Category Archives: HARD TIMES

Choosing to rejoice, Part Two, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, CURRENT EVENTS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES

Reprinted from August 29, 2024.

In Part One, we began exploring Habakkuk 3:17-19. We saw that we can choose to rejoice and trust God, and even be over-joyed in Him, even when all hope seems lost. We can do that because God, living within us, will be, or exist within us, as  our ‘strength, our personal bravery and our invincible army.” In Part Two, we will consider how He does that.

a grassy field with mountains in the background

Photo by Dreamstime.com on  Unsplash

17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! (Habakkuk 3:17-19, AMPC)

About that semicolon  in verse 19. . .  As we learned in school, a semicolon connects two independent clauses that are related. Though I have daily pondered upon this passage for months, I did not see the importance of that semicolon in verse 19 until writing this blog post.  That semicolon connects the things I need (strength, bravery and an army-size amount of help) with what God will do for each of those needs. He will give me strength to walk, He will make me brave, and He will enable me to make progress in the midst of trials.

“. . . He makes my feet like hinds’ feet. . . (Habbakkuk 3:19) ”  The term hinds’ feet is mentioned in 2 Samuel 22:34. On the day God delivered David from his enemies and Saul, David sang the 51 verses of 2 Samuel 22 to the Lord.  David’s words in that song are very similar to Psalm 18, in which verse 33 declares “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.” (AMPC)

Do you see where Habakkuk likely got the visual imagery for Habakkuk 3:19, the verse we are exploring? No doubt Habakkuk had reflected often upon David’s thoughts about hinds’ feet.

What does hinds’ feet mean? The hind symbolized “agility, swiftness, and surefootedness, indispensable qualifications in ancient warfare.” 2 Samuel 22:34 Commentaries: “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me on my high places. (biblehub.com).  God had gifted David with these and many more qualities essential to the life he would live for God, which included being a warrior in those ancient times.

The hind “is a picture also of the ability God gives His children to travel easily over the rough paths of life, and to feel at home among the difficulties of life. The hind enjoys the rough mountain terrain. She is sure-footed, she does not seek easy paths.” (Wilson’s Dictionary of Bible Types, 1957, p. 259).

white goat on large roc k

Photo by Nick Dunlap on Unsplash

God gives hinds, or deer and mountain goats, a hoof that is split, which enables them to grip; a hard outer part of the hoof that can dig into rock, with a soft bottom part that molds into the contours of the mountain; strong forequarters or shoulders; and an incredible sense of balance, among other things. If that is how God cares for them, how much more will He provide for us, oh we of little faith? (Matthew 6:30, Matthew 8:26).

“. . .  and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror] but to walk and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering or responsibility.” (Habakkuk 3:19, AMPC).  Mountain goats do not stand still in terror of obstacles or danger. With their strong feet and powerful forequarters, they can jump nearly 12 feet. With God, I have strength for each challenge, little or big. With God, I am empowered to walk and move forward, rather than letting fear immobilize me. With God, I can make progress, in both spiritual and earthly realms, in the thick of daily life’s ” troubles, sufferings and responsibilities.”

I believe all of us sometimes feel that the humdrum responsibilities of daily life are too much. But in God, we can move forward, one step at a time, one task at a time, with any challenge.

three white goats on rocky cliff

Photo by Chirag Saini on Unsplash

The dangerous heights. I like to think of Psalm 18:33 together with Habakkuk 3:19. Remember Psalm 18:33 says: “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.”

When we face personal troubles and when God is testing or training us, we are in dangerous times because we are, like mountain goats, in a potentially dangerous position. Because of our human weaknesses, we are in danger of turning away from God in such times. But God has provided all that we need to stand firm. Not only that but He has provided all we need to make progress in the very midst of those testings and trials.  “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3, NIV)”

We can also apply this principle to the dangerous times we live in as we see darkness trying to overcome the world. Believers world-wide are being tested and tried. Will we stand fast in our faith? Will we speak up for righteousness? Will we say homosexuality, transgenderism, anti-Semitism, and abortion are sin?

Will we do the things God shows us we can do personally to fight evil in our day? Will we educate ourselves on the issues, vote and encourage others to vote? Will we send emails and letters and call our government representatives? Will we participate in government and run for a local office or help at the voting polls?

We are in perilous times yet also the most glorious, victorious times of all time. God is exposing evil. He is awakening millions to eternal life. He is calling individual believers to a closer, stronger relationship with Him and He is calling believers to be salt and light.

Encourage yourself! To encourage ourselves, we can ponder all the dangers David faced. We can ponder all the victories God gave him, and we can—with God’s strength, His personal bravery and His mighty army—“walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) We can live holy, consecrated lives, and we can do our part to influence the world around us. We can let the light of God’s truth and love shine into this present darkness. We can be that candle on a hill. We can be the salt and light Jesus commanded us to be in His first great sermon, the Sermon on the mount.

lighted candle

Photo by Jarl Schmidt on Unsplash

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16, NIV)

It is no accident that you and I are alive at this time. All the days of our life were ordained by God before one of them ever came to be. (Psalm 139:16) We have a part to play in the part of the world in which God has deliberately placed us.

With our eyes fixed on God, we can rely on Him to give us hinds’ feet, for our personal struggles and also for our nation and our world. We can be strong, we can move forward in the face of fear, and we can take our part in the invincible army of God.

You and I can fulfill Philippians 2:15-16 as we strive to:

“prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a [morally] crooked and [spiritually] perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights [beacons shining out clearly] in the world [of darkness], 16 holding out and offering to everyone the word of life. . .” (AMPC).

It is especially in hard places that we are positioned to shine as beacons for God.

So, I say to myself and to you: Set your heart to rejoice, to exult in the Lord and to shine!

Shine within your heart in your personal relationship with God. Love Him truly “[with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing]” (1 Corinthians 8:3a, Psalm 149:4, AMPC).

Shine into the darkness of this world. Like Gideon, go in the strength you have (Judges 6:14) and bring to the world the light that comes from understanding truth.

In the midst of dire personal and world circumstances, declare “Yet, I will rejoice! I will exult in the [victorious God] of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:18, AMPC)

tall green tree painting

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

Strength for battle, #godindailylife, #thebibleindaily life

ANXIETY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, CURRENT EVENTS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

“You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.” (Psalm 18:39, NLT)

Starting the day with psalms. I stayed in bed longer than usual, dimly aware of the emotional burden lingering from the day and night before. As I’ve done often in recent weeks, I listened a long time as the soothing voice on the audio Bible spoke the truths in Psalms. Gradually, the Living Word brought comfort, encouragement, and some clear ideas that had me out of bed, quickly feeding Lily bugs and sitting at the computer.

The big windows in front of my desk open to the east. A thin sliver between two buildings from my second-floor condo offers a view of the sun before it clears the city horizon. As the rising sun flamed the sky, I looked through the winter bare branches of the crepe myrtle trees in front of the windows. In just a few weeks the branches will be covered with leaves thick enough so as to block all but the brightest of the morning sun’s piercing rays. We have all begun another change of season in this beautiful world God has given us.

Change is hard. I have some thoughts about changes we are seeing in our world.

What in the world is Satan doing? Satan is doing all he can to steal, kill, and destroy the world, its people, and the great awakening God has begun. Watching President Trump’s March 4 address to Congress deepened my understanding of: (1) how big the fight is and (2) how personal the enemy intends to make it for all believers.

Satan is attacking every way he can. Some of his purposes are to:

  1. Hurt you and therefore hurt God, by attacking all that you love and all that you need.
  2. Steal you away from God and the good that you are doing in your personal life.
  3. If he cannot do that, he seeks to at least damage you and make you stop fighting. He will use the same old tactics and the same old tactics in what seems to be new ways.
  4. And if all that fails, he will do all in his power to steal your joy. But, remember and keep it foremost in our mind — Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). More about that later.

Dealing with daily life.  Merely moving forward with my own personal life has been especially challenging the last two months. I think it’s been the same for many believers. By God’s great grace, I have stayed the course in spite of Satan using all the old tricks that previously pulled me into the pit of depression. That story is told in the two books Undepressed: How God’s Word Can Heal Your Heart and God’s Arsenal for Peace and Security (available on the Books, etc. page of this website).

What healed depression, when all else failed, was learning to meditate on the Word without ceasing and diligently studying the Word in my areas of personal need. The Word changed how I think about many things and provided training in handling feelings, even in deep valleys. We truly are blessed when God teaches us, out of His law, how to keep ourselves “calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.” (Psalm 94:12-13, AMPC).

I got mired in that pit of depression a few years ago mainly because I allowed negative thoughts and feelings to linger.

arrows in shooting target

Photo by Kenny  Eliason on Unsplash

A different attack.  Recently, however, the enemy of our souls has tried a different version of an old attack: sudden, overwhelming negative thoughts and feelings. I knew how to stop negative thoughts from snowballing, but this was sudden pangs of sorrow, hopelessness, and helplessness, along with sudden feelings of despair so deep that the thought came “If it hurts this bad, I can’t go on.”

Thank God, and I do mean thank God, I did the things I know to do and God gave victory over those sudden intense feelings. Each time, we pressed on, with me having been made stronger because of the struggle.

