Category Archives: HOPE

When I make You my choice, Part One, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

two roads between trees

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When I make You my choice,
then my heart will rejoice,
safe, safe. . .
. . . safe in the joy of Your presence.

Let’s consider the Biblical basis of this little verse.

When I make You my choice . . .  The wonderful Word of God contains many conditional promises. A conditional promise is one where God’s promise depends on specific human actions. One of my favorite conditional promises is Psalm 91.

“ He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.” (Psalm 91:1-4, AMPC, emphasis added).

The footnote in the AMPC explains “The rich promises of this whole chapter are dependent upon one’s meeting exactly the conditions of these first two verses (see Exod. 15:26).”

What are those two conditions? (1) Live continually in intimate fellowship with God and (2) Say about the Lord: “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him.” (NLT).  When we do that, the promises in the rest of the psalm apply. Note that the AMPC shows the conditional nature of the promises in Psalm 91 more clearly than other translations because the AMPC includes the word then.

Our words have creative power. As the first two chapters of Genesis tell us, God created the world by speaking it into existence. Consider Romans 10:9-10.

“9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.” (AMPC, emphasis added).

When I say with my mouth, Jesus is my Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead, I am saved. I am choosing to make Jesus my Lord and I am believing that Jesus is God, God living in human flesh.

Regarding the power of the words we say, consider the sequence in 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.”

When I say “God is my Strength and my impenetrable Shield” I am combining my words with my faith, just as when I say “Jesus is my Lord and my Savior.”  Then I choose to put my trust, my faith in Him by saying “My heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him.” Then I am helped and that help makes my heart joyful. Praise follows naturally. Go back and read the entire Psalm. Notice that the blessings of this psalm come after the psalmist cries out earnestly to the Lord.

When I say something is, I use my faith and the creative power of words God gave us to use. Another example of this power of our saying that something is can be found in Lamentations 3:19-26.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.” (AMPC)

When Jeremiah (the writer of Lamentations) has his mind on his problems, he is discouraged. But in spite of that, he recalls something that brings hope. He focuses on the fact that God loves us greatly, God’s compassions for us are new every morning, and His faithfulness is huge.

Pondering these facts leads Jeremiah to say “God is my portion”, the One Who supplies all my needs. So, I will wait for Him. And I know God is good to those who hope in Him and seek Him.  It is good to wait quietly for the salvation, the safety and ease of the Lord (as some translations phrase it). All Jeremiah had to do was turn his thoughts away from his problems and toward God. Then, the truths he knew strengthened his heart.

“God is my portion.” “The Hebrew word for “portion” has to do with a ration or a part of something divided” (www.gotquestions.org). Some translations link the word portion to inheritance, specifically the land given to the tribes of Israel when they entered the promised land. But the priestly tribe of the Levites had no portion of land because the Lord promised to take care of their needs. He, God Himself, was their portion.

To me, that says if I dedicate my life whole-heartedly to loving, obeying and serving the Lord, He will take care of all my needs, just as He did for the Levites. I love how www.gotquestions puts it.

“When a biblical writer says, “God is my portion,” he means that God is the source of his happiness and blessing. He is content with all that the Lord is and provides. He has the best inheritance imaginable and does not seek any possession or comfort outside of God. Riches, honor, friends and fame—nothing is as valuable as the promises of God.”

Despite the “troubles, trials, distress and frustrations of this life on earth” (John 16:33), I can choose to trust God and believe with all my heart that He will supply all my needs, not according to earthly limits but in a way that corresponds to His riches.  It is important to note that the Holy Spirit, through Paul, is giving this promise to people who had financially supported Paul’s ministry. Context, context, context!

Then, my heart will rejoice. Another psalm telling us that trusting in God brings joy is Psalm 33, specifically verse 21. “For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name.” (AMPC). This shows me that trusting, relying on and being confident in God’s nature, or His name, brings joy to my heart.

Sometimes it takes backbreaking effort, emotionally speaking, to make the choice to rejoice. We must talk to ourselves like David did in Psalm 42, reminding ourself of God’s goodness and His constant love for us. And we have to remember that throughout the Bible God tells us to rejoice.  Why? More about that soon.

An old chorus often comes to mind when it is hard to rejoice. Part of the lyrics are:

This is the day
This is the day
That the Lord hath made
That the Lord hath made
We will rejoice
We will rejoice
And be glad in it
And be glad in it. (By Scripture in Song.)

The tune is lively and uplifting. I often sing it out loud, reminding myself that I can choose to be happy, I can choose to be grateful to God, and I can voice prayers of thanksgiving.  When I do that, I “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.” Then I will spontaneously “be thankful unto him and bless his name.” (Psalm 100:4, NKJV). I can encourage myself as David did so often. I can decide to rejoice this day. Every day is a precious, lovingly planned gift from God. How dare I not be thankful to Him for it?

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Safe, safe, safe in the joy of Your presence. Being aware of God’s presence always brings joy. Look at this verse.

“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, emphasis added).

In hard times, one of the best things we can do is take time to praise and worship God – because God lives in the praises of His people. Psalm 22 starts with a lament but in verse 3 David declares: “Yet You are holy, You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. (NASB)

A wonderful old song by Selah includes this truth:

“Praise the Lord, He can work through those who praise Him,
Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise.
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you that they drop powerless behind you
When you praise Him”

As you listen to this powerful song at the link below, think about the Biblical truths in the lyrics. https://rb.gy/b4o7q6

Part Two will explore the benefits of choosing to rejoice.

Urgent Prayer for Iran and the Middle East

CURRENT EVENTS, HOPE, Prayer, TRUSTING GOD

On his powerful Give Him 15 daily podcast –- www.givehim15.com — Dutch Sheets is urging his listeners to join in the Ekklesia Prayer coalition, Friday, August 14, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This will be “a night of prayer for the war in Iran and the overthrow of demon powers behind its ideology and to further revival in the Middle East, America, and the nations.”

