingratitude and complaints. Instead, we must begin our days reflecting on the Lord and His purposes.

As I went to bed last night and prayed, my thoughts went to so many things that are overwhelming me. This morning, as I watch the sunrise and rehearse the goodness of God, I am overcome with gratefulness. I desire to live this day, aware of God’s steadfast love for me.

My mom used to tell me a story of when she worked in an orphanage: During the winter, when the children would be prone to get sick, they used to all the kids up and the director, a elderly lady, would give a spoon of cod oil to each child. It did not taste good, but it was good for them. To make sure that the children swallowed the “evil potion”, they had to say “Thank you”, once it had been poured into their mouths. It is impossible to do that with a mouth full of liquid, so down it went!

Sometimes, when we forget to rehearse the character and goodness of God, being thankful through our circumstances seems to be an exercise like the one of those little orphans in Florence, Italy. Dear friends, whatever God gives us, is always for our good: it exposes our idols, it unmasks our sin, and it should always drive us into the arms of our great God.

Psalm 57:11

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth! 

This is the way David ends his psalm. What will drive your heart today?

IS GOD REALLY MERCIFUL?

WHAT IS DRIVING YOUR ACTIONS AND REACTIONS?

Read Psalm 57

Psalm 57:1

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

till the storms of destruction pass by. 

Is God really merciful? Does God show mercy? Are these generic truths, or is this a dependable characteristic of God? Does God show partiality in His mercy? As men, are we capable of evaluating God’s mercy? Are we aware of enough of what is going on around us to really even notice the mercy of God? Do we really know what is best for us? Do we really understand what we deserve? Can we minimally grasp the gap between us and God? Do we have any understanding of the eternal purposes of God? Do we comprehend the immensity of the miracle of salvation? Do we cherish the privilege of being ambassadors for the most high God?

I know that I easily become very myopic. All I can and, way too often, want to see is myself. I am driven by my wants and my desire for control. I want people to see my value and praise me, or at least not criticize me. I can so easily feel sorry for myself, compare myself to others, and stir up the most elaborate pity-party within my soul. When I welcome others to this pity-party and they don’t readily come to join me, then I am disappointed and even see them as now being against me. I can easily do the same with God.

We are driven to this black hole in our marriages, our jobs, our relationships, our churches. Our life can easily become a roller coaster of joys and sorrows; we become guarded in our relationships. We become defensive in our attitude. We become fearful in our service.

I trust that this is not where you are today! I thank God if you are not, but I am sure you know someone who is there. Where can one find real hope? Where can one find solace? Where can one find healing?

In this psalm, even though David is going through a very difficult time, he goes to God to find mercy. What does he know about God that sustains him?

Psalm 57:2

I cry out to God Most High,

to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 

David has embraced at least two things about God: he knows who the Lord is and he knows that God has purposes that are being fulfilled in him. David has great trust in the character of God. He is truly the Most High, His power is without rival, His love is perfect, His wisdom is beyond comprehension. God has meticulous plans for him, they have been perfectly planned from eternity past, never to be deviated by others. He is, and always will be, in perfect control.

Pain and enemies are real; we live in a fallen world, where even those whom we hope would never hurt us probably will, not once but many times. Crying out to God is driven by real pain and real awareness of evil. But God is never our enemy, He never has evil intentions. His purposes are always perfectly loving and perfectly planned out.

Even if we are bearing the consequences of our past sin, still God has loving purposes for us. He is active in showing His immense love to us. He is driving us into His arms; He is transforming us into the image of His Son. His work of transformation is specific and continuous. We should not look to escape it, but we should eagerly embrace it.

Psalm 57:3

He will send from heaven and save me;

he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! 

David knew that God was his protection, that He would know what to do with his enemies in due time. In the mean while, he knew he was perfectly loved and that God was faithful.

Isaiah 53:10a

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

Another version translates this as ‘it pleased God to crush Him’. God’s will was to crush Christ in order to provide salvation for you and me. His eternal purposes pleased Him, even though They had to go through the agony of the cross. The author of Hebrews reminds us that for the joy that was set before him, Christ endured the cross. The desired end was what drove the Father to plan the Cross and the Son to submit to it.