Then an ambush.  But Satan did not give up, of course. Yesterday came sudden feelings—not ones I had caused myself by letting thoughts linger. This was sudden feelings of anger, a feeling I seldom struggle with. Feeling extra tired and out of sorts physically, I nonetheless followed through with my plans for the day. Early on, two people each said something that–unknown and unintended by them–triggered old hurts from the past. As the day went on, my plans turned upside down, and I got lost while driving (something that does make me angry). On and on and on the little irritations added up. As the gnats of frustration buzzed around inside my head, I got frustrated, flustered, mad, then resentful, bitter and finally really, really angry to the point of wanting to just throw something. It was a most unpleasant afternoon and evening.

I should have stopped, said out loud to Satan “Devil, James 4:7 in God’s Word says that if I resist you, you must flee so be gone!” And then I should have filled my mind and mouth with praise to God, quoted Bible verses I know out loud, and read my Bible and prayed in tongues and kept on hiding myself under God’s sheltering wing until the emotional storm passed.

But that is not how it works for me sometimes, especially lately. If I do not have my shield of faith lifted up (Ephesians 6:10-18), Satan’s lies hit their mark. The thought comes “It’s never going to be right. It’s too messed up to ever be restored.”

Do you see how at that precise point the enemy is trying to steal hope?

I believe the enemy of our souls is attacking believers with anything and everything he can. He seeks to discourage us through world-wide events, events in our area of the world, in our personal life, in our bodies, in the lives of those we love, in our relationships, our work, and on and on. He uses his same old tactics and he uses them in different ways.

white concrete dome museumPhoto by Louis Velasquez on Unsplash

The point of this story. My point in all this is to show how crafty the enemy is. On March 4, when President Trump gave his address to Congress, we saw how powerful the enemy is in the hearts of those who yield control to him. When democrats remained seated throughout the President’s address, when they interrupted him, when they would not even stand to celebrate with a young boy who is courageously fighting cancer, they gave a clear demonstration of the power of the devil—let me repeat–in the hearts of those who yield control to him. Consider this Scripture.

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living” (Romans 6:16, NLT, emphasis added)

Part of the coming change is the increase in evil and the effects that will have. We are living in the last of the last days. Evil will grow stronger. 2 Timothy 3:13 warns us that “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (NKJV) And the verse right before that says “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” We have all read how the Civil War split families and friends apart as hatred and fear consumed and controlled hearts. I see Satan stirring up that same level of hatred and fear.

a white mannequin with a red band on its head

Photo by David Underland on Unsplash

[1] Many are deceived.  The people who opposed and dishonored President Trump and the Office of the President of the United States are deceived, hardened and blinded by Satan. Many people we see in our everyday life are in the same snare of the enemy. Perhaps you know where differences in spiritual and political views have shattered a relationship. I do. I am convinced this is happening around our nation.

[2] We must keep fighting. We who are standing with the Lord must keep fighting. We cannot stop just because God mercifully gave us a reprieve through President Trump and the courageous people who are fighting for truth, justice, and liberty. God is making dramatic changes for good every day in our world and in America. We must do our part to keep our nation turning back to God. We must keep educating ourselves and taking whatever actions we can. See the “What to do about our world?” page on this website. Midterm elections will soon be here, and the radical left is already working to take back the ground they lost.

[3] Satan will persist. Satan will keep using everything he can to destroy God’s agenda for America, the world, and individuals, unbelievers and believers alike. BUT “when we place ourselves under God’s protection, Satan has no authority over us.”  And he only has the power over us that we allow him to have. Read this quote from gotquestions.org

“We have no authority over Satan in ourselves. God has all authority, and He fights on our behalf. Our response to Satan’s attacks should include submitting our lives to God, living in a holy manner, praying for God’s protection, and resisting sin. When we place ourselves under God’s protection, Satan has no authority over us. He will flee. In addition, we can respond to the devil’s temptations as Jesus did. All three times Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the Lord responded by quoting God’s Word (Matthew 4:1–11). If Jesus defeated temptation through Scripture, we should certainly rely on the Bible to overcome Satan’s temptation in our lives. It’s not called the “sword of the Spirit” for nothing (Ephesians 6:17).”

For an encouraging teaching on this subject, read the entire post: . Does a believer have authority over Satan? | GotQuestions.org

[4] Beware of deception. If Satan can so completely deceive so many politicians (who have at least some intelligence), then he is doing the same with millions of everyday Americans, AND HE IS ALSO WORKING AND WILL KEEP WORKING TO DECEIVE YOU AND ME AND THOSE WE LOVE.

a black and brown snake with its mouth open

Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash

I beg you: do not watch mainstream media. Although its number of followers is declining, this remains one of the enemy’s most venomous weapons. Instead, watch conservative news that gives God’s perspective. News sources I have followed for years and which I trust are:

  • Intercessors for America -An on-line community of believers interceding for our nation. The website has multiple resources as well as opportunities to join in prayer via email as well as live phone calls.
  • Other conservative news sources like Epoch Times and The Western Journal.
  • Listening to the above news sources will lead you to additional reliable ones.

Satan wants to move us into fear, hopelessness and then into doing nothing. He wants to stop the progress we are making in our personal lives and in the spiritual battle raging right now in the heavenly realms.

What are we to do?

[1] Know that God is fighting for you. Keep that fact in the forefront of your mind. Cry out to God as King Asa did in 2 Chronicles 14:11:

“Asa cried to the Lord his God, O Lord, there is none besides You to help, and it makes no difference to You whether the one You help is mighty or powerless. Help us, O Lord our God! For we rely on You, and we go against this multitude in Your name. O Lord, You are our God; let no man prevail against You!” (AMPC, emphasis added)

lightning strike at night

Photo by Max LaRochelle on Unsplash

[2] Keep living your good and godly life. “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21, NIV). This verse is in the context of responding to those who have done evil to you. Remember that evil comes from the enemy of our souls. Satan sometimes uses people to hurt other people. He has deceived many people with radical left political views into thinking they are in danger from conservatives and Christians. If someone has harmed you in some way because of your Christian and/or conservative stance, remember that they are blinded by the lies of the enemy and do not know what they are doing.

Keep living for God with all your heart. Keep on doing good, in your personal life and for the cause of righteousness in our nation and world. Don’t know what to do? See the “What to do about our world” page on this website.

[3] Keep alert!  Carefully consider 1 Peter 5:6-9:

“6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (NLT)

Peter tells his readers to humble themselves before God, to cast all their cares on Him, to stay alert and resist the enemy, who is desperate, and to remember that all believers are having the same kinds of suffering they are. Why? Because God “cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (I Peter 4:7b, NLT)

[4] Above all: guard your heart!  In Proverbs 4:20-23, God pleads with us:

My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.

23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.  (NLT)

Please!
Make it your top priority
to get closer to God and to study His Word.

[5] Finally: Man up! You really have no choice. If you stop fighting the good fight of faith—if you slack off on your Christian beliefs and behaviors—you will face the enemy alone, one way or the other, whether you just sit down or whether you actively run away. The enemy waits and you will have to fight him without your spiritual weapons and without the tremendous help of the family of God, your fellow soldiers.

If this sounds harsh or insensitive, please believe me it is not. It is said with the utmost concern for your soul. I know what awaits you if you give up. The enemy of our souls has no mercy. His aim is to destroy everything and everyone who loves and serves God. We must live constantly “under the shelter of the Most High.“ (Psalm 91)

a horse with a saddle on its back

Photo by Alexander Popovkin on Unsplash

So man up, saddle up, and suit up in your spiritual armor, weary Christian soldier! God Himself is and will continue to be your strength. No matter what happens I can say, and you can too:

“18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!  (Habakkuk 3:18-19, AMPC)

Move forward with the life God has lovingly given you, love Him, serve Him, obey Him with all your heart. God’s army is marching on to victory. In your daily life and in the battle being waged in the heavenly realms, victory is stored up, waiting for us!

“He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for He guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,” (Proverbs 2:7-12, NIV)

Beloved, we have victory through our faith in God, so “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4, KJV)

 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
 And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.”
 (1 John 5:4, NKJV)

The man standing on the mountain on the picturesque sunset backgroundPhoto by Getty Images on Unsplash

Stand still! Stand firm! #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, CURRENT EVENTS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Reasons for great gratitude. I flipped backward through my Bible, stopping to re-read and ponder each of the passages where I had inserted a slip of paper, passages densely marked with underlines and arrows, pencil and red pen. They were Malachi 3:16-17, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Lamentations 3:17-28, Jeremiah 15:19, Isaiah 55:6-13, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 32:10, and Psalm 33:18-22. These were my latest chain of personally noteworthy verses, the ones I read over most every morning and whenever I need a fresh breath of God’s truth. I was reading them this afternoon with great gratitude.

Late afternoon sun slanted through the window, spilling over the brown rug where Lily bugs lay, soaking up the sunshine largely absent the previous month of cold, gray days. Last week, with several below freezing mornings and overcast days with afternoons requiring a coat, gloves and scarf, I had felt tucked in, making chicken soup, studying and writing, trying to maintain a steady course in spite of the loss I wrote about on February 6.

Yesterday, though, when another blow came I did not feel like seeing sunshine. I wanted to hide somewhere in the dark and the gloom. I felt like giving up, on a lot of things.

