Troubled – Page 2 – Praying Pint

18.i. “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Revelation 21:22-23     And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Hebrews 12:12-13   Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  and make straight paths for your feet,

Lamentations 3:17-23    my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is;  so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.”  Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall!  My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

1 Thessalonians 5:9   For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.” Believe in God; believe also in Me”. It is not as though He is telling them they won’t have trouble if they believe, but rather that when they are surrounded by troubles they are to cast these cares, worries, fears out of their hearts and place their faith in Him. This is not your home. “In My Father’s house are many rooms.” This is not your final resting place. Your home is with Me and My Father in heaven and I’m preparing a place for you. Do you ever wonder how much time we have lost during our lives with worries, fears, and various cares that are caused in this world? We have to admit that too often we keep our focus on troubles we face in this world rather than on our home eternally in heaven with Jesus Christ.

“Lift up your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees”, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Though the battle in this world seems to rage on, we are victorious in Jesus Christ. Our God is in control and knows that our time on this earth is but for a moment when compared to eternity. Whatever we are facing, God is in control. Whatever trouble comes at us, God is in control. Whatever heart stabbing, brain-numbing, and soul-wrenching thunderous blow come our way, God is in Control.

Don’t let your hearts be troubled!!!!!

17.s. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

John 12:20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

Isaiah 49:5-6   And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength—  he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 53:10-12    Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Luke 9:23-24     And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Jesus’s thought of the cross just a few days away, His main concern was that God was glorified. His purpose on earth was to redeem, save, and demonstrate God’s love for mankind. It is hard for me to come close to understanding the commitment and longing and desire of Jesus to honor and glorify God, knowing what just a few days away would yield great physical and emotional pain. He knew what He was facing. He knew His purpose and was willing to die on the cross for it to honor and glorify God and redeem mankind.

I can wrap my mind around taking a bullet, fast death, for someone you love, but willing to be tortured, beaten, whipped, and nailed to a cross for the sins of every human being is an act of love so humble, pure, and holy it seems beyond understanding. What a Savior we have in Jesus Christ. In light of this, how should we live our lives? The writer of Hebrews said: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

2.n. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’”

2 Chronicles 10:20 Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

Isaiah 7:9    And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’”

Isaiah 26:3   You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

John 14:1   “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Romans 8:31   What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Luke 16:31    He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Hebrews 11:6    And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

John 5:46-47     For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Belief, non-belief, and somewhere in between. A belief mindset with a whole heart, mind, and soul has visible and unseen qualities and attributes. These qualities and attributes reflect the light, grace, love, and mercy of Jesus Christ. This reflection can be a light on a hill to anyone within sight. This reflection yields to that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ. The person who yields must intentionally choose to yield. Their light does not grow dim or become overshadowed when the darkness of storms roll into their life. In fact, the light becomes brighter and more visible. This person spends time in God’s word meditating on it, drinking and breathing it in for they seek above all else to hear and be used by God. There is hardly a waking moment where they are not living in a sought after presence with Jesus Christ. They hear, follow, and obey the whispers of the Holy Spirit through His word. They continue to grow in understanding and knowledge of what it means to deny self. They grow in understanding of sin and their sinful nature that keeps trying to take control. They keep their eyes on eternity and humbly walk this life to serve, honor, worship, glorify, follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ.

The non-belief mindset gives their whole heart, mind, and soul to do what is right in their own eyes. Their guidance is focused on that which makes them feel good, in control, and false dreams of purpose. Their satisfaction is never satisfied. Their hunger for more pleasing and purpose is never satisfied. They follow their own desires for self-interest. Happiness and joy never last and they move from one thing to the next. They spend their time purposefully without seeking or desiring Jesus Christ. They happily mock and reject Him. They are more concerned with things of this world and deny the creator of it. They are lost and follow the wide path of life that leads to eternity in Hell. They give approval to their lifestyle and others who do the same. There is hope for these and others like them to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved.

Those somewhere in between are the ones who are truly lost. Their belief leads them to think they are right with God but their life has no reflection of the light of Jesus Christ. Their life in outward appearance looks no different than those with no belief. They know what to say and they pretend all that they do is all that is expected in Christian life. They compare themselves with others and perform to a level they think will be acceptable to God. They spend little time in devotion and even less time in the study of His word. They may attend church but display no gifts of the Holy Spirit to edify and grow the body of the church. They have become satisfied with neglect and complacent living. There are much self-interest activities in their life. They allow the busyness of life to take control of their life and give little to no thought of Jesus Christ throughout the day. They are lukewarm and seem to follow the path of least effort when it comes to serving Jesus Christ. There is no growth and they are stagnating. They are no more on the path that leads to life than those with no belief. Because they have once heard and believed but now have chosen to turn their backs to God, His Word, and try to share their self-interest/self-centered heart, soul, and mind with Him. This is a deception. There is no sharing of our heart, soul, and mind. We either give whole to one or the other. These are the worst for they have the appearance of a Christian but have no power and light of Jesus Christ in their life.