It will be held at Oasis Church in Middletown, Ohio. You can watch and join in prayer on YouTube for free.

I urge you to click on this link to find out more about this critical prayer effort.  Ekklesia Prayer Coalition — The Oasis Church.

If you are not already watching Dutch’s daily podcast, I urge you to do so. You will:

  • learn more about prayer,
  • be blessed by joining in prayer with thousands, more likely millions, around the globe, and
  • receive sound Biblical teaching along the way.

And pray, pray, pray!  As you know,

“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” (James 5:16 b, AMPC)

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God will help you to fight – Part Two, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

In Part One we examined some Biblical passages and truths that will encourage us when we face trials as we seek to grow in our relationship with Jesus. We examined some Biblical principles found in the first two stanzas of “God Helps You to Fight”, given below.

When you make a new effort to walk in the light
be not surprised when the enemy fights.
Don’t grumble inside!  Don’t say in your heart
“It should just be all easy when I make a new start!
Why God, He should make this new thing a breeze
for He is the one I’m trying to please!”

            But be not discouraged!
. . . for that hater of humans is not authorized
to enter the soul where Jesus is prized,
for God, full of mercy, completely surrounds
the soul that will trust Him and grace does abound!

Though ‘round your frail heart the storm it may roar
the fear you feel now you’ll feel nevermore
if you will just stand and learn how to fight
by leaning on God with all of your might
by saying to God: “I’ll walk in Your light.
I’ll stand in Your peace for Yours is this fight.”  

In this blog post, we will look at Biblical principles underlying Stanza Three.

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What is fear?  Read the definition of fear given below. Do you see that fear comes when we worry about what has not yet happened? Webster’s 1828 online dictionary defines fear as:

“A painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger. Fear expresses less apprehension than dread, and dread less than terror and fright. The force of this passion, beginning with the most moderate degree, may be thus expressed, fear dread, terror, fright. Fear is accompanied with a desire to avoid or ward off the expected evil. Fear is an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. (emphasis added.)

In His Word, God tells us not to fear over and over and over. Why? One reason is that He knows fear is a powerful weapon the enemy uses to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10, KJV). The enemy always strives to harm us, rob us of the truth and ultimately aims to destroy us.  We can learn to conquer fear in whatever form it comes by following examples in the Bible.

Consider Jehoshaphat’s Example. King Jehoshaphat gave us a pattern to follow when he defeated the vast army of Ammon, Moab and Mount Sier.

[1]        Be in right-standing with God.

[2]        Pray for your situation – with humility about yourself and confidence in God.

[3]        Do not flee, rather face the situation and move forward.

[4]        Set your mind to trust and keep it set on trusting.

[5]        Take time to thank and praise God for the victories He gives you. In this way you will imprint them on your heart so that your memories of victory will speak to you in the future.

Stop now and read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. Can you find the five steps listed above in the story? Here they are as I see them.

[1]       Be in right-standing with God. King Jehoshaphat was in right standing with God. 2 Chronicles 17:3 tells us “The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed.” (NIV) We must all confess our sins quickly and maintain a right relationship with God. We must try our utmost to live in habitual fellowship with God, living in “conformity with His will in word, thought, and action.” (Deuteronomy 6:25, AMPC)

Staying in right standing with God is essential whether we are in an easy season or a season of challenges. As you study your Bible, notice how often God talks about righteousness. Notice how often His promises are linked to righteousness. One example is John 9:31: “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” (KJV).  See also Proverbs 15:29.

[2] Pray for your situation – with humility about yourself and confidence about God.

When a vast army threatened King Jehoshaphat, he “resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah” (v 3).  People responded from every town in the kingdom. It was a whole-hearted response, as our response must be when we seek God.

In front of the whole assembly, Jehoshaphat acclaimed God’s supreme power, described the specific situation, acknowledged his own helplessness and asked for God’s help. His concluding words were “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (v. 12, emphasis added)

NOTICE THIS: The Bible says that right after Jehoshaphat prayed, the Lord reassured His frightened people. Speaking through the prophet Jahazel, the Lord comforted and reassured His desperate people. He said:

silhouette of kneeling man

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“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow march down against them. . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you. O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” (v.15-17).

Appropriately, Jehoshaphat immediately bowed before the Lord and all the people worshipped and praised the Lord “with very loud voice.”

[3]       Do not flee, rather face the situation and move forward. Then King Jehoshaphat led his army to the battle.  Go back and reread the definition of fear. Notice that fear can grow into dread then terror and fright. The more we yield to fear, the more it controls us. If we stay in the feeling of fear, we will start dreading then avoiding that thing we fear. Eventually, the mere thought of it brings terror and makes us do senseless things. When we feel terror, we take hasty, unwise actions or seek to numb the feelings through alcohol, drugs, overwork, hours of mindless entertainment, etc.

By thus fleeing the situation emotionally, we do not operate from the sound mind God gives us. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV) Other translations render that last word “self-discipline.”

When we are in the right state of mind–when we have not fled the scene emotionally by panicking–God can give us courage and self-control for whatever we face. Jehoshaphat kept trusting God and in his trusting God he found power to act with courage and also to impart that courage to others.

Early the next morning after his prayer of dedication, Jehoshaphat led his people toward the battle. He encouraged them by saying “have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.” (v. 20).

[4]       Set your mind to trust and keep it set on trusting. After Jehoshaphat encouraged his people to have faith in God, he “appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” (v. 21)

This was trusting God with confidence and showing it! And look at what God did.

As soon as the praising and singing began, God caused their enemies to turn on each other. Soon, that vast army was “only dead bodies on the ground.” So vast was the army that it took three days to pick up the plunder!

[5]       Take time to thank and praise God for the victories He gives you. After the battle, the people assembled there in the valley of Beracah (which means praise) and praised God. Then they returned home and went to the temple to continue praising and celebrating God “with harps and lutes and trumpets.”