“Oh, Father! You know this feels like 2020, when You first trained me to meditate on Your Word desperately to conquer the negative, depression-causing thoughts.  If I do not do that now, with fervor and desperation, I know I could fall back into depression and despair. You have never, no never, no never failed me in any regard, (Hebrews 13:5) dear Father, and I trust You now. . . “

I closed my eyes, pressed the Bible to my chest and hugged hard.

“Father, in times like this I really wish I could see Your face and hear Your voice and feel Your loving arms around me. Nevertheless, I know You are here, all around me and in me, closer than my very breath. Thank You, Lord, thank You.”

Filled with fury. The enemy “is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.” (Revelations 12:12, NIV). So many good things are happening in the U.S. and the world that it is hard to keep track. We must keep pressing on with prayer and doing all we can to support the righteous leaders God has put in place. We must also be mindful that the enemy is stirred up, overflowing with rage as his plans are being ruined and evil is being exposed, as God promised in Luke 8:17 “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” (NIV)

Romans 8:28 – unfailing comfort. Beloved, we can be sure the enemy is working harder than ever to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). I know that many, many of us are experiencing vicious attacks of the enemy.

In my own recent case, I can by grace alone say that, though nothing is resolved yet, I see how God has already used this hard thing for good. How? (1) It has gouged out (and I use that word on purpose for that is what it has felt like) deeper trust in God. (2) God’s own compassion has gushed out from places hitherto untouched in my heart. (3) Finally, self-focus has shrunk.

Stand still! And stand firm! When I first got the news, I sat in my chair and stared out the window. A long time. Then I went outside, sat on the stairs, and gazed at a tree visible above the rooftops. A solitary bird perched on an outermost branch swaying in the gentle wind. All day I felt numb, trying to talk with God but unable to feel His presence. This morning though, I woke up with two Biblical phrases in mind: stand still and stand firm.

Stand still! “Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. (Exodus 14:13-14 AMPC)

Notice that standing still means to be “firm, confident, undismayed.” Read all of Exodus 14 and you will see that Moses said these words to the Israelites when the Egyptian army drew near to them and they sarcastically asked Moses why he had not let them stay in Egypt as slaves rather than die in the wilderness.

When the enemy closes in and seems about to destroy us, God says stand firm, have confidence in Him and do not let your courage be melted down.  When you do that, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. “ (Exodus 14:14, NIV, emphasis added)

This is the same promise God gave to King Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:15 when he, like Moses and Israel, also faced possible annihilation:  “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (NIV)

This truth we must imprint on our hearts:

“For the Lord your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:4, AMPC)

What happens if I do not stand and face the enemy? I might run right into the enemy’s trap, as the Israelites would have done had they tried to run. Remember they were hemmed in on three sides when the Egyptians caught up with them.

Stand firm! “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13, NIV). That phrase “after you have done everything” includes a lot! In the coming weeks I plan to share about what that has meant for me lately while God has been teaching me about prayer and fasting.

Briefly, what might that everything include?  Asking God to reveal anything in your life in general and anything in this particular matter where you may have sinned and asking for forgiveness; fervent earnest prayer; agreeing with others in prayer; and saying or doing all you can.

Go back now and read all of Ephesians 6. After giving specific instructions for children and parents and slaves and masters (workers and bosses in our modern world), Paul says:

10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

11 Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11, AMPC, emphasis added). 

man wearing shoulder padsPhoto by Ivan Stern on Unsplash

I can draw  my strength from Him. Paul says that if we draw our strength from God and put on His whole armor (see Ephesians 6:14-17)  we will be able to stand up – successfully! — against all the enemy’s wicked plots and schemes.  And why does Paul say to put on – and use – the spiritual armor of God? Read verse 12.

12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.”

Phew! The believer is engaged in a supernatural, spiritual battle far  greater in scope than we can ever imagine. I can only echo King Jehosaphat:

“O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12, AMPC)

But, thanks be to God, we can by His great grace learn to stand still and, like King Jehosaphat’s people, sing out our praises to God as we face the enemy – and God Himself will fight for us.

It may seem like thousands of fearful, discouraging, angry, doubting, resentful, self-pitying, threatening thoughts are attacking our minds and there may be many painful or threatening situations in our life over which we have no control. HOWEVER, God will empower us to sing, like Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:22-25). If we just choose to try, God will empower us to praise Him by recalling the wonderful deeds He has done for us, thinking gratefully on those things and thanking Him for His mercies and faithfulness to us in the past.

And our God will fight for us, just as He did for King Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles  20 and for King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14 and for the Israelites in Exodus 14.

A few more thoughts.  I sincerely pray that the following thoughts comfort you as much as they comfort me.  Here they are:

[1] The enemy attacks God, through attacking me.

[2]  God longs, far far more than I can understand, that I live in peace.

[3] God will take care of the enemy and He can keep me in peace while He does that.

[4]  But . . .  I must make the decision to trust Him and I must do my part in keeping myself calm. (Isaiah 26:3)

God is right there in the trial with you. What a comfort is the following passage from the prophet Isaiah!

But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; (Isaiah 43:1-3a, AMPC)

I chanced (providentially, of course) to hear those verses last night, after a full day battling fear, anger, frustration, doubt, hurt, self-pity. And I was able to sleep and sleep well.

“The very instant you turn. .”   Our loving God is so kind! Here is part of the April 2 devotion from “Streams in the Desert, Morning and Evening” audiobook I heard this morning. The author, L. B. Cowman, urged readers to form the habit of looking for the silver lining of clouds and to focus on that silver lining, rather than yielding to discouragement. “no matter how severely stressed or surrounded by problems you may be. A discouraged soul is in a helpless state. “ Such a one cannot “stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11) nor pray for others.

The author urged us to find specific promises from God and say them aloud, adding ‘This promise is mine.”  Then, “if you still experience feelings of doubt and discouragement, pour your heart out to God, asking Him to rebuke the Adversary who is so mercilessly harassing you.

The very instant you wholeheartedly turn away from every symptom of discouragement and lack of trust, the blessed Holy Spirit will reawaken your faith and breath God’s divine strength into your soul.” (emphasis added)

I experienced that this morning, dear friend. I pray you will too, the next time the enemy comes against you with a vast host of doubts and fears. Nothing can stand against our God – nothing!  He never, no never, no never fails us in any regard! (Hebrews 13:5)

As I step outside at the close of this day, I look up and see the intricate array of clouds God has stretched out.  “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. (Job 9:8, NIV). And I ponder Psalm 103:11 “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him “ (AMPC)

Only in heaven will we begin to understand the love and the goodness and the mercies and the lovingkindness and the power of our great and awesome God.

Trusting God in loss, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, DEPRESSION, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, TRUSTING GOD

I pushed back the curtain a bit and set the steaming cup of chamomile on the wide window sill running beneath the two side-by-side windows on the southeast wall, the windows I always look out each morning. Though only a slice of sky rather than a panoramic view, most mornings I see changes from black to dark blue, then purple, and finally blendings of yellow, orange and red. I eased into the rocker and picked up my Bible, holding it to my chest.

Silently, Lily Bugs landed on the window sill. I stood up and opened the window a creaky three inches so she could feel the cool air, smell the rose bush climbing the drain pipe just outside the window and watch early-morning dog walkers.

“Father, I just do not know where to start. I do not know what to even try to say. It’s just. . . “ I stopped and closed my eyes, trying to concentrate.

“No! I do not want to close my eyes. That makes the thoughts too real.”

I stared into the darkness, feeling my face pinch into a frown, that look of intense inward concentration you see when someone focuses on a difficult task. Softly, I began praying in the Spirit, using my private prayer language. (If you do not know about praying in the Spirit, start reading at page 15 in the booklet “The Remedy for Desperation” at www.wordsofhopeandhealing.com.) After a while, I closed my eyes and kept them closed. That’s when the feelings surged up.

That’s when the tears finally came, from deep inside, the tears that God’s shielding cushion had suppressed for three weeks, those three weeks when the loss had been too much to comprehend, and then when my mind had rebelled against believing it was real.

Now, though, now the sorrow of it all floated into consciousness, that despair and discouragement as much a part of loss as the hand’s dorsal and palmar sides are part of each other.

As the crying turned to sobbing then quiet weeping, I kept talking with God.

black lantern with fire during night timePhoto by Sylwia Bartyzel on Unsplash

Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NLT) “Father, thank You that I know You will take care of me, that I know everything will be alright. Thank You that I know You are right here with me, that You will never leave me or fail me or let me down in any way, (Hebrews 13:5), that I know You will keep supplying everything I need and so much more (Philippians 4:9).

Thank You that I know, although I do not feel it right now, that there is no sorrow or heartache You cannot heal (Psalm 103:3). Thank You that I know You are close to the brokenhearted, and You save those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18, NIV).

Praise You that You will be “my strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army”  and that You will make “my feet like hinds’ feet, and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering, and responsibility.” (Habakkuk 3:19, AMPC).

In spite of all this, Lord, I know You will help me to say, “Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18, AMPC). Thank You that I know You will give me Your strength to do the things that must be done today, and the next day and the day after. Thank You that You will guide my steps as I lean on You, even though I do not understand this at all (Proverbs 3:5-7).

