ARE YOUR PROBLEMS OBSCURING GOD?

LEARN TO LISTEN TO GOD!

Psalm 11

In the LORD I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

“Flee like a bird to your mountain,

for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

they have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

if the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

The LORD is in his holy temple;

the LORD's throne is in heaven;

his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

The LORD tests the righteous,

but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Let him rain coals on the wicked;

fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

For the LORD is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face.

This is a very interesting psalm, for David is responding to the counsel of some to flee from his enemies. But he had, instead, resolved to trust and take refuge in the LORD. He knew that the Creator, self-sufficient God, sustainer, and sovereign Ruler was all he needed.

Amidst the counsel of those who were inviting him to flee, along with the real difficulties he was facing, David is asking himself where else can he go.

The foundations of David’s kingdom, of his life, were being undermined. Was there any hope?

Many of us have committed our lives to the Lord, but there are times, when surrounded by many voices and facing a world that is crumbling, we are tempted to ask ourselves the same questions. Is there any hope?  What can we do?

It was during those times of fog that David did not forget what he had seen clearly in the light. He knew that God was reigning from above. Not only was He in control, but all His actions were motivated by His character. The LORD is holy and righteous; He reigns from a viewpoint totally different from what man could ever hope to see. God is watching. He never loses interest; He is never distracted, He sees the past, the present, and the future. He sees the motives and the thoughts that precede every action. How could we ever not trust Him? Although we know all this, we still act as if we know what the best outcome is and are disappointed when things do not go our way. Often we allow men to distract us from our firm resolve to trust in God.

Every time I have allowed my confusion or lack of satisfaction to lead my thoughts and actions, it has produced sin. Are there situations that are causing you to question God? Are you allowing a spirit of rebellion to grow within? Beware that God wants you to stop and recognize His rightful position as Ruler of all.

God wants us to recognize His righteousness, to desire righteousness, and to walk in righteousness. God loves it when, in times of testing, His children respond in righteousness.

God is active today, producing His righteousness in me and in you. He is pleased and glorified when we respond, by His power, in a godly fashion. Our lives are made up of many small decisions that can direct us toward, or away from, very big sins.

The righteous will behold His face! Our life on earth is so short, compared to eternity, yet we so frequently allow the temporal to rob us of our focus on the eternal. When we truly live for those things that matter, the things of the world lose their grip on us. May we learn to count our days!

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

My goal is to allow God to teach me through trials, people, friends, and the Word, to use my days well. As I learn to give the right value to my days, my hours, my minutes, my seconds, I know that the Spirit will produce in me a wise heart. A wise heart is not distracted by voice of circumstances, for it never loses sight of our heavenly Father! A wise man listens to the LORD!