God’s desire is for us to live in peace and to prosper. The only fear God wants us to have is the fear, meaning reverence and respect, for Him. God wants us to live in peace. Ponder John 14:27, John 16:33, Philippians 4:7, and Isaiah 26:3.

When God helps us conquer one fear, we are better equipped to conquer other fears. God longs to train us and give us power to use the spiritual weapons He has provided. He wants us to live a victorious life. So, God trains us by letting us see the negative results when we break His laws and the positive results when we follow them.

For example, one of God’s instructions or laws is His promise in Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (NKJV, emphasis added) When I’m in a fear-inducing situation, if I follow this guidance and keep my mind fixed on God and the truths in His Word, I have His peace. When I panic and let my mind run wild with fear, I have no peace. God thus instructs me through, by means of, His laws.

In the same way, a toddler learns how the law of gravity works when he drops a cookie from his high chair tray and the cookie hits the floor, out of his reach. By letting us experience the natural consequences of our actions, God teaches us. We are greatly blessed when God trains us how to keep ourselves calm in trials and wait on God to act.

“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked (Psalm 94:12, AMPC)

God longs to take away our fears. He has done that countless times for me and many friends I know. One instance for which I am especially grateful occurred when I was a new believer.

At that time, I consistently arrived at church just before Sunday School began. Quiet and reserved by nature and at that time also painfully shy, the unstructured minutes before the lesson started brought painful self-consciousness and a frightened mind unable to think much less to  make small talk. One day, however, after studying about trusting God and, weary of the shyness and resulting isolation, I decided to trust God and arrive five minutes early. A friendly outgoing lady, who became a close friend, sat next to me. God helped the conversation flow easily.

Month by month, year by year, as I continued facing social situations in God’s strength instead of avoiding them, God helped me improve my social skills. With His help, I learned to make small talk even with strangers, to lead small groups, and to make presentations when I was in school and later in work. God knew that, had I remained in isolation, my spirit would be as a stunted, unfruitful tree. So, when I tried to do something new for God, He helped.

Yes, it was hard at first. Sometimes people did not respond well to my timid overtures. I drove home in tears many a Sunday. But, by great grace, I persisted and God eventually developed self-control that empowers me to engage comfortably in social situations that are such an essential component of spiritual health.

It began because a thoroughly ordinary believer tried to grow spiritually and trusted God about a situation where defeat seemed certain, where initial fear had turned into life-crippling terror. Dear friend, that is what I earnestly pray becomes your story with whatever stands in the way of your spiritual progress and prosperity.

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God will help you to fight – Part One of Two -#godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE

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When you make a new effort to walk in the light
be not surprised when the enemy fights.
Don’t grumble inside!  Don’t say in your heart
“It should just be all easy when I make a new start!
Why God, He should make this new thing a breeze
for He is the one I’m trying to please!”

            But be not discouraged!
. . . for that hater of humans is not authorized
to enter the soul where Jesus is prized,
for God, full of mercy, completely surrounds
the soul that will trust Him and grace does abound!

Though ‘round your frail heart the storm it may roar
the fear you feel now you’ll feel nevermore
if you will just stand and learn how to fight
by leaning on God with all of your might
by saying to God: “I’ll walk in Your light.
I’ll stand in Your peace for Yours is this fight.” 

Part One: You likely know that when you make new efforts to walk close to Jesus, Satan seeks to lure you into dark paths of discouragement, fear, doubt, temptation, and deceit. I pray you also know that “He holds success in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.” (Proverbs 2:7, NIV). I pray, too, that you know “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, NIV).

Last week, after talking about spiritual growth with a cherished friend, the little poem printed above bubbled up. As I rearranged words to fit the meter, underlying Bible principles also bubbled up. Reflections on those principles follow each stanza below.

Stanza One:

 When you make a new effort to walk in the light
be not surprised when the enemy fights.
Don’t grumble inside!  Don’t say in your heart
“It should just be all easy when I make a new start
Why God, He should make this new thing a breeze
for He is the one I’m trying to please!”

Consider the temptations of Jesus. Fellow believer, think about Matthew 4:1-11. Just as Jesus was about to begin His ministry, the Lord led him into the desert where Satan tempted Jesus mightily. Our human tendency is to think God should make it easy when we try hard to please Him. That is being unrealistic. Jesus told His followers in John 16:33: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (NLT). The AMPC further clarifies that last phrase like this: “For I have overcome the world.   [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

God warns us in 1 Peter 5:8:

“Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” (AMPC) 

Just as Jesus faced trials, so will we. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.” (Matthew 10:24, NASB). However!!  Just as Jesus overcame temptations with the Word (Matthew 4:1-11), so can we. We can remind ourselves that trials and temptations help us grow, as James 1:2-4 tells us.

“ Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4, NLT, emphasis added).

How does a runner develop endurance? By repeated exercise, forcing his lungs to work hard mile after mile, day after day. It is not easy but the brief discomfort brings long-lasting gain.

Consider the Wilderness Journey of the Israelites. We can also think about the Israelites as they journeyed toward the promised land. First, they grumbled about the bitter water at Marah (Exodus 15:24). Only about a month and a half after God miraculously delivered them from slavery, they grumbled again (Exodus 16:3).  Over and over God provided for their needs but they grumbled, complained, disobeyed Him and dishonored God. Even after He punished them, they kept grumbling, disobeying and dishonoring Him. Ultimately, their sin kept them from reaching the land God had promised them. Finally, God told them:

“22 because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, 23 they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected me see it.” (Numbers 14:22-23, NIV)

This tells me that if I want to obtain the abundant life Jesus died for me to have, I must learn to obey God without grumbling, complaining or doubting, no matter my circumstances.

I can learn from what I read in the Bible about how God has dealt with people in the past. God clearly says “for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4, NIV, emphasis added).  Consider also 1 Corinthians 10:11-13: “11 these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 so, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. but when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV) Pause now and slowly read 1 Corinthians 10:1 through 9.  What do you see?