I am grateful, dear Father, for the experiences You have used to train me to make a sacrifice of praise (Psalm 49:14-16) and choose to rejoice in You, no matter what, and to follow the other steps in Philippians 4:4-7, where Paul said:

 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I am grateful You have taught me that if I keep my mind fixed on You, if I lean on You, rely on You and hope confidently in You, that You will keep me in complete and constant peace (Isaiah 26:3). Thank You for teaching me that keeping a verse or a passage before my eyes all day long and pondering on it keeps the enemy’s thoughts out of my mind and fills my mind with good things, the things You tell me to think about in Philippians 4:8.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

white and brown wooden tablePhoto by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash

 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8, NLT)

By then, gentle sunlight dappled through the leaves in the tree where a sparrow perched, inclining his head from side to side before flitting away. I blew my nose one last time.

“You know, Father. I think I need to review Psalm 18 again. I’ll study that one again and then print some verses to carry around and meditate on until I memorize them.”

I opened my Bible and quickly scanned the psalm before moving to the desk.

“Well, Father, I think the first verses I’ll meditate on until I memorize them is verses 33 and 34.

 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.

He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

These verses also talk about high, dangerous places, only this time it calls them places of testing and trouble. And I see how the next verse talks about You equipping us for battle. That’s what this is all about, I know. That spiritual battle we are in with the enemy of our souls. This loss is just one more attack from him, one more attack like he has used on millions of others before me.

But Your Word and Your love have never failed. You delivered others from the snares of the enemy (Psalm 91:3), You have delivered me countless times before and I know You will deliver me from this one, too, Lord. So, we will just start with verse one and see what You have to show me. I love You, Lord, and I trust You.

two person step on gray soil

Photo by  Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

Opportunities for great joy

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE

In the early hours. . . I squinted, then squinted harder at the glowing red numerals. Four o’clock. Not drowsy at all. No chance of going back to sleep.

“Well, Father, You say in Ecclesiastes 5 that dreams come when there are many cares. I think it was some kind of dream that woke me up.”

I reached out for my phone and opened my audio copy of the Bible, knowing I needed to hear some psalms. For the next two hours, I lay in the dark, moving the heating pad from neck to back to ankle.

“Thank You, Father, that I can listen to psalms with my whole heart and make those words my own prayer. Thank You for all the reassurances of Your love for me and all the reminders of Your power for those You love.

Father, I cannot fix everything that has happened these last two weeks. I know the enemy seeks to push me into worry and fear and then depression. So I am casting all my cares on you. I will stay alert and resist him (I Peter 5).

Satan, I command you to get behind me and flee away! It is written that if I submit myself to God and resist you, you must flee (James 4:7) and I am submitting myself to God, trusting in Him and following Him with my whole heart.

I praise You, Father, that You are in me and You are greater than the evil one (I John 4:4). I praise You that all things are in Your hand, that You busy yourself with the details of the lives of those who live in right standing with you (Psalm 37:23). I thank You that You are my strength, my personal bravery and my invincible army! (Habakkuk 3:19).”

With that I got out of bed and began the day.

Everyone is having “troubles, trials, distresses and frustrations.” (John 16:33) Revivals are breaking out across the country as God’s Great Awakening continues. God is exposing evil throughout the world. And the devil–“filled with fury because he knows his time is short” (Revelations 12:12)—is doing all he can to torment believers. You are not alone!

What to do “when we face trials of many kinds”? I know your tale of worries and woes is much like mine. Yet, the Word gives us light for our next steps and the path ahead (Psalm 119:105). So, what does God tell us to do when seemingly surrounded by troubles that seem to have no solution?

[1] Actively consider it all joy.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)

The New Living translation says: “Consider it an opportunity for great joy. . . “  Although that is not how my feelings initially react when hard things happen, thinking on this Scripture stirs my faith and lets me say “God, I trust You in this. I choose to believe that You will use this for ultimate good.” Whenever I take that simple step, God’s peace starts bubbling up from inside. Obedience brings blessing (Deuteronomy 30:2).

So, I pray: “Father, I know this is an opportunity for spiritual growth. I thank You for the faith You have given me and for loving me enough to help me grow. Help me have the attitude You want me to have about it all.”

[2] Present your specific requests to God.  Philippians 4:6-7 gives specific instructions not only about difficulties but about how to live every day. God says—in everything–rather than worry, to pray specifically, giving thanks to Him as we pray.  Then we will have His peace, which will protect our hearts and minds.

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (AMPC)

So, I pray:

I present this situation to You, Lord. I thank You for the good things in this situation and I thank You for all the countless blessings Your pour on me every day. Thank You for salvation, for Your presence, for food to eat and clothes to wear, for the health You give me. Thank You that as I hope confidently in You, and keep my mind fixed on you, You will “guard and keep me in perfect and constant peace.” (Isaiah 26:3).

[3] Remind yourself about some basic truths from God’s Word —meditate on the Word. God is very clear: meditating on His Word leads to prosperity and success. Yes, it can be hard to keep your mind on God and His Word when the distresses of life cascade one after another or when an affliction continues on and on, but consider these two passages:

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8, NIV, emphasis added)

And. . .

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. (Psalm 1:1-2, NLT, emphasis added).

God’s Word covers every situation you will face. Meditating on the Word is one of the best ways to obey Philippians 4:4-8 and fix your mind on good things.

So, I pray:

Father, I know You are working everything out for good (Romans 8:28). I know You will never fail me or leave me helpless in any way so I am comforted and I am encouraged and I say “with confidence, ‘The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT) I know that You have good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11) I know that You have put understanding and joy in my path and I will find them as I keep walking (Psalm 97:11). I know that You draw near to me whenever I draw near to You (I John 4:16).

Oh Father! Help me not lose heart, because I know You are working in my heart and that these troubles are light and temporary compared to the eternal things You have prepared for me. Help me fix my mind on unseen things, which are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

It helps immeasurably if you have the Word “hidden in your heart.” The verses you know will come to mind, like water gurgling up out of desert sand. For a deeper discussion of this topic, see the booklet “Diligent Meditation” on the Books and More page of this website.

[4] “Trust in the Lord and do good.”  Psalm 37:3 tells us: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”  When hard times come, we are not to sit down and worry and give in to fear and dread. Actively trust God and go on with the next thing that needs to be done in your life. Seek out something good you can do for someone. Keep living the godly life God has called you to live. Trust God and do good.

Below is a link to an encouraging post about Elisabeth Elliot, the well-known Christian missionary and author whose missionary husband was martyred. When Elisabeth “. . . didn’t know which way to turn or what to do next. Elisabeth kept re-committing herself to trusting Christ, then she got busy doing the next right thing she knew that the Lord commanded in Scripture. Elisabeth didn’t let go and let God; she trusted Jesus and did good like Psalm 37:3 teaches. Her faith in Christ was active, not passive.” (For the entire post see Do the Next Thing: Elisabeth Elliot – Words of Hope (wohbm.org)

What if we are confused and do not know what is the next right thing?” God promises to direct our steps in life (Proverbs 3:5-6) if we trust in Him with all our heart. That includes times when our personal world seems to fall apart. He also promises to give us wisdom if we ask with faith (James 1:5-8). Another verse I lean hard on when I am confused about anything – what steps to take, which task to do first this day—is Proverbs 16:3: “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” (AMPC)

You know what a relief it is when someone strong takes a heavy package out of your hands. You lean forward, release your grip and suddenly the weight is gone. God promises: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and He will establish your plans.” (Proverbs 16:1, NIV). When I ask God, sincerely, to have His way with whatever it is, big or little, He promises to make my thoughts “become agreeable to His will” and to establish my plans.

[5] Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture while you are doing the next right thing. I like how Joyce Meyer summed up this part of the verse. She says be bold enough to trust God and enjoy your life WHILE He solves your problems. As the years, and trials, go by (and they both do, you know) I am learning to let go of worry before I see solutions and enjoy the blessings that are right in front of me. Each trouble I go through teaches me more about God’s faithfulness and His loving kindnesses.

I implore you: prayerfully study Psalm 37. It is filled with reassurances about God’s faithfulness to help and deliver the righteous “because they take refuge in Him. (Psalm 37:40, NIV)

So what were my problems? Here is a brief account of experiences that led me to ask three questions.

analog watch at 1 00

Opportunity to trust #l. Upon Whom am I really leaning?   When my car’s “Check Engine” light came on, I took it in for an oil change, which makes that light go off unless there is something else wrong. That shop (not my regular one) said the car needed struts and a UV joint. For $2100. But, they had a six months, same as cash program. I gulped, took the opportunity to witness to the young man and drove down the road to my regular car shop. There, the estimate was $1500 – but no payment plan. I took that chance to, as I have before, thank the young man at my regular shop for being honest, went home and prayed. And looked at my stash of cash and the savings account.

I could pay for the repairs but it would nearly wipe out my stash of cash and the savings, both carefully accumulated twenty dollars at a time, for years. I thanked God for the wisdom to have been saving regularly and for the honest car repair shop and asked Him to help me not worry.

What I learned (again) regarding financial troubles: I did not realize I was trusting in the money I had saved, rather than trusting God. As long as I had that stash of cash I felt I could make it a few weeks, if financial catastrophe happened. While it wise to have savings, I am to lean on God for all my needs, finances included. Because I am so very human, I often do not see that I am leaning on something, or someone, until that thing or person is removed. The problem with the car led me to start writing about these trials.