We need to be driven by the purposes of God and we need to desire them at all cost. When we do, we will never live as sad victims, but as joyful slaves, who have been redeemed by our Master. David allowed the truth to drive his attitude.

Be encouraged today! May those who see you have a glimpse of your Savior. May your words cause others to glorify your Father in heaven.

DON’T FORGET THAT GOD CARES!

LET YOUR GRATITUDE BE KNOWN

READ PSALM 56

Psalm 56:8-11

8 You have kept count of my tossings;

put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back

in the day when I call.

This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord, whose word I praise,

11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can man do to me? 

There is no reason to be overcome with fear. God’s word is true, his truth is revealed clearly in Scripture, and I can trust it. It is sad, that many expect God to come to their rescue, to provide for their wants and their desires. Some pastors and religious movements even wrongly promise that wealth and health are available at the request of the believer.

God is totally aware of every sleepless night, of every tear that is shed. He is not pleased with the sin of man and finds no pleasure in a world that lives with the consequences of its wickedness. But for us to believe that God’s purposes are driven by our comfort and our wishes is totally wrong.

When the Father sent His Son to die for us and provide for our reconciliation with Him, it was at an infinite cost to Himself. The cross and the pain it caused was a cost that far exceeds our capability to understand. The cross was the culmination of a life driven by God’s eternal purposes, lived in willing humiliation, and in perfect submission to the Father.

Hebrews 4:15-16

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Not only did the life and death of Christ provide for our undeserved salvation, but it provided a Savior Who not only sees what we go through, but also knows experientially what we are dealing with. He knows our weaknesses; He knows how we are tempted by our trials. This knowledge must cause us to react as David did, with complete rest and confidence. We can find grace in the time of need. Many times, our fears are driven by our uncertainties about the future, forgetting that it’s never God’s plan to give us grace that we don’t need today or not provide the grace we will need tomorrow.

Matthew 6:34

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

Did you notice? Today there is trouble and it’s all we can handle! How many sleepless nights could be avoided if we dealt only with those things that are real and pressing us today. How wonderful is David’s assertion: “I know God is for me”. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?

Is it possible that this dark moment is causing you to doubt that God is for you? Is it possible that the clouds have caused you to lose sight of the sun? David’s trials and enemies were real, but circumstances never dimmed his trust in his God.

Psalm 56:12-13

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;

I will render thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death,

yes, my feet from falling,

that I may walk before God

in the light of life. 

David was devoted to worshiping God. He was going to keep his promises. He knew that his God would preserve his life and keep him from falling. His walk was secure in the light of God’s direction and plan. His gratefulness was evident in his speech and actions.

Jude 1:24-25

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Do you feel overwhelmed? Christ is at work; He wants to present you, mature and blameless, to His Father. This work of refinement can only be done through the pain of trials. The Lord is in total control; He has always been and always will be. His authority cannot be overcome. Our steps are lit by His word; He will keep us from falling.

Dear friends, we need not fear the future because our God goes before us with power and might.

WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?

ARE YOU OVERCOME WITH FEAR?

Read Psalm 56

Psalm 56:1-2

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;

all day long an attacker oppresses me;

2 my enemies trample on me all day long,

for many attack me proudly. 

David, again in this psalm, describes the difficulty of being oppressed by his enemies. They do it with arrogance and with relentlessness. I love what he says next.

Psalm 56:3-4

3 When I am afraid,

I put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me? 

When David is afraid, he turns to God, trusting in His word and he is not afraid anymore. Yes, he did have reasons to be afraid, but as he stopped to reflect on his God, he also had reason to have courage. What could man do, when God was on his side?

He knew not only that God was powerful, but that God was caring and aware of his enemies and his needs. He knew that God would not allow anything that was not best for him.

Philippians 4:19-20

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

EVERY need will be supplied according to the inexhaustible riches of Jesus Christ. There are no needs that God will not supply, and there are no needs that are beyond God’s capability to provide for. Do you understand what this means? It means that if He is not providing what you are asserting to be a need, then God is not considering it to be a necessity at this point.