As I try, God helps me learn to “accept hardship as discipline” and to keep in mind that “God is treating me as his child”. I can stop the unrealistic expectation that I should have an easy life here on earth. I can rely on the fact that it is God working in me, giving me “the desire and the power to do what pleases him” and the strength to obey. (Philippians 2:13).

And I can comfort myself by pondering upon Psalm 147:11: “The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness. (AMPC)

Stanza Two:
But be not discouraged!
. . . for that hater of humans is not authorized
to enter the soul where Jesus is prized,
for God, full of mercy, completely surrounds
the soul that will trust Him and grace does abound! 

 Consider God’s mercy and His loving kindnesses. A small child terrified by a big dog can nonetheless feel safe if she is in her father’s arms, high up and out of reach. That child feels secure in the strong arms of the one who has always protected her.

In the same way, we can choose to lean on God and His Word. We can remind ourselves that we are under His protection. Despite our trials and tribulations—even in the midst of them—we can be encouraged and not fear. Why? Because God said through the apostle John in 1 John 5:18: “We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.” (NLT, emphasis added)

I love to meditate upon Psalm 32:10. The AMPC translation says: “10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.”  To be compassed about is to be completely encircled. That verse tells me that if I trust in God, He completely surrounds me with His mercy and His lovingkindness. That means everything that happens to me is touched by His mercy and lovingkindness.

Mercy, according to Webster’s 1828 online dictionary is “That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves.” And loving kindness means “tender and benevolent affection” (Webster’s 1828 dictionary).

We must remember that God is a God of justice. But He wants us to know Him in truth, as He really is. God is just but He is also abundant in mercy. God wants us to remember that “He will judge everyone according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6, NLT), but He also wants us to remember what the psalmist said in Psalm 86:5: “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.” (NLT)

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Go back and meditate on the Bible passages you’ve just read. What thoughts does God bring to mind? How can you apply them to your own life?

In Part Two we will see how King Jehoshaphat handled a situation where he had good reason to fear.

 

God changes the world for you

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Note: First published March 24, 2023

What’s your perspective today? When I returned home this morning, I glanced down the length of the sidewalk, turned splotchy gray from rain. Quarter-inch puddles stood here and there in the uneven spots, evidence of the passage of years or else of the impatience of the long-ago sidewalk crew. A patch of black dirt stood next to a single mud puddle that reflected the darkened sky. Not such a cheery scene. However, in the center of the six-by-six-foot patch of black dirt grew a sizeable tangle of some sort of shamrock green foliage. I always take a few moments to draw near this little patch of exuberant green to contemplate dew or rain drops winking like diamonds on the surface of the leaves.

How closely are you looking? As I stepped closer, I avoided three snails, each one using its miraculously-constructed “muscular foot” (I had to look that up!) to push against the sidewalk and propel itself along. When my grandsons were younger, I had, perforce, developed the habit of glancing at the ground for little treasures, like roly-poly bugs, lady bugs, bottlecaps, coins and anything else that attracted their curiosity and their magpie-like vision.

Looking closely at God’s handiwork is a good habit. It is obvious that those whom Holy Spirit used to write the Bible were keen observers of nature. I am grateful to God that He provides glimpses of nature even if we must live and work in an urban environment. How often have I heard the chirp of sparrows in bushes as I walked into my office building? How many times have I thrilled to see the sunset from the lofty elevation of an interstate as I drove home on winter evenings? And, in recent years, I have found deep beauty and peace in city parks. But you have to pay attention. You have to look closely to see things like diamond-speckled leaves, right outside your front door.

Beauty, wonder and peace. As I anticipate the next few weeks, which will include a repeat surgery and recovery, I am determined to focus on the countless good things God has provided, good things like knowledge and skill to physicians, bodies that generally work well (which is itself an unaccountable miracle when you think of how many moving parts we humans have!), food, shelter, family and friends, His Word, His powerful and sweet, sweet presence, a good church, and the way that carefully considering nature brings peace.

I wrote the following poem more than thirty years ago. I’ve lived in several homes since then. In each one, God always included a place where I could sit and drink in the sunset and sunrise, even though the view was often partially obstructed. Nonetheless, I sensed His special presence at sunrise and sunset and at any point in the day where I slowed down, observed His handiwork closely and gave Him thanks.

Won’t you take time, today, to slow down and stand in awe at the beauty with which God has lovingly surrounded you? Won’t you take time to be with God? He is waiting for you – eagerly, watchfully, joyfully.

“God changes the world for you”

God changes the world, twice, for you each day.
He dims the light
softens the sound
cools the air
and flames heaven with patterned colors,
all to delight your soul, calm your spirit, and give you rest.

As a tender parent, He blankets earth, and you, with soothing peace.

Stop. Still your hands. Let your Maker tell you of His love for you.

Pause in your rush to do. Listen.
He says “Be with Me” as He said to Adam and Eve in Eden.
Honor His love for you.
Pay attention.

Let Him show you how He turns green branches into inky black filigree.
Let Him delight your ear with birdsong and thrumming silence.
Let Him cool your skin with gentle whispers of wind that slide through the sheltering trees.

Breathe deeply. Take in the fragrances floating in cooler air.

Let Him give your body rest.
Simply stop. Open your heart and your eyes to your Maker.
And thank Him.

You will feel His presence.
You will know His love.

a silhouette of a tree against an orange skyPhoto by Ethel Gr on Unsplash

 

The message of the hummingbird, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

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

brown humming bird flying in mid airPhoto by Mark Olsen on Unsplash

Note: First published July 25, 2024.

Unsettled. Plink, plink. The kitty kibble rattled into the bottom of Lilly’s bowl. I scratched the top of her head.

“I love you, Lilly bugs. I’m so glad I have you. You are a gift, you know.”

I walked from bedroom back to front room, ignoring the rumpled throw atop the couch and two days of mail sliding off the toppled stack of books on the end table. Darkness still claimed the edges of the room, covering over other signs of recent neglect. Cup of tea in hand, I moved to sit in the rocker by the window, not clicking on the lamp, preferring the softened edges of darkness.