Opportunity to trust #2: Can I trust God when the enemy strikes my flesh? The next day, I woke up with a painful rash around my nose, where the CPAP mask sits. I also had a painful rash at the corners of my mouth. It hurt to even open my mouth. And the burning on the bottoms of my feet, long-standing, off and on, was nearly unbearable. All this on top of the usual aches and pains and other physical challenges so many older people have.

Mercifully, I obtained an appointment with a dermatologist the next day. He quickly diagnosed all three issues and gave prescriptions. It was a blessing that the other two rashes finally led me to see a dermatologist because I had struggled with the feet issue for many months, thinking it could not be athlete’s foot because there were no blisters or redness, as my father had had.  The face rashes cleared almost immediately but addressing the feet issue has required much time and energy and money – treating all shoes and socks, new shoes, special washing instructions for laundry and the feet, and on and on it seems.

Opportunity to trust #3: Can I trust God when the enemy hurts my loved ones? Just as I was beginning to feel more stable, one of my loved ones passed out, had to have CPR and spent four hours in the ER getting stabilized and receiving three units of blood. Doctors are now trying to find the cause. The next day I learned another of my loved ones is facing a job change and drastic cut in pay.

I have worked on this blog post since the problem with the car. Blessed I am to have instructions from God on what to do right in my hands. I know God loves my loved ones far, far, far more than I ever can, and I know He is working all things together for good. I know He is loving in all that He does. I know His mercies are new every morning. I know there is nothing too hard for God. I know God is good and His mercy and loving kindness never, never, no never end.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.  (Psalm 136:1-3, NIV)

Christian, know that God understands when things fall apart and you do, too. He does not get angry or criticize. Rather, He is “close to the brokenhearted.” His compassions are new every morning. He has the utmost tenderness toward you. “Great and abundant is His stability and faithfulness.” Meditate on Lamentations 3:18-26.

 

Do you know what happens when you love God?

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Please note: This is a reprint from April 8, 2021.Life has been blessed – and busy!

The “if-then” nature of God’s promises. While studying Psalm 91, God has taught me much about the “if-then” nature of His promises. I am very grateful! In all the years I have studied the Bible (and I feel I have only begun understanding how to study this last year) I do not recall being so aware of how often if-then, because, for, therefore, thus, and similar words appear. Perhaps that is because two years mired in the muddy pit of depression imprinted a zeal to understand what God wants me to do so that I can remain safe in “the secret place of the Most High.”

As we conclude our exploration of Psalm 91, let’s review what we learned about the “if-thens”, when we began this study of what is often called “the soldier’s psalm.”

The “if-thens” of Psalm 91. A clear example of how God rewards us for seeking Him is found in Psalm 91. The AMPC has this footnote for Psalm 91: “The rich promises of this whole chapter are dependent upon one’s meeting exactly the conditions of these first two verses.”  Here are the “thens” that follow verses 1 and 2, along with the “becauses” in verses 9 through 16, (using the 1965 Amplified Bible) :

IF I dwell in the secret place AND SAY God is my refuge AND TRUST in Him (verses 1 and 2)

  • THEN God will “deliver me from every trap” (NLT),
  • THEN He will cover me,
  • THEN His “faithful promises will be my armor and protection”,
  • THEN I will not be afraid of anything evil, at any time,
  • THEN “No evil will touch me” (NLT) though people fall all around me. (phrases in parentheses are from the NLT)

. . . the “because” point the way to promises, too . . .

  • BECAUSE I make God my refuge and dwelling place (which repeats verses 1 and 2), “no evil will conquer me”, (NLT) and that is true because “He will order His angels to protect me wherever I go” (NLT)

(and finally, verses 14-16):

  • BECAUSE I love God and trust in His nature, He will rescue me, protect me, answer me, honor me, give me a long life, and show me His salvation, which includes deliverance, as well as redemption from sin through the blood of Jesus.

Psalm 91: 14 through 16–eight thundering “I wills! Eight powerful “I will” promises conclude Psalm 91.

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never] 15. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Let’s look at these promises once more, in list form:

(Because he has set his love upon Me, THEREFORE:

  • I will deliver him,
  • I will set him on high,
  • because He knows and understands My name
  • I will answer him when he calls on me,
  • I will be with him in trouble,
  • I will deliver him,
  • I will honor him,
  • I will satisfy him with long life, and
  • I will show him My salvation.

When we set our love on God. Notice that these eight promises apply to us when we set our love upon God. I see God’s fairness in Verse 14 in that when we set our love on Him, he sets us on high. How do I “set my love” on someone? “To set” means to put something in a specific place or position, like setting a book on the table. I like what Webster’s 1828 online dictionary says, “To put, place, or fix in any situation. God set the sun, moon and stars in the firmament.” That means something is permanently fixed and secured in a particular place. And that is how we are to love God—permanently and unshakably. If we do that, God promises to deliver us, which Webster’s 1828 defines as “to free or to release, as from a restraint; to set at liberty, as from captivity” and also “to rescue or to save.” The enemy of our souls always intends us deadly harm, but we have the promise of Almighty God that He will deliver us IF we meet His conditions.

If we set our love on God, God will deliver us and “set us on high.” It is good to be on high ground during a battle, and we know this life on earth is a battle! “Setting on high” also implies being lifted up from having fallen down or being in a low position. Job 5:9-16 lists a few of the kind things God does, one of which is “The lowly He sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.” (V. 11, NIV). God will keep us fixed and secured in a high, or safe, place.

Stand in awe of the Word. I think a word of loving caution is needed here. I do not pretend to know exactly how God works, but I do know He tells us to study His word diligently, 2 Timothy 2:15 clearly instructs us to “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly] handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” That includes understanding the context of a verse upon which you are relying. I have heard and read many instances, as I am sure you have, where a verse is obviously used incorrectly. However, we all need to be on guard against mishandling the Word in subtle ways. I have done this in the past, but by God’s grace, I now work diligently to ensure I handle His Word correctly.

Searching out context helps prevent such subtle as well as obvious errors. At a minimum, I read a few verses before and after. Preferably, I read the entire chapter and peruse an outline of the book of the Bible in which the verse is located. This does take extra time and effort, but it is a safeguard for us. Below is a link to an excellent article about handling the Word of God correctly at knowableword.com The Dangerous Consequences of Ignoring Context (knowableword.com)

Because we know and understand what God is like. . . “Because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. (Psalm 91:14b, AMPC)

The AMPC translation of verse 14-b teaches us what it means to “know and understand” God’s name, which means His nature or what He is like. The phrases in brackets state “has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never.” So as we personally experience God’s mercy, His love and His kindness, we will be able to truly trust and rely on him because we will know—through our experiencing it—that God will never, no never, no never forsake us. (Now is a good time to meditate afresh on Hebrews 13:5-6 in the AMPC)

I may have heard that someone with whom I have a casual acquaintance (let’s call her Sandy) is a kind person, but when Sandy brings soup and other food and medicine to my house when I have the flu, I know—through personal knowledge and experience—that Sandy is kind.

Perhaps one reason God tells us to consider ourselves blessed when we have trials (James 1) is because trials give us chances to experience God’s love and faithfulness. After we have walked through a few trials and seen God deliver us, we can have the confident hope and expectation of the writer of Lamentations. In the first part of Chapter 3, he remembers all his afflictions, the “wormwood and the gall” (AMPC) but in Verse 21 he remembers something that gives him hope and expectation—which is that “Because of the LORD”s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. (NIV)”

We will have all we need. The other six “I wills” cover everything we need in this earthly life. If we set our love on God and come to know Him through experiencing His love and mercy, God says:

  • I will answer him when he calls upon Me;
  • I will be with him in trouble;
  • I will deliver him and
  • I will honor him.
  • I will satisfy him with long life,
  • and I will show him My salvation. (Psalm 91:15-16, AMPC) (Besides the theological definition of “deliverance from the power and penalty of sin.” salvation also means “saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.” (www.dictionary.com).

In these promises I hear God’s thundering voice, but I also hear Him gently, quietly, pleading with us, urging us to set our love on Him, to put Him first. Why? Because He loves us and knows what is good for us. Oh, how great the love of God! Dare we offer Him anything less than total, passionate, faithful love, obedience, and devotion?

Look how Matthew Henry talks about these promises :

“Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befall, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous. Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble.

The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this he looks unto Jesus. He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for heaven. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him?

A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length the believer’s conflict ends; he has done for ever with trouble, sin, and temptation.” (from the Matthew Henry commentary on Psalm 91:9-16 at www.biblehub.com

Is it any wonder that so many of us memorize all of Psalm 91? Selah, selah, selah!

Do I really need God?

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

How much do I depend on God? Eyes closed. I’m snug and warm under the covers. The blanket edge flops  over most of my face. On my cheek comes a velvety soft fluttering, a tap tap tap, tappity tap, tappity tap. Lily, my sweet cat, is waking me a bit early. I turn on my back and she climbs on my chest. Nothing happens, so she administers more tappity tapping. After a few ear rubs she jumps to the floor, but not for long. In thirty seconds, she again sits on my chest, tappity tapping my cheek.

Then I was out of bed, heading to the bathroom, getting a drink of water, washing my face, getting dressed, walking to the kitchen, putting on water for tea. Through all of that, Lily was right there within three feet, looking at me with her beautiful eyes, intently watching my every move. The moment I reached for a can of cat food, she meowed and ran back to the bedroom, to sit in front of her two white feeding bowls. Focused and persistent she was.