There are times where we need to be without a job more than being employed. There are times when we need to be abased more than we need to be recognized. There are times when we need to be hungry or thirsty more than we need to be fed. There are times we need to be ill more than we need to be healthy. There are times we need to live in the midst of enemies more than we need peace. There are times we need to have human fear more than to rely on our own strength. Our times are in God’s hands; He defines our needs and He provides.

When Paul exclaims, ‘to our God… be the glory forever and ever’, the implication is that there is never a time when God does not deserve to be praised personally by each one of us. The implication is also that if we are finding ourselves becoming bitter or angry, we are looking to people for our satisfaction instead of God.

This psalm does not imply that it is easy! It does imply that we have a Person we can turn to!

Psalm 56:5-7

5 All day long they injure my cause;

all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They stir up strife, they lurk;

they watch my steps,

as they have waited for my life.

7 For their crime will they escape?

In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

David wonders if his enemies will get away with their evil actions. Does God really care that they are so intentional in hurting him?

Oh, my friend, if you are going through this kind of situation, look to the word of God. Surround yourself with mature believers. Immerse your mind in the truths of the Word. Find rest in the promises of God. Rehearse His goodness and remember the times He has brought comfort to your life.

There is an end to all things. Christ has defeated death and He is our stronghold. What can flesh do to me?

Nothing can overcome my heavenly Father Who sent His Son to die for me so that I could become His child, and be cared for from now to eternity. Gratefulness should be driving our praise. May we, as His children, never be driven by what drives the world, and may our reactions never be like those who have no hope.

There are people today that need to know our God, may our lives and our reactions drive people to His arms. May this message be our sure hope and our proclamation to others, even those that are hurting us and are our enemies!

BETRAYED BY A FRIEND? - PSALM 55

PAIN IS REAL!

READ PSALM 55

Psalm 55:1-4

Give ear to my prayer, O God,

and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!

2 Attend to me, and answer me;

I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

3 because of the noise of the enemy,

because of the oppression of the wicked.

For they drop trouble upon me,

and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 

Have you ever had a friend betray you? Did you ever have to endure the hurtfulness of someone you trusted? Are you overwhelmed by the unexpected pain of a friend turned enemy?

David certainly knew this situation well. He had family and friends turn against him. His pain is certainly evident. The pain was real and the enemies were relentless. He feared for his own life!

Psalm 55:6-7

6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest;

7 yes, I would wander far away;

I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah 

Are you, like David, looking for reprieve? The pain and the trouble was great; he wanted just to go away. Even the desert would have been an improvement!

As David asks God to come against them, his pain is multiplied by remembering the sweet friendship he used to have.

Psalm 55:13-14

13 But it is you, a man, my equal,

my companion, my familiar friend.

14 We used to take sweet counsel together;

within God's house we walked in the throng. 

How people can change: from a cherished friend to a surprisingly vicious enemy! But even though things are hard, David does not forget where to go for help.

Psalm 55:16

But I call to God,

and the Lord will save me. 

The psalmist does not lose sight of His God, and continues to trust in Him.

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved. 

As I read this psalm, I realize that situations like this are very real. I know that estranged husbands and wives, parents and children, partners in business, fellow believers are living the reality of these verses. Pain is so real, sin is so hurtful, and life can be very hard. Yet in it all, God has eternal purposes for those involved.

During these situations we can run to God and trust in Him, or we can allow our anger and bitterness to drive us to sin. We cannot forget that many times we have betrayed God and gone back to Him for forgiveness. We know that He has shown immense grace to us, and that thought should both give us great joy and trust for the future.

Our eternal destiny is secure if we are God’s children and our temporary trials are in His hands. The Lord knows what we can bear. His sovereign hand is watching over us.

David desires God to make justice and relies on Him to do what is right; in the meanwhile, he trusts!

Psalm 55:23b

…But I will trust in you. 

My friend, trust in God! He is aware of your pain; the sun is behind the clouds! Don’t let the difficulty of your situation obscure your mental view of the beauty of God. He continues to be perfect. Trust His character, His wisdom, His power, and His love. God knows what He is doing; we must trust Him!

PSALM 54 YOU NEED A REAL GOD AND A REAL FAITH!