“Father, I feel so unsettled, so messed up, just lost and hurting, Lord. I just need to sit here with you, Lord, and just talk with You about it all. My feelings and thoughts are such a jumble, and it hurts so bad. I cannot do anything about it, absolutely nothing, but pray. You know what I mean by that, Lord. As a thoroughly human human being, I feel in control, at least a little, when I can do something tangible about a situation. But I also know, by faith and by experience, that prayer is tangible and produces tangible results.

This has moved me to pray like never before, Lord, but I still just want to do something. I want to be there, I want to help, I love. . . “

A long pause. I stare out the window, into the gentle dimness. Tears, tears, and more tears.

“I love him so much, Lord, and I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything!”

Another longer, deeper pause.

“But I will pray, Lord, and You can help. You can do anything (Matthew 19:26). Nothing is too hard for You. . .  (Genesis 18:14)

Then, right where I was looking, at the tip of the rose bush growing up the drain pipe outside my second-floor window, a hummingbird poised, for a quick moment, at the end of the branch–a branch with no blossoms, nothing to attract hummingbirds. Then the finger-sized creature darted away, the first hummingbird I’ve seen in the five years I’ve lived here.

The soft blanket of God’s love enfolded me with comforting weightiness. Fresh tears. As so often before, God put a bird right in front of my eyes to remind me of His presence.

“Oh, Father! Thank You! I know You are right here with me. I know You are with me in this. I know You understand how I feel and You are feeling what I am feeling. That’s what compassion is, isn’t it, feeling with someone?

I think You are telling me You have felt the tears the last few days, and You understand that I have not been able to focus, to think or to pray. It’s been all I could do just to do the minimum . . . but to know that You understand, Lord, that You see me, that You promise to never ever fail me, to always help me.

Silently, the balm of a favorite verse moved through my thoughts.

“. . . and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you) [Assuredly not!]  (Hebrews 13:5b, AMPC)

When it hurts too bad. When something turns your heart inside out, when you cannot think clearly enough to pray or even read the Bible, God understands. And He shares your feelings.

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. (Hebrews 4:15, AMPC)

God not only shares your feelings, but He earnestly, passionately longs to help you (Isaiah 30:18). That’s one reason He tells us in many Bible passages to pour out our hearts to Him, to cast all our cares on Him, to trust Him and not worry. He knows that just putting sorrow or fear into words, to a trusted, loving person, lightens our emotional burden. So, He says:

Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (Psalm 62:8, AMPC, emphasis added),

The power of trust. Look again at the verse above. Notice that trusting God includes leaning on Him, relying on Him and having confidence in Him. This thought is repeated in Isaiah 26:3 in the AMPC.

3 You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

4 So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. (Isaiah 26:3, AMPC, emphasis added)

 Trust, according to Webster’s 1828 online dictionary, is:

“Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person. Includes actively knowing . . . ”

I like that phrase “actively knowing”. That encourages me to keep my mind busy thinking about God’s faithfulness, the endless facets of His goodness, His awesome power, His sovereignty over all that was and is and is to come, His unbounded love for me, and the surety of all His promises. And in hard times, like now, it comforts me to meditate on Romans 8:28, the fact that “ God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)

Trust and obey. Perhaps you have heard the beloved hymn “Trust and obey” written by John H. Sammis in 1887. Below is the first verse and the refrain.

  1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
    What a glory He sheds on our way!
    While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
    And with all who will trust and obey.
  • Refrain:
    Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
    To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

“Dwell in the land and do good” That beautiful hymn brings to mind Psalm 37:3.

Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. (AMPC)

brown and white sheep on green grass field during daytimePhoto by Daniel Morton  on Unsplash

This verse has helped me move forward with daily life before when darkness closed in. This verse says God’s faithfulness will feed me. We are the sheep of His pasture and He is the good shepherd. We can trust Him to take good care of us. Didn’t He lay down his life for us because He so loves us?

With those thoughts in mind, I can look for good things to be grateful for, I can go on with the tasks of this day, I can look for ways to help others, I can meditate on the Bible truths I know. I can do what I need to do because it is God Who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) I can rely on Him, not myself. And, by God’s great grace, I can put into practice Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:4-9.

 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.

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. (Philippians 4:4-9, NIV, emphasis added)

No matter the situation, there is always something in it for which I can give God thanks. That is one of the first things to do when burdens are heavy.

Steps to take when you are troubled:

[1] Be grateful for what you have. Find the good things in the situation and sincerely thank God. That is part of putting Philippians 4:4-9 into practice. And Psalm 100 instructs us to approach God through giving thanks.

[2] Pray about the situation. Include statements, often called proclamations or positive confessions, about the situation and what God is doing. Tell God, “Father, thank You that You never sleep, that You always are watching the entire earth. Thank You that Your mercy never ends. Thank You that I know Your love and mercy extend to everyone and that You are always seeking to draw people to You. . . “

Also, spend time praying in tongues, also called praying in the Spirit. If this is a new concept to you, see the free booklet “The Remedy for Desperation”, beginning at page 14 (available on the Basics of Believing page of this website).

[3]  Release the weight of your worries to God. The well-known verse “Cast all your anxiety upon Him for He cares for you” in I Peter 5:7 is a quotation from Psalm 55:22. Notice how the AMPC verse clarifies that we are to release the weight of the burdens we carry:

“Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).” (AMPC)

Notice also that God promises He will keep the consistently righteous from falling. Consistent means to be regular or steady in doing something. Consistent does not mean perfect.

[4] Trust God, keep doing good, and keep moving forward with your life. Honor God by considering Him your only hope of safety (Isaiah 8:24). Ponder His omnipotence and His unfathomable love. And I say again: keep moving forward with your life. Except for times of sickness, mourning, or other legitimate reasons, withdrawing from daily life is dangerous. Idleness and isolation leave the heart open to attacks from Satan. Keep your hands and your mind busy. And the best thing to busy your mind with is, of course, God’s Word.