Why? Lily needs me, for her very life. I am essential to her, a vital necessity. Without me, she has no food and no water.

Do I need God like I need breath? The Word is filled with verses where God tells us to seek Him with all our heart.  In his farewell address before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses warned that they would be scattered and many of them destroyed if they worshipped idols. But Moses told them that even from that place of idol worshipping they could still be saved if they sought God desperately. “But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life. (emphasis added, Deuteronomy 4:29, AMPC).

Lamentations 3:25 instructs us that “The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word.] (AMPC, emphasis added)

This verse tells me that I am to wait for God with hope and expectation. It also tells me that my need gives me the right to ask God for help and that I can do so with confidence when my need is covered by the Word. And God promises to “supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”  (I Corinthians 4:19, NLT)

All I have to do is remember the many times God has come through for me and I can lean on God with confidence and trust Him while He works out my problems.  Ponder Psalm 9:10.

And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].

Do you see that God is telling us again that we can ask for God’s help based on the authority of the Word of God and that our need gives us the right to ask?

Being desperate for God is a blessing. It is good when God lets be aware that we have, in some way, turned our face away from the light of His truth. I have a built-in safeguard in that regard because all kinds of negative feelings start if I let my mind drift.

Despite the miraculous healing God did of life-long depression, it is still sometimes a struggle to maintain emotional balance. Through many failures, many times repeating the lesson, I have learned that I need God as I need breath. I learned that if I do not keep my mind on God and His Word all day long, that the enemy’s destructive lies can quickly flood my mind with darkness. My fleshly tendency is to feel afraid, to worry, and to grumble and complain, about the little as well as big “troubles, trials, distresses and frustrations.” Jesus warned us we will have in this world (John 16:33)

If I do not immediately reconnect with God and let the truth of His Word light the way for my next steps, I continue stumbling along in the dark, listening to the enemy’s taunts of doubt, fear, and hopelessness. With every step, it is harder to turn back to the light of God’s presence and the peace and joy He has stored up for me. My foot has been trapped in the snare.

I wish I could say this never happens anymore, but it still does because the enemy of our souls, satan, is exceedingly evil and cunning and always seeking to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

How has he attacked lately?  Like many fellow believers, I have struggled with several health problems for many months now, praying and believing for healing and doing all I can to improve my health. However, despite a good diet, medicine, exercise, and physical therapy (with God’s hand evident in each of these), it has become progressively difficult to keep writing. Problems with my back, neck, eyes and hands, energy and mental clarity – the very things I need to write – have continued for months now, one new difficulty after the other.

What to do when hope dies. Somewhere along the path of the last few weeks, I failed to keep hope alive. Subconsciously, I began to doubt that God would be able to keep me writing. This was layered of course over other ongoing burdens, like unsaved loved ones, bills, repeated plumbing problems, and of course the darkness of our present world we all are facing.  Every day, climbing out of the mire of negative thoughts grew harder. I grew irritable and short-tempered with traffic, neighbors and every little annoyance.

Fortunately, I kept seeking God, asking Him to guide me, show me what to do, and to restore my soul. I read and listened to Psalm 25 through Psalm 33 repeatedly. One morning I felt so desperate that I made repeating two passages of Scripture all day long my only goal.

Psalm 28:7 – The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.

Psalm 33:18-22 – Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness,

19 To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.20 Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.

21 For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You. (AMPC, emphasis added)

That day was, by grace, better and I kept persisting, being honest with God and leaning on Him for His strength because my strength was gone.

I must guard my expectations of how deliverance will come. I think I was expecting God to do as He has done countless times before, to open a passage of Scripture for me or let me hear a bit of music or catch sight of a bird or flower or hear an encouraging word and all of a sudden get my heart back in the right place.

But this time, this time I think God was lovingly letting me develop more spiritual muscle. I have had to patiently plod along, one hard step at a time, one day after another, doing what I know to do, and reminding myself of all God’s previous deliverances (Psalm 107:43).

The following three passages of Scripture especially helped.

Philippians 4:4-7 – “wonder-working power.”

 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

5 Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon].

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (AMPC)

This verse tells me to:

  • choose to be glad in the Lord,
  • think how to help others, and,
  • rather than upsetting myself with worry, to ask God specifically for what I need in every situation and to thank Him.

If I do that, He promises to keep me in peace and guard my heart. He will build a permanent fortress around my heart. That’s how carefully He will protect my heart.

Jeremiah 15:19 – blessedly firm conviction about doubting God.

Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister;

and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. (AMPC, emphasis added)

As He told Jeremiah, God clearly tells me that if I return to trust and hoping in Him that He will give me “again a settled place of quiet and safety” and I can go about my work of living for and serving God. Furthermore, the Lord clearly tells me that it is a vile thing to have “unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness.” He is lovingly but firmly rebuking me for doubting Him, just as the Israelites did in the wilderness over and over, despite all the times God had forgiven and rescued them. But the verse also shows me that it is precious to God when I trust Him and have faith in His faithfulness.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 – renewed hope and strength.

17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

The example of the prophet Habakkuk is a model of the right attitude to have while living in desperate times. Habakkuk said that no matter how hopeless circumstances look (v. 17) we can choose to be exceedingly glad in the Lord and to have an attitude of victory. Why? Because God IS our strength, God IS our bravery when we have none, and He IS our army that can never, never, no never be defeated. When we are weak and afraid, God Himself will be strong and brave in us. He Himself will fight our battles.

Despite all life’s troubles, sufferings, and responsibilities, God gives us the ability to walk right through them all and to make spiritual progress because of and on top of the very troubles themselves. Just like a mountain goat moves forward in its daily travels across rugged terrain.

What are your troubles? Dear friend, on the authority of God’s Word I can tell you that if you are seeking God, He is right there with you (2 Chronicles 15:2). Your life may seem small and insignificant, like my quiet, retiree’s life does, and troubles may have nearly swamped your little boat, but the God Who made and controls the entire world loves you and His compassion for you is as high as the heavens are above the earth (Psalm 103).

He understands exactly what you are going through, He feels it with you, and He has prepared a way ahead of time for you to escape into His place of safety and peace and, yes, even rejoicing.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. (I Corinthians 10:13, NLT, emphasis added.)

All that you have I have to do is wait, with confident expectation and loving obedience, on our all-mighty, forever loving God. He will renew your strength.

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.

29 He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted;

31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired (Isaiah 40:28-31, AMPC, emphasis added).

Did things get better? Outward circumstances have changed little but, by grace, I have a grip again (which is to say I have a grip on God’s hand. He never, no never, no never for one second let go of me). And you know, while I was writing this blog post for you, on a gray cloudy day, I felt the warmth of His touch on my heart again, after many days. As the song says, “Oh, how He loves you, oh how He loves me, oh how He loves you and me.”

I didn’t feel like being grateful

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

I didn’t feel like being grateful. My right foot began to throb as I depressed the brake, waiting at the light. I ran my thumbs over the smooth curve of the steering wheel, impatient.

“I am so tired of all these physical problems!” I moaned to myself. “Is part of the foot pain coming from the low back, like that one doctor said? Or is it something else? And if it is, how am I supposed to pay for the decompression treatments he said would likely help?”

The gray, overcast day reflected my mood. For days, impenetrable murk had hidden the shape of God’s vault of blue heaven above. Instead of feeling lifted up and free upon stepping outside, oppressive gray clouds weighed heavily on the mind, closing you in, stealing the chance for an upward, hope-giving glance at that inverted bowl of blue and the majestic mountains of white clouds.

Across the intersection, I saw a gray-haired man in a wheelchair, also waiting for the light. Time flashed back thirty years, to one of those moments that, when you experience it, you know you will always remember.

Thirty years ago I had been driving home from my secretarial job where I sat outside the door of a sarcastic, mean, and hyper-critical boss. I was feeling sorry for myself, dreading sitting down with the bills when I got home where I would have to stretch my single-parent income beyond belief, and angry that my daughter, at age 15, worked at McDonald’s so she could have extras like magazines, make-up to experiment with and an occasional movie. There, bumping along on the side of the road, in the uneven dirt, was a young man in a wheelchair. There were no feet propped on the footplates of the wheelchair.

Instantly a saying from Al-Anon days came to mind. “I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” That day, through tears, I had counted my blessings, literally, all the way home.

Now, as I sat at the light, looking at that old man in the wheelchair, recalling the lesson God had written on my heart so long ago, I knew something was really wrong. I still did not feel like being grateful, even after such a direct message from God.

Why was I floundering? The immediate reason for my sour mood was that I was returning from the gym, to which I had driven for the swim which aways eases my back. But three minutes in, they closed the pool for chemical rebalancing. The light changed. I resumed my fuming.

“I have to exercise more than anyone else I know and I still have so many physical problems. That is not fair!”

As I pulled into the parking lot, light finally penetrated my darkness.

“Lord, You promise to work good out of everything so I am going to see what lessons You have for me in this experience. I am going to get good out of this. Please help me get my attitude right, Lord! I am sorry but I am really mad about everything!”

