Tuesday, January 5, 2016

TRUST GOD! DON’T TRUST YOUR FEELINGS!













FOCUS ON GOD PRODUCES PEACE AND PRAISE!

Psalm 27:4,5

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

The length of a trial is not caused by God’s inability to bring it to an end, but on the intention of the almighty God to bring it to its good end.

David had learned he truly needed God’s help to go through his trials. He knew that his journey in the storm had to begin with prayer. His prayer was to be faithful and remain in close fellowship with God, becoming more and more aware of Gods beauty.

Many, during trials, tend to lose sight of God; many ask themselves where God is in all they are experiencing. The problem is that our view of God is dependent on our own desires and perceived needs, which rule our feelings.

Even in his days of trouble, David did not question the character of God. His prayer was to be in fellowship with God. Dear friends, our prayer during troubled times should be to ask God to show us His beauty.

God never stops being utterly glorious, even during the times when this world becomes extremely ugly and the people around us seem to be especially hateful. The world should never become our shelter or our hope for comfort.

Think about the thoughts that go through your mind in times of trouble and desperation. Are they driving you into the arms of God? Are they causing you to focus on the temporal? Are they leading you to look at yourself, or to God?

David never lost sight of the beauty of God, nor trust in His intentions. He knew that there was always room for him in the shelter of God. He knew that he could hide in the protection of his God, and that there was always a stable place of safety close to His Lord.

David’s resolve drove his feelings and actions.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

David would not allow his enemies to beat him down. His head was high; he was not living in dejection or self-pity. His enemies did not necessarily disappear, but neither did David’s worshipful view of God.

What David knew about God informed his actions. His God deserved his worship. When David went through the rituals of sacrifice, he made sure he was pure before God by asking for forgiveness, and he praised his God in humble submission.

The trials, the enemies, the difficulties could drive him to sadness and despair, or into the presence of God, where praise is the only appropriate focus.

Because David’s songs were often born from trouble, they were not lighthearted; but they were always driven by truth, for his knowledge of God was informing his praise.

Dear friends, what kind of words do you utter in times of trial, when you are being mistreated? I know what kind of words tend to come out when I allow “me” to get in the way. We might feel free to vent our frustrations to those close to us, but no matter when and how we do, they are never honoring to God.

Is your face looking heavenward? Are you looking at the example of your Lord? Are you driven by your passion to know God in a deeper and more meaningful way? Are you praying Scriptures into your heart? Are you carefully watching what is feeding your mind?

How I wish I could claim that this has always been true in my life. My sins and scars prove the contrary. But I know that I do not need to live in the past; there is forgiveness for those who repent. Our repentance should not be driven by a desire to see situations change, but because we realize that we have offended our gracious and perfect Lord.

Today, I don’t have to live without hope or in desperation, for I can live in the arms of my Savior, grateful that the trials, the enemies are driving me back into His arms, where my heart can find protection and my lips can utter praise.

May the Lord Himself be our focal point today!


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