[5] Meditate on His Word. Nothing calms the soul like keeping the mind fixed on God. Consider Isaiah 26:3 in the AMPC.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. (emphasis added)

Be at rest, oh my soul! Hope confidently in the Lord! He has never, no never, no never failed you in any regard and He never, no never, no never will! (Hebrews 13:5). He is with you, and He adores you.

Full length view of the pretty curly girl is enjoying dance with her dad. They are standing on the floor in bedroom and having fun

Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash

Comfort and confidence from God, #godindailylife, #thebibleindaily life

ANXIETY, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

huge wave at daytime

Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash

1 Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.

2 I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! (Psalm 57:1-2, AMPC)

So many trials! I have written several blogs where I briefly listed the latest sea of troubles threatening to overwhelm my soul then went on to share comfort from Scripture. Well, this time I will not even list the recent “troubles, trials, distresses and frustrations” (John 16:33, AMPC).  Life has been especially hard for everyone lately, and I do not want to spend one minute thinking about the hard things. I am sure you understand how I feel.

Three Scriptures for comfort and confidence in God. This blog post shares three Scripture passages in the AMPC that have especially helped me find comfort and confidence in God recently.

  • Psalm 37, especially the last two verses,
  • Psalm 84, 85 and 86, especially Psalm 86:17, and
  • Psalm 57, especially verses1-2.

Let’s look at these three passages.

PSALM 37 – Are you taking the refuge God offers?

39 But the salvation of the [consistently] righteous is of the Lord; He is their Refuge and secure Stronghold in the time of trouble. 40 And the Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they trust and take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 37:39-40, AMPC, emphasis added).

Psalm 37 is one of many psalms that is heavily marked up in my Bible from repeated readings and studyings. You could summarize the forty verses of Psalm 37 like this. God commands the righteous person to not “fret yourself” in spite of what the evil and wicked are doing. God says to trust Him, delight yourself in Him, commit your life to Him, live right, and just rest in Him because He is going to deal with the evil and the wicked.

a dirt road surrounded by trees

Photo by Jack Plant on Unsplash

Scroll back up two paragraphs and re-read those last two verses of Psalm 37 (verses 39 and 40). That word because explains how God is going to rescue the righteous from the wicked. He rescues the consistently righteous because they use the refuge He offers. If you took a long hot walk on a park trail, you could find relief in the cool shade of the trees beside the trail only if you trust that the shade is cooler and you step off the path and actually sit under those trees.

In the same way, we can find refuge in God if we trust Him and then take the refuge He offers.

That word trust means “leaning and believing on God, committing all and confidently looking to God, and that without fear or misgiving!” (from Psalm 84:12, AMPC). If you are caught in a wild thunderstorm and you see a shelter, you take refuge in that shelter if you believe it will give relief. You commit your whole self to it when you step inside it. You step into the refuge God offers when you commit you whole self to loving and obeying Him. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” (Mark 12:30, NIV). If you do not trust, or believe, that the shelter will be a refuge to you from the storm, you will remain out in the storm, unsheltered, shivering, cold and wet.

Notice that this refuge God offers is for the consistently righteous. That does not mean perfect believers (there are none!), but it does mean that we keep trying whole-heartedly to follow Jesus consistently.

Go back now and slowly read all of Psalm 37. This psalm specifically tells us how to live in our present evil times. It tells us to trust God, obey Him, calm our heart in Him and wait for Him to do as He promised about the wicked. And do you see what God will do to the wicked? Do you see how God will preserve the consistently righteous through “the time of trouble” when the wicked and evildoers seem to prosper and spread out like a healthy tree? (verses 35-36)? Do you see that verse 39 says God will help and deliver the righteous from the wicked?

Read what Halley’s Bible Handbook says about Psalm 37. “This is one of the best-loved psalms. David, always puzzled by the fact that wickedness seems to prevail, here states his philosophy as to how to live among the wicked: do good, trust God, don’t worry.” (p. 331).

May Psalm 37 be a refuge and a secure stronghold for you, “a rock of refuge to which you can always go” (Psalm 71:3, NIV).

PSALM 84 THROUGH PSALM 86. Are you seeking His presence, praising Him, and being confident in Him?

It seems to me that Psalm 84 through 86 go together. Consider the main topics.

  • Psalm 84 – celebrates the blessing of being close to God, of living in His tabernacle.
  • Psalm 85 – recalls God’s mercy in the past, asks for and expresses confidence in God’s restoration.
  • Psalm 86 – David asks God for protection and mercy and reminds himself of God’s goodness and forgiving nature.

Photo by Asher Pardey on Unsplash

Psalm 84. In Psalm 84 the psalmist describes how he longs to be in the presence of God because he knows those who are in God’s presence sing His praises all day long (verse 4.) Even one day in God’s presence is better than “a thousand elsewhere.” Why? Verse 11 says:

“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly).” There again is the promise of refuge.  Pause and calmly think about that!

Psalm 85. Psalm 85 is a song of gratitude to God for dealing graciously with His people, for forgiving and covering their sin. It is also a plea for God to revive His people again (verse 6) so that they may rejoice in Him again. In verse 8-9 the psalmist has decided that he will wait and listen with expectation because He knows God will “speak peace to His people, to His saints [those who are in right standing with Him].” Again, we see that God’s promises are for people who are walking in obedience.

The psalmist tells himself that “Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him”. Salvation also means deliverance, as in Exodus 14:13 when Moses told the Israelites ““Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.” (NIV)

Then verses 10 through 14 of Psalm 85 describe the time of God’s deliverance as a beautiful time filled with mercy, loving kindness, righteousness, peace, and truth. It is a time where “God will give what is good and our land will yield its increase.” (Psalm 85:12)  And, again, it is righteousness that makes this possible. Righteousness “prepares the way for His steps.” (Psalm 85:13b).  How encouraging to ponder the fact that when we go about our daily life with God, trusting Him, and obeying Him, we are making room for Him to work in our life!