I inhaled deeply as I walked toward the stairs, enjoying the smell of the drizzle that was starting and the slight chill in the air that gets pleasantly into your bones, so refreshing after months of sticky heat. As I unlocked the door, insights flooded in. I was reminded of the series of blog posts I had just finished on Isaiah 30, which teaches that all the time we have turned away from God He is eagerly waiting, looking and longing to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18) and that He fights our enemies for us when we return to resting and depending on Him.

Like a pouting little child stamping her foot, I had, finally, looked up at my Heavenly Father and raised my arms to Him. And, like the father of the prodigal who was eagerly watching for his son to return, God ran.

The blessings of insights from God. How blessed we are that God invites us to talk things over with Him. In Isaiah 1:18 He says:

“Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. (AMPC.)” And James 4:8-11 tells us “Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. (NIV)

Prayerfully I reviewed what had gotten me into such a vile state of “unworthy and unwarranted suspicions regarding God’s faithfulness.” (Jeremiah 15:19, AMPC). For days, I had tried to be grateful, to just talk with Jesus about the problems, ignore those fickle old feelings and just move forward. For days I had been unable to feel His presence and His peace. So, despite strong effort, worry, fear, anger and resentment settled into my heart.

Oh, those foxes, those little foxes! [My heart was touched and I fervently sang to Him my desire] Take for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards [of our love], for our vineyards are in blossom.” (Solomon 2:15, AMPC). When I look back now, now that I have, by grace, regained peace, the problems that made me stumble seem so little. I am sure you could write a similar list. Mine was ongoing and worsening back problems; no funds to cover the treatment that might help; ongoing and worsening foot problems related to that; the need for minor foot surgery in two weeks, surgery that would further complicate all the back problems when I could not exercise for a while afterwards; having to wait three weeks for insurance to cover new eyeglasses; worsening eye pain and strain each day, not knowing if that was caused by the need for new glasses or cataracts or dry eye, the expensive remedy for which insurance also did not cover.

It seemed that everything I use each day, to just live and to write, which is a great joy, was falling apart. Another contributing factor to self-pity and irritability was the lingering week-long cold.

“Why couldn’t I be grateful for all God had done?” I asked myself as I reviewed the blessings God had showered on me this week: stopping the blood thinner, which had caused much fatigue for an entire year; getting me unstuck after weeks of struggling with a hard chapter in the next book; and showing how to modify some daily activities so as to help with feet and back issues.

Besides all of that, there were the huge, huge blessings that are a part of daily life: salvation, a close relationship with Him, some of my family being saved and faith to believe for the others; living close to family; living in America; money for all my needs and many of my wants; deliverance from depression; training in keeping emotions stable; and the knowledge of how to return to God when I sin and/or bad things happen.

God’s deliverance. So, here is what I told myself to do.

[1] Ask God to forgive me for my wrong attitudes and complaining and ingratitude. Two verses I greatly value are: 1 John 1:9, which says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NIV)” So simple. So necessary. The second is Proverbs 28:13 which teaches us that “Whoever conceals their sin does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” In doing that, we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and He will lift us up in due time, as He promises in Peter 5:6-7.

Confessing our sin is doing what James 4:7-10 commands us:

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

[2] Make up my mind to God thanks for everything I can think of, no matter how I feel, and to praise Him. I Thessalonians 5:18 tells us “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (ESV) Psalm 100:4 tells us to approach God with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts. Consider this quotation from Debbie Przybylski on www.crosswalk.com.

God inhabits our praise. The word “inhabit” or “enthrone” (yashab) means to judge in ambush. When we praise God, He will seat himself right in the middle of our lives and judge the enemies that are surrounding us. The Japanese translation of Psalm 22:3 is: “When you praise God He brings a big chair and sits there.” Think about that! God is seated in the center of your life. The enemy cannot dethrone you because God cannot be overthrown!” https://rb.gy/fz4791

[3] Ask God to impress the lesson of this painful experience deeply on my heart. Psalm 103:18 in the AMPC has a vital lesson for me. Verse 17 says that “. . . from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him. . . “(NIV) The thought continues in verse 18: “to such as keep His covenant—hearing, receiving, loving and obeying it; and to those who [earnestly] remember His commands to do them [imprinting them on their hearts] (emphasis added). To me this verse says that when we earnestly, whole-heartedly, lovingly obey the Lord we imprint, or write, His word on our heart. This is part of the new covenant we now have through Jesus that God explains in the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews 10:16 God says “I will imprint My laws upon their hearts, and I will inscribe them on their minds (on their inmost thoughts and understanding.)” (AMPC)

Taken together, these verses reassure me (and, oh how I need that reassurance!) that as I follow God’s commands God imprints them, like a brand, on my heart and mind. This is part of how He works in my heart to give me godly desires and enables me to live a holy life (Philippians 2:13). He is changing my nature so that I want to love and serve Him even more.

Verse 14 of Psalm 103 is also instructive in this matter. It says that God understands exactly how we are made. “For He knows our frame; He [earnestly] remembers and imprints on His heart] that we are dust.” (AMPC). This says to me that if God imprints on His heart how much we need His compassion, we should imprint what He wants us to do on our hearts. If He loves us so much, how can we not respond appropriately? Selah. See what Holy Spirit tells you about these two verses. And all of Psalm 103.

[4] Thank Him for His loving discipline (Hebrews 12). In times of trial, whether we are partly the cause or not, it is well worth taking time to ponder the truths of Hebrews 12:1-13 and John 15:1-17. God uses hardships to train us, for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10b). He trims or removes from our lives the things that bear no fruit and He also works with the things that do bear fruit so that those things may bear even more fruit (John 15). Clearly, some of my branches needed to be cut off and thrown away. However, God was lovingly working with my heart so that the faith, hope, trust, and self-control I had would increase.

Two thoughts to keep in mind. So dear friend and fellow oh so human human being, here are two thoughts that I pray will ease your heart as they do mine.

One, God knows exactly how you feel and has deep compassion on your fleshly tendencies whether you are a new believer or 50 years old in the Lord. He included many stories in the Bible about mature saints who yielded to complaints, worries, and fears. And He included how He loved and worked with them every time when they sought Him. Consider the failings of Moses, Elijah, David, and Jonah, just for starters.

And two, God is not mad at you for automatic, instinctive reactions of your flesh. Pinch my arm and my flesh reacts with physical pain. Pinch my circumstances and my flesh reacts with negative emotion. It is a trap of the enemy to feel guilty about such feelings and let them continue, subconsciously feeling we have failed Him and He must be mad at us.

Even when we, being so very human, let wrong thoughts stay in our heart, God is not mad at us any more than a parent is mad with children who react in childish ways. He just longs to lift us up and restore us to His side. Think of how often He forgave the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness and then when they lived in the land He had promised.
When you see a little child stumble and fall and you hear that piercing wail of distress you want to pick up that child, hold him close and tell him everything will be alright. You feel that child’s pain. That is compassion.

How much more does God feel compassion for us when we stumble? In Isaiah 49, God says His love for us, and His consciousness of us, is greater than that of a mother with a tiny infant. In Isaiah 49:16 God says “See I have engraved you on the palm of my hands;” (NIV)
Beloved one, “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” (Psalm 145:8, AMPC). To be filled with something is to have no room for anything else. Do a word study on God’s compassion.

No matter what is happening in your life, no matter how your feelings have reacted, humbly present yourself to God. He will lift you up “. . . for He is good; for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.” (Psalm 118:1b and 29b, NIV) Every verse in Psalm 136 repeats that statement. Think about why God did that. He did that for you.

God will always raise you up, to make you more than you can be, because He loves you. Ponder that as you listen to “You Raise Me Up”.

 

Be as the birds

ANXIETY, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

The lilies that live in the field,
the birds that fly through the air,
They blossom, they soar and they sing,
in freedom, unburdened by care,
for God did not give them a spirit of fear
Save only to flee when danger is near.

The rest of the time, like a child, they just live,
waiting, depending, to see what God gives.
They grow and they sing, just happy to be,
to be what God made them, joyful and free.

Can you, oh my soul, not be as the birds?
Can you not believe the truth you have heard?
Your Father has told you that He will provide.
Your Father has told you He’s right by your side.
Your Father has shown you He protects from all harm.
Your Father has shown you the strength of His arm.
Your Father has opened the eyes of your heart.
Your Father has shown you the thing that’s your part.

Your part, oh frail soul, is to be as the birds,
just living, no fretting, no worry, no care,
for the Great One Who made you
Is mindful you’re dust
and He only requires that you love Him and trust.

Yes, serve Him, adore Him, flood your mind with His truth.
Through serving He’ll lead you just as He led Ruth.
When you yield and you love Him and make Him your Lord,
He’ll bind your heart to Him with strong and great cords.

Then, safe in His shelter, ‘neath almighty strong wings
you’ll abide in His peace, whatever life brings.
So be as the birds, my dearest blessed friend.
Cast all your care. All worry will end.

Light and joy are sown

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, DEPRESSION, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

11 Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection].

12 Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.  (Psalm 97:11-12, AMPC)

Just doing the next thing. “Father, I do not know if this walk will do much good. It is so much less than what I did just a month ago. But the joints are so stiff I must do something.”

I walked slowly, taking care to stand fully upright, shoulders back, consciously using muscles that weeks without working out had weakened. The neighborhood street bordering my complex was lined with only one- and two-story apartments, so I had a full view of the sky overhead. From horizon to horizon, the inverted blue bowl of God’s heaven, dotted with whisps and puffs of cottony white, elicited a feeling of being covered, of being shielded, of being safe.  Vast as the sky is, it seemed close and comforting.