2.b. The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him,

2 Chronicles 15:1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. They sacrificed to the Lord on that day from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.

Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

Asa listened to the prophet. He had open ears and mind to hear because he sought God with all his heart. We can know what to do and how to respond to many things from God’s word. Asa took courage from God’s word and took action accordingly. When God’s word is received by a person who is seeking God with all their heart, mind, and soul, they are moved by the leading of the Holy Spirit into action that would not have happened otherwise. Their inner being is renewed, strengthened and that which was worrying them is now faced with courage.

Note how the people of Israel came to live under the rule of Asa because they saw the Lord God was with him. Note how they responded with sacrifices unto God and entered into a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and all their souls. Anyone who would not do so should be put to death. They rejoiced over the oath that was given with all their heart and how they sought the Lord with their whole desire and He was found by them. They were given rest from all around because the Lord gave it to them and His hand of protection was over them.

Asa removed his mother from being queen mother because she made a detestable image. Asa was wholly true all his days.

It is one thing to commit to the Lord Jesus Christ, to come that first time loaded with sin and guilt, to come with a need to be forgiven, to come trusting in and relying on redemption, mercy, and grace through Jesus Christ. It is another thing to be wholly true all your days. What does it take to be wholly true? First is a desire and seeking that comes from deep in your heart, mind, and soul for God. Second, there is a desire and seeking to hear Him speak into your life. Third, there is a willingness to follow and obey what He says or has said. Fourth there is a turning away from that which is not pleasing to God. Following God with our whole heart, mind, and soul is not like making a New Years resolution that slowly drifts away after a time. No, it is a commitment that is fueled by an absolute need and want to be in His presence and knowing Him and doing that which honors Him. This commitment is renewed with each breath and brought into focus with each blink of the eye. This commitment is both the bread of life and living water for the soul. This commitment gives life to the heart and should and without it, no purpose and satisfaction are found.

Take heart

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.”

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,”

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Hebrews 11:25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Psalms 85:8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky.

Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Note the times reference is made to: “tribulation, hostility, sin, broken down, persecuted, more than conquerors, strengthening, guarding your heart, resisting, peace that passes all understanding and not being afraid”. Why would we think this world give us any hope of peace when God’s world indicates, that this side of eternity, our world is far from peace apart from Him. If we are active in our pursuit of humbly serving Him we will see the world as it is – apart from God. The world we live in is not at peace with God. Man has gone on his own path which does not serve God. If we are at peace with what is going on in the world I think we are blind and deaf. Staying in God’s word, with a bright light, the Holiness of God and the sinfulness of mankind is very clear. We choose paths that give no peace, and when issues and troubles of this life pounce on us our strength to handle them is depleted very quickly. In our own strength we can do very little, and even less things of God. His purpose and plan for us is found in His word. Do not go through life complacent and neglecting Him and His word. There will always be things of this world battling for your time, effort, thoughts, and actions. Give time to His word and the Holy Spirit will lead you in paths of peace and comfort.

He is our true peace

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

“the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

“Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Psalms 29:11 May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

Psalms 72:7 In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

Psalms 85:10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Psalms 56:11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Psalms 91:5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

Psalms 112:7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Jeremiah 1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.”

When things are going well we understand peace, or at least we think we do. But true peace from and through God is understood when in the times of trials and trouble we find peace that passes all understanding. Being afraid, having concern, and worry are natural responses and common to all man in times of uncertainty. I heard a person speak once that said: “you can not stop initial thoughts from coming to your mind but certainly what you do with them you can”. We have our Heavenly Father walking with us. He has given us great promises of peace even though we are under attack from situations that seem to surround us. At times it appears we are alone in this but in fact we have our great defender, who is all powerful, all knowing, ever present at all times. Peace is found in trusting in, relying on, and clinging to God. Our hope and faith is built on the Creator of all there is. We seek and find peace when it is all laid at His feet and we are carried through in His ever loving arms. We do not know when life will throw us trials and troubles. Keep your eyes, heart and mind on the only one who can and will protect, lead, and give you place of refuge.