Psalm 86.  In Psalm 86:1-4, David pleads passionately with God for His help and offers himself to God because he knows God is ready to forgive and is “abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon” You. (Verse 5). David reassures himself that God will answer him in his day of trouble (verse 7).

David next praises God Who alone rules over all the nations and works wonders. David pleads with God to teach him His ways so that he can reverently fear and honor God’s name. David continues praising God for His mercy and kindness and His deliverances. David asserts his trust in God even though “the proud and insolent are rising against” him. David pleads once more for the Lord’s mercy and graciousness and his strength (verses 15-16).

Then comes the verse that, for me, is as close to an actual hug from God as I guess we can have this side of heaven.

“ Show me a sign of [Your evident] goodwill and favor, that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because You, Lord, [will show Your approval of me when You] help and comfort me.” (Psalm 86:17, AMPC, emphasis added).

a view of a forest through a window

Photo by Naman Tomar on Unsplash

God unfolded this verse for me in a season of one bitter trial after another. I had managed to cling to God, with faith and trust, through all of it. Yet, a vague feeling stirred inside, a flaming, poisonous lie from the enemy that I was not doing enough, that my faith was not as strong as it should be, and yada yada. Oh, how the tears flowed when I read this verse late one afternoon! I sat reading my Bible and glancing out the window as God dimmed the sunlight and stretched dark shadows over the trees. And I knew, beyond all doubt, that God was saying “See, My child. I approve of you and how you are handling all of this because I keep helping you with it all and comforting you.”

The most important thing in my life is to know I am doing what God wants, so this verse has become to me an impenetrable fortress in which I take refuge and find comfort. This verse, this living, loving Word, never, no never, no never fails to calm my troubled soul. I pray it does the same for you.

PSALM 57 –Are you confident in God?

Finally, we come to the third passage that always brings me comfort and confidence in God. Look at verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 57 again.

“ Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.

2 I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!” (emphasis added).

Do you see David again pleading with God for the mercy and strength and lovingkindness he knows is in God? Take time to read just these two verses over and over until the Holy Spirit speaks to you.

When storms come we all need to cast ourselves on God’s abundant mercy, like David repeatedly did. We need to remind ourselves that we always find Him to be a refuge and a shelter when we trust Him. We need to remind ourselves that we can be confident in Him because of the experiences we have had with Him, the experiences we read about in the Bible, and the personal experiences  our friends have shared.

brown hen beside brown wooden fence

Photo by Mary B on Unsplash

When we take refuge, we are doing what is described in Psalm 91. We hide our soul in the shadow of His wings, and we stay there, baby chicks safe under mother hen’s wings. And we can remain there, free of fear, “until calamities and destructive storms are passed.”  We can cry out to God with confidence because we know He is working out His plans for us. We can have faith in God and please Him with our confidence, as described in Hebrews 11:6.

“But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].” (Hebrews 11:6, AMPC).

Psalm 57 was written by David when was hiding in a cave to save his very life from Saul. This was only one of many severe trials in David’s long life. Yet, while he is in the cave, David reassures himself that God will send from heaven and save him from those who would take his life. David praises God and says “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!” Even though his enemies are trying to trap him, David’s heart is fixed and trusting in God with confidence. He speaks to his inner self and says wake up! I will get up early and praise God and give thanks to Him “among the peoples” and “among the nations”. Why? Because, as David tells God, “Your mercy and lovingkindness are great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth and faithfulness to the clouds.”

Then, David says again, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalm 57:10).

“His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.” Turn now to Psalm 136. Do you see how many times this one psalm repeats that God’s “mercy and lovingkindness endure forever”? Do you see that is the main point? God is emphasizing something vital here! We are to give thanks to God, live for Him, and praise Him because “He is good and His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.”

In your times of trials, I pray that God unfolds these and many other passages of Scripture for you, so that you may have comfort and confidence in God. Let us fix our minds and hearts on this truth about God — “His mercy and loving kindness endure forever.”

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

23 To Him Who [earnestly] remembered us in our low estate and imprinted us [on His heart], for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

24 And rescued us from our enemies, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

25 To Him Who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

(Psalm 136:1, 23-26, AMPC, emphasis added)

Dear friend, if you are struggling with a situation that seems more than you can endure, like I am right now, comfort your soul by dwelling on the fact that God loves you with a love fiercer than we can imagine. Awareness of His presence creates a shelter. He longs for you to rest in that shelter, to rest in Him. The enemy wants to run you out of that shelter, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, NLT).  Resist the devil by immediately replacing negative thoughts with the truths of God’s Word, like the truths found in these psalms. Trust and take refuge in Him.

grayscale photography of man carrying a baby

Photo by Rachel McDermott 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.

NOT wearied out through fear! #godindaily life, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, CURRENT EVENTS, DAILY LIFE, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

“ Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, AMPC)

Desperate – again.  For thirty minutes I stayed in bed, eyes closed, listening to “Faith’s Checkbook”, a powerful book of devotions by Charles Spurgeon. Then I got up, dressed fast, and went into the kitchen to feed Lily. Next to the sink was the sheet of paper with Psalm 100 printed on it. After some desperate prayer, I had put it there the night before to remind myself to return, with focus, to my habit of meditating on a fresh portion of Scripture each day.

Not stopping for Lily’s usual brushing and morning playtime, I went directly to the rocker by the window, picked up my AMPC Bible and held it to my chest. I pressed it tight against me, feeling the roughness of its cover with my thumb, looking out into tree branches where sparse autumn leaves reflected the slanting rays of the morning sun. I pressed my eyes closed, shutting out the world, focusing with all my might on God, the Unseen Eternal One.