I glanced at the paper in my hand.

Light is sown. . . “Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway. . . “

“You know, Lord, when I first memorized this a few months ago, I thought about it in the order in which it is written, that You plant light for us and scatter it along the path of our life. But, today, what I see is that there are two separate actions. You plant good things, like light, far down our path but that You also scatter light right where we are, because it takes time for planted things to bear fruit, so we need some of it now.

To strew means to scatter things on the surface, so Your scatter light we can get to easily, now, right on the surface. But You are always providing for our future so You have also planted light for us to use in the future. Perhaps that light takes time to grow and will be a stronger and brighter than what we find so easily today. Perhaps some of that planted light will grow into a tree. Maybe it will be a fruit tree or a shade tree, providing food for the hungry and rest for the weary.”

Resisting the enemy. Thoughts and sorrows started to push their way into consciousness—When will my family finally yield to Your love? How will I ever get back to health? How will I pay all the bills?

“No! I will not give in to these thoughts. Satan, get behind me! It is written if I am subject to God and I resist you and stand firm against you, you must flee (James 4:7). It is also written that I can do all things because Christ gives me strength, and that includes being vigilant about your attacks, and being firm in faith against you at the onset. God’s Word tells me that my fellow believers all over the world have the ‘same identical sufferings’ (I Peter 5:8-9). I am not being singled out with trials.

Lord, You said that while we are in the world we all have “troubles, trials, distress and frustration.” I will do what You said. I am setting my mind to be of good cheer. I will take courage and be confident, certain and undaunted!  I can do that because I believe what You said Lord, that You have overcome the world and You have deprived the world of power to harm me and have conquered it for me. (John 16:33, AMPC).

I will meditate on and delight in the things that are eternal, the unseen things, those things the enemy cannot touch. I will be grateful and thank You for all You have done. I will be thankful for the comfort of Your precious Holy Spirit, for knowing You have prepared a beautiful eternal home for me, and that while on earth I can abide in You and bear much good fruit for Your kingdom. And You reminded Your disciples, and me, of these things so that we may have “perfect peace and confidence.” That means complete peace and complete confidence, about everything.

Help me stay safe in You, Lord! Oh, help me stay in You, safe within You Who are my Rock, safe within the mental and spiritual fortress I create when I say I am taking refuge in You, when I put my trust in You, as Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:19-33.  I remember, Lord, that verse 25 says You are good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for You, to those who seek You. Then the brackets after seek says “inquire of and for You and require You by right of necessity and on the authority of Your Word.”

My precious, precious Heavenly Father, my Faithful and Loving One, I do have need of Your power to overcome this habit of worry and fear that has returned. This is a real need, and I am trying my best and I have the authority of Your Word that reassures me You will give me strength to do this. I will resist these doubts and fears from the enemy at their onset. (I Peter 5:6-9). I will ponder on and speak of the great deeds You have done. I will remind myself of Your mercy and loving kindness toward all that You created. I will think on good things. . . “

As I told that young mom at the park yesterday, ‘You can have as much of God as you want’, Lord, I want all of you that I can absorb and more! Oh, deal with this worrisome flesh, these weaknesses, these tendencies to doubt and fear. Forgive me, Father! I know You are sovereign over all things, I know You are working all things together for Your good and for Your glory and You can only do good. I know that. Please help my heart absorb that truth yet again as I meditate on Your Word, Your precious, loving and living Word.”

Little trees. . .big trees. Along both sides of the street, at each driveway stood a pair of ten-foot-tall cedars. I knew these must have been planted 35 years ago when this area was military housing. Then they would have been no taller than a kindergartner. I know that because in the home where I lived from age 8 to 16, my father planted a pair of cedars bordering our driveway when we first moved in, and in a few more years, these should grow to about the same size.

“What children,” I pondered, “had played chase around these cedars 35 years ago, as my brothers and I had, while they waited for their father to come home from the base as we waited for our father to come home from the rock mine, dodging each other around the little trees, perilously close to the street, a fact about which our mother never worried in those days when kids played, unsupervised, for hours at a stretch, in those long ago days?

Had those children stood proudly beside their dad while he watered the little trees, coaxing them to grow even as he coaxed his children to grow. Had they wheedled him into a short game of catch before they all went in for supper?”

What a deep vein of memory that row of paired, more than mature cedar trees touched, that vein of memories etched into the bedrock of my heart by my father’s love and attention, night after night, homecoming after homecoming to his family.

Childhood. What a mystery! When in it, unaware of the sacrifices of those who love and nurture us, and unable to articulate what the warmth and security mean to us, we seldom express gratitude. Then it takes years before we understand and, far too often, the one who loved us so well is gone.

“But, Lord, I know Daddy understood. And thank You that I did thank him, many times, once I was older, before he passed away. And I know that the love he had for me was directly from You, that he was a channel for Your very own fierce fatherly love”

Help me be grateful, Lord! “Oh, Father! Help me be aware of what You do for me. Help me give You thanks and gratitude. Help me see what You do, like giving light and joy as this psalm says.  You gave given me a very good life, even to the present time, to my gray hair season, as you say in Isaiah 46:4.”

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4, NIV).”

I reached into my pocket to read the next phrase of Psalm 97:11 but it was gone. I must have not tucked it far enough into the pocket of my hoodie. Turning around, I saw only leaves tumbling down the black asphalt. The wind must have already blown it away.

“Just like that,” I pondered, “We in America could lose our Bibles. Help me, Lord, get more Word hidden in my heart. Help me truly to treasure Your Word.”

In the pondering. As I walked, I pondered verse 11. That familiar rustling stirred inside, that treasured gift of having a thought not my own pop into awareness. How wonderful and how loving that God’s Word is actually alive and interacts with our innermost thoughts and feelings (Hebrews 4:12).  It is almost like God speaking to us with an audible voice.

So, I talked that verse over with God, in my heart, as I walked.

11 Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection]. (Psalm 97:11, AMPC)

“Lord, I know this verse means that You scatter light along my path, in unexpected places here and there, and that You also prepare light that I will need far into the future.  This verse says the same thing about joy – that You have put joy here and there in unexpected places and also prepared it for the future.  The verse says “along the pathway”, which means not just in one spot but all along the length of the path of my life.

Irrepressible joy. I continued thinking, aware that “The irrepressible joy which comes from awareness of His favor and protection” was an instruction, that it suggested being aware of God’s favor and His protection produces joy so intense it cannot be pushed down, not even by the enemy and his vicious attacks on God’s children.

“That is what I need, Lord! Joy!  You tell us over and over to rejoice, to cast our cares on You and do not worry.  And I know that “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”

I remembered that Ezra said this well-known verse when the people were weeping over their sins because they had just heard and understood the Law and their sins. Yet You told them to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, and not to grieve. You said, right in the midst of their tears of repentance:

“Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.” (Nehemiah 8:10, AMPC)

A stronghold is a place that s fortified against attack. I know You have prepared a place of safety and a source of strength for me, and by Your grace I will look for it and run into it. Father, You know how little joy I have experienced lately but I trust You to help me find that which You have lovingly prepared, just for me. I know You say You busy yourself with our every step when our ways delight You. (Psalm 37:23).

“The trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12). I hesitated before going back inside to resume the day, pausing, as usual, across the street from the three stately sycamores alongside the complex next to mine. Taller than the oaks beside them, their white trunks in stark contrast with the brown of the oaks, their almost bare branches rocked left and right, as smaller branches wobbled in the wind. In the topmost branches, the few remaining clusters of broad leaves fluttered against one another and crackled, a soothing whooshing sound.

“Lord, You have spoken with me, in so many ways, so many years. I remember that cold. February morning walking to work in 1985, occasionally glancing at an index card with John 3:6 written on it. When You first opened that scripture for me, You possibly put the identical thought into my mind that You had put into Nicodemus’s mind on that long ago night when he asked Jesus how to be born again. I know Jesus explained to him that the spiritual world is unseen, like the wind, but that the spiritual world reveals itself by the effects it has, just as the wind reveals itself by the effects, like sound, that it has.

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, NIV)

“Father, I cannot see You, but I know You are with me this moment by the peace I feel. And in these recent times when I could not feel Your peace, I know You were with me just as much. I do not know what You are doing to do, any more than I know which way the wind will blow, but I trust You, Father, I trust You with it all, with every care on my heart. And I know You already know each one.

So, on this February morning, 2023, as I watched the sycamores bear witness to the wind, I said in my heart:

“You are good and all that You do is good. I know You will help me. I know You have prepared light and joy for me, this day and far into my future. I know You will lead me in the path You want me to travel (Proverbs 3:5-6).

And I know You will give that “irrepressible joy that comes from awareness of Your favor and protection.”  By Your grace, I will think about You and the good that You do, I will mind heavenly things, I will cast my cares on You and rejoice and think on good things. Your Word never fails, Lord, and You promise peace if we keep our mind fixed on You.

Father, I know You are always with me, You will always help me, You will always give me Your joy and You are always in complete, sovereign control of my life. So, I will rejoice and again I say, I will choose to be joyful. . .”

And I continued with the rest of the day God had made, for me, and for you.