THE LOVE OF GOD NEVER FAILS
When David penned the words of Psalm 13, he asked, “How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I have sorrow in my heart daily? How long will the enemy be exalted over me?”
It sounds as if David felt that God had altogether left him to suffer and wake up each day with a black cloud hanging over him. For a season, David spoke out of despair: “God, will this feeling of isolation go on forever? When will my prayers ever be answered?”
Beloved, when troubles assail us yet we know we love the Lord—when deliverance seems hopeless—we sink under the pressure. Right now, someone reading these words is sinking under the awful pressure of a situation that seems to be unsolvable. They are on the verge of total despair, hoping a calm will come if only for a break in their trial.
Next, David asked, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul?” He spoke of forming one plan after another, trying to plan ways out of his trouble—but all plans, all arrangements, failed. Now he had nothing else to think of, no workable solution. He was at the end of it all.
How did David arise from this pit of despair? “I will trust in your mercy…I will sing…”
Let me share with you several reasons to keep trusting your way through your present trials: No matter how the storms may rage, our precious Lord will still be feeding the fowls of the air, dressing the lilies of the field and supplying an ocean full of fish with their daily needs. “Your heavenly Father feedeth them…” Not one bird ever falls to the ground without the Father’s eye upon it.
What kind of Father would feed all the creatures of the earth and yet neglect his children? Jesus exhorted us to “give no thought” to everyday needs and problems, “for he careth for you.”
Truly the Lord loves you, and he will not turn a deaf ear to your cries. Hold on, move on, wait patiently. He will never fail you.
FULLY PERSUADED
Abraham didn’t stagger in his faith. Rather, he was “fully persuaded that, what (God) had promised, he was able to perform” (Romans 4:21). He recognized that God is able to work with nothing. Indeed, our Lord creates out of a void. Consider the Genesis account: out of nothing, God created the world. With just a single word, he creates. And he can create miracles for us, out of nothing.
When all else fails—when your every plan and scheme has been exhausted—that is the time for you to cast everything on God. It is time for you to give up all confidence in finding deliverance anywhere else. Then, once you are ready to believe, you are to see God not as a potter who needs clay, but as a Creator who works from nothing. And, out of nothing that is of this world or its materials, God will work in ways and means you could never have conceived.
How serious is the Lord about our believing him in the face of impossibilities? We find the answer to this question in the story of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. Zacharias was visited by an angel who told him that his wife, Elisabeth, would give birth to a special child. But Zacharias—who was advanced in years, like Abraham—refused to believe it. God’s promise alone was not enough for him.
Zacharias answered the angel, “Whereby (how) shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years” (Luke 1:18). Simply put, Zacharias considered the impossibilities. He was saying, “This isn’t possible. You’ve got to prove to me how it will happen.” It didn’t sound reasonable.
Zacharias’ doubts displeased the Lord. The angel told him, “Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season” (1:20).
The message is clear: God expects us to believe him when he speaks. Likewise, Peter writes: “Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19, my italics).
Josh,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful message of faith and hope your friend gave to you!
You and your family have been on our hearts these past few days! We have been through some deep valleys as well, and knowing that our sisters and brothers were faithfully praying for us was a tremendous encouragement. My husband and I have been and will continue to pray for you, Jen and your Mom and Dad.
With Christ's Everlasting Love,
Rebekah Robinson
I needed to hear this today, thankyou.
ReplyDeleteRon Waltman