“. . . I will not, in any degree . . . relax My grip on you. [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5. AMPC)

“Oh, Father! I am so tired of everything being messed up and so confusing! I don’t know what to do about this latest batch of problems. I am so afraid, about so many things lately. I am just afraid and everything looks so hopeless. I don’t see any way out of all this. . . “

Tears came then, the tears that had not come during the past week or so of car trouble, other bills, and hiatal hernia symptoms that require radical rearranging of how, when and what I eat and how I exercise and sleep, and on and on. I had allowed the multiple problems, all at the same time—the “cares of this life”—to stop my practice of daily meditating on a new Bible verse or passage. Oh, I had still kept repeating the verses I already know but I had not taken time with God to find new verses for meditation each day. Furthermore, I had let His fresh words for me “depart from before my eyes.” I had not kept His fresh manna “In the center of my heart.” (Proverbs 4: 21, AMPC)

But yet, in spite of all that, God had never, no never, no never once “relaxed His hold on me.” And when I got desperate enough, and sought Him with all my heart, He found me.

“29 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.” (Deuteronomy 4:29, AMPC)

Encouragement for you and for me.  That was this morning. The long shadows of late afternoon now stretch across the grass. The trees outside my east-facing window stand in deep shade. My heart is, once again, blessedly at peace. No, the problems are not all fixed but I am completely confident and trusting that God will keep me in His peace as we walk this path together, and as I keep my mind fixed on His Word and other eternal things, rather than the “light and momentary” troubles of this life on earth.

“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].” (Psalm 9:10, AMPC)

It has lately been on my heart to write a blog post about encouragement. I know you have your own set of personal troubles. I also believe that you are probably having more than the usual amount of difficulty just living your life. The enemy is desperately trying to destroy our world and, of course, especially those who believe in and live for Jesus.

Let’s look again at the first part of 2 Corinthians 4:16 and take warning.

“Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). “(2 Corinthians 4:16a, AMPC, emphasis added).

The reason I grew so discouraged and allowed Satan to drag me out of the good path I was following with God is that fear had “wearied me out”. I had become, in a sense, spiritless, living controlled by fear, not by the Spirit. And that had worn me out. That is Satan’s plan for each of us.

Please, please, please meditate on God’s Word!  Although this world is filled with “troubles, trials, distress, and frustration” (John 16:33), God has provided a sure way of escape from all the plans of the enemy. When we obey God with all our heart, and when we meditate day and night on His word, we live continually in the secret place of His presence, and we are safe.

That is what I have been wanting to remind you of, dear friend. No matter how dark the world seems to be getting, no matter how your personal world seems to be crumbling, God is earnestly looking to keep you in hope and comfort and peace and security and aware of His great love.

“ And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!” (Isaiah 30:18, AMPC, emphasis added).

In Proverbs 4:20-22 God urges us to think on His Word constantly. He says:

“. . . attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.22 For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.to keep His Word before our eyes

Four verses that never, ever, no never fail me. What I intended to be a short piece of writing is, as usual, getting longer. But the main thing I wanted to share with you is four verses that I have been meditating on first thing in the morning and throughout the day for months now. It is like putting on a suit of spiritual armor. His Word–my protection and provision—keeps me covered in His peace and guides my steps.

[1] Habakkuk 3:17-19. “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]!”

a grassy field with mountains in the backgroundPhoto by www.dreamstime.com “Endless Landscapes of Iceland”

Briefly, notice that the prophet is saying that even if his whole world falls apart, still he will not only rejoice in God, but he will exult in God. Why? Because God will be his strength, his bravery, and his army that cannot be conquered. God will enable him to keep moving forward and make progress in his spiritual life in the midst of danger troubles, sufferings, and responsibilities. (For more thoughts on this passage, see the blog posts “Yet I will rejoice” on August 15 and 29, 2024.)

[2] 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.” (emphasis added)

Notice that the psalmist uses his voice to praise God and His loving protection. Then he says because I trust in God, with confidence, I am very happy, and I sing praises to Him.

[3] Psalm 32:10. “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.” (emphasis added).

How many mornings have I sat and looked at these words! How many mornings have I said, “Lord, thank You! This verse promises me that if I trust in You, rely on You and lean on You with confidence that You will completely encircle me with mercy and with lovingkindness. Everything I experience will come through Your mercy and loving kindnesses.”

[4] Psalm 33:18-22. “18 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.” (emphasis added)

The psalmist reassures himself that God is carefully watching over those who have reverential and worshipful fear of Him, those who depend upon Him and wait for Him and His mercy and lovingkindness. Why is God doing that? To deliver them from death and things associated with death, like discouragement, and to sustain them during times of lack (or famine.)

Though they are hidden in my heart, it is a deep comfort to read these these verses each morning, and pay fresh attention to the words I have underlined in red, words that show me my part in all these priceless promises.

My part is to trust in, rely on, and lean on Him with confident expectation, actively knowing in my mind that He is protecting me and actively trusting He will give all that I need for this day, “in proportion to my waiting and hoping for Him.”

Closing prayer. Dear Father, Your Word is such a comfort and guide! Thank You for it, Lord, and for teaching us how to study it and “rightly divide it,” so that we may run in the path of Your commands, with the strength and joy that Your presence never, no never, no never fails to give.

Help us this day, Lord, as we go about our own personal life to know, perceive and recognize that You are with us, that You are carefully, lovingly watching over us. Oh, have mercy on our flesh, Lord, and help our hearts be undivided toward You. Help us feed on Your Word so that we may be able to trust in You, to lean on You, and to rely on You so that You can help our heart and we can greatly rejoice in You!

Whether our path today be through storm or sunshine, keep our hearts and minds fixed on You and on things above, where Christ is seated at Your right hand, Father, and through Whose shed blood we have forgiveness of sin and the power to live a holy life as we fulfill the plans You made for each of us when we were yet in the womb.

Oh, Father! Give us a hunger for Your Word. Help us keep it before our eyes and in the center of our heart. Help us guard our hearts, for we know that out of our heart, flow the issues of our life (Proverbs 4). Let rivers of living water flow from our inmost being so that we may share with others that eternal life that only You can give. Amen and so be it!

aerial photography of sea cloudsPhoto by Emmanuel Appiah on Unsplash