I go prepare a place

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Matthew 25:32-34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

2 Corinthians 5:6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

We will see Him. He will be our light. We will be with Him forever. We will be like Him. We are His children. We are blessed and have a kingdom to look forward to. God loves us. He will not leave us. He will come to us. He will prepare a place for us. He will take us to Himself. Our home will be with Him. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. We walk by faith and have courage because of this faith. Our faith is built on Jesus Christ and through Him these promises are ours. Through these promises we have reason to live and can face whatever troubles come our way. We have peace that passes worldly understanding because He lives and is coming again to take us to Himself. Will He find us waiting and looking forward to His return? Set your mind on humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him until we see Him again and live with Him forever and ever.

Peace I give to you

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”

“ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”

Psalms 85:8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

Hebrews 12:25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Acts 10:36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)

2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Acts 3:26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Galatians 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

2 Peter 2:20-22 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

God gives us a peace that is foreign to the world. This peace is present in both times of blessings and troubles. Having knowledge of this peace and living in it have two different outcomes. A choice is made with the knowledge to either believe and claim it or reject it and it’s power in our life. Many times we seek this peace when we face trials and troubles. We run to God and seek His intervention. Yet in times of blessing it seems as though it is a foreign thing to think of God, His sovereignty, His steadfast love, and His mercy and grace. It is in His hands we find and live in this peace of mind. The world will throw many a sense of false peace. In the end these are nothing more than distractions that lead down paths of false hope and satisfaction. The peace that God gives and is found in Him leads us through times of trials with hope, peace, refuge, courage, strength and power. Through times of blessings it leads us to praise, thankful hearts, contentment, rejoicing, and kindness. Read His word and search it for knowledge of God’s sovereignty, power, promises, peace, hope, joy, kindness, and steadfast love.

No Time

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

“ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

“and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”

Psalms 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalms 42:8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalms 77:4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:

Psalms 119:55 I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law.

Psalms 139:17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Psalms 149:5 Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.

Lamentations 2:19 “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”

Psalms 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

Psalms 36:7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

To desire God is to long after Him with a want to know Him more. To know Him and long for Him is to be at the well of living water. To remember Him at night while laying on our bed brings rest to our soul. To meditate on Him in the night is to have hope for the morning. In the shadow of His wings there is absolute safety, peace, joy, hope and rest. How many days go by where God is but a second thought if a thought at all? How are we to find rest for our soul if we spend no time desiring/seeking the only one who is able to give true rest? It is hard to find something that you are not looking for. It is hard to walk by faith in the promises God speaks in and through His word you do know. It is hard to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God when there is no time spent with Him. It is hard to proclaim praise to God for something you give hardly a second thought. Neglecting God’s word has many detrimental affects – all of which seem to compound over time to a place where your heart, mind, and soul do not hear whispers of God. If your heart, mind, and soul are void of His word do you ever wonder what fills that void? I can tell you – SELF, PRIDE, COMPLACENCY, WORRY, ANGER, ANXIOUSNESS, UN-REPENTANCE, SHORT TEMPER, LACK OF KINDNESS, LACK OF GIVING and SACRIFICIAL GIVING, UNCERTAINTY, UNFULFILLED, UNFORGIVING, NO PRAISE, NO DISCERNMENT, LACK OF DISCIPLE MAKING, UNABLE TO SEE THE LOST, UNABLE TO GIVE THE REASON FOR THE HOPE IN YOU, WEAK OR NO FAITH, and NO DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE COMPARED TO THOSE WHO ARE LOST. God’s word does not magically fill your heart, mind and soul. Nor does it find solid ground if it is only thought about once per week for an hour while at church. Commit to place Him and His word first in your live each day. Do not let the busyness of the life and what it has to offer over shadow and void your life of knowing God and humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.

Times of Despair

“For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.”

Psalms 6:3

My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love

Psalms 22:14
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

Psalms 31:9-10
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.

Psalms 38:8
I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

Proverbs 18:14
A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Psalms 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God

Psalms 116:4
Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Isaiah 38:17
Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

“A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” It is true. Pain caused by sickness or accident we can get on the other side most of the time. But it is that crushed spirit, broken heart, and deep heart hurt that seems unbearable and more than we can handle. Some of this comes from consequences of our actions or others but none of it is hid from God. He knows our heart and all the times we are in deep pain, despair. No one will say take me to the place of deep hurt and despair. Yet we all seem to find ourselves there at different times of our lives. I wish I could say there was a magic prayer or something we could do to keep this from happening but it will surely find us at some point. You can read it in scripture from David and how he communicated in word the anguish in his heart. I do know that God is near us through times of blessing and despair. He hears our prayers. He is our strength in times of trouble. And when we seem unable to carry on He picks us up and holds us in His loving arms. Do not turn away from God in these times – RUN TO HIM – His arms are wide open just for you.