TRIALS EXPOSE OUR FAITH

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

Psalm 54:1-2

1 O God, save me by your name,

and vindicate me by your might.

2 O God, hear my prayer;

give ear to the words of my mouth

David had a real problem and real enemies! If left to his own, he would be in a real mess. David also had a real God and a real faith in Him.

Dear friends, it is our reactions to difficulties that expose whom we believe in and what we believe. David’s trust was based on the name and power of God.

One of the questions we should ask ourselves (and our reactions will always expose this) is what we believe about the character of God and His power.

If asked, we all would state that we believe that God is holy, is loving, righteous, wise, meticulous, and careful. We would proclaim that He is all-powerful and that He has no limitations. Our reactions to our trials and difficulties will then show if we live with awareness that everything is channeled through God’s careful sovereign work.

We are challenged in our beliefs continually. We know God is in control of every aspect of our lives, from the smallest to the greatest. When David wrote these songs, his purpose was to remind himself of these truths as he lived and confronted the daily challenges of his life.

3 For strangers have risen against me;

ruthless men seek my life;

they do not set God before themselves. Selah

David’s difficulties were real! There were those who desired to kill him. They were enemies of God, with no intention to submit to Him. It is difficult to deal with the sinfulness of the world. At times we are overwhelmed by the viciousness of the lies of those who seem to have no moral boundaries. Every believer, in every time of history, has had to deal with these realities and has had only one place to find refuge.

4 Behold, God is my helper;

the Lord is the upholder of my life.

God is our helper. He is aware, He is capable, and He gives life and sustains life. His intentions are always marvelously perfect. He can only do what is good and perfect, according to His eternal purposes for us. His purposes cannot be thwarted.

5 He will return the evil to my enemies;

in your faithfulness put an end to them.

In God’s timing He will make things right.

Romans 12:17-21

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Not only does God expect us to trust Him and to rely on Him for help, but as we wait on Him, our behavior needs to be driven by love. We should be extending to others the grace we have received from God and we should cherish the forgiveness He grants to us every time we sin and repent before Him.

6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;

I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.

7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,

and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. 

Our lives should be filled with thankfulness that we have a caring God whom we can rely upon. God will triumph; His justice will prevail. We know exactly what our eternal destiny is, and we know that the purposes of God are always good.

May our lives today reflect these truths, and may we be prepared, as we tackle whatever challenges the day brings. 

THERE IS AN ETERNAL PURPOSE IN TRIALS!

WE ARE NEVER VICTIMS!

READ PSALM 53

Psalm 53:3

They have all fallen away;

together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one. 

God has made His evaluation; those who do not recognize Him are fools. God is watching them, completely aware of all they do. Their thoughts and intents are corrupt, and consequently their actions are evil. Their lust and desires drive them.

At birth, every human being falls into this category. Even though all are not equally evil in their behavior, they are continually sinning by nature.

For anyone to expect anything different is foolish. For anyone to expect reformation, apart from heart transformation, is also foolish. As a consequence, living in this world is arduous for those who seek to please God.

Many believers spend too much time complaining about this reality and fretting over it. It is easy, as we deal with the fall out, to forget God’s role in all of this.

Every action of man is filtered through God’s meticulous and particular sovereignty. We are never victims of our environment. God is carefully allowing the consequences of man’s evil in our lives, always with perfect and eternal purposes in them.

1 Peter 5:10-11

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

Pain produces repentance and godliness.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 

Through us, His grace and strength brings glory to His name. Our suffering transforms us into the image of His beloved Son. Difficulties drive us into His arms, away from the world.

Romans 5:3-5

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 

Pain and suffering prepare us to be helpers to other believers and shining lights for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

 

Suffering causes us to desire heaven.

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 

Our suffering is understood by Christ. He will never allow us to suffer without giving us the grace we need to persevere in the trial.

Hebrews 2:18

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Even though the world seems to be oblivious of the work of God, we must not forget these truths. The Israelites needed to be reminded, too, and they were able to trust in God’s final victory.

Psalm 53:6

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

I know that many who read these devotionals are going through very difficult times. May your day be filled with greater resolve and purpose, as you reflect on God’s eternal work in you, His final victory, and your eternal destiny.