Tuesday, January 13, 2009

He Delivers

“They cried out to the LORD in their distress;
He delivered them from their troubles.” (Psalm 107:6 NET)


Psalm 105 is a wisdom psalm reviewing God’s enduring love, His provisions, His deliverance, and His salvation. It is also a call to rediscover His loyal love and commitment to those who cry out with a sincere heart. All throughout the psalm, the words ring out: “they cried out to the Lord in their distress…He delivered them from their troubles.”

We don’t cry out to God enough today. We rely upon our own abilities. We call upon family. We call upon friends. We call upon creditors and bankers. But we don’t call upon God! Is it that we don’t think He knows? Do we really believe that He cares? Has it finally gotten bad enough that we will finally call upon the God of all creation to deliver us, comfort us, and see us through?

In 2 Corinthians 11 and 12, Paul writes concerning his trials and tribulations. Of all the things he was, he was indeed tormented and troubled. As influential and educated as he was, he was also beaten, jailed, robbed, physically ill, abandoned by friends, and left for dead at times. Yet he boasted upon the Lord’s grace and the strength it gave him (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

We who thought we had it all figured out are now facing a crossroads. Who will we turn to…whom will we trust with our future? Though things seem impossible and somewhat of a mess, as for me and my house, we are now more committed to trust in and serve the Lord!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is a line in the movie, "Facing The Giants" that has become a real challenge to me. "Your actions will always follow your beliefs." What do I believe? Does He care, is He able to deliver, is He even aware of what I am going through? My reaction when times become difficult says a lot about who I believe God is. Can I say with the Psalmist, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."? Am I that confident in God as my provider that I am satisfied with what He has given me? How about being content? One of God's deepest desires for me is that I would recognize who He is. And yet too often my focus is on my physical surroundings and the mounting pressures of life rather than on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to fix our eyes on Him, and consider Him who endured such hostility by men. Why? So that we will not grow weary and lose heart! When I really understand Him, who He is and what He is doing for me, I will walk confidently in newness of life. Before I can change the way I am responding, I have to make sure my belief system is running properly.

In The Beginnining said...

Amen John! It is what comes out of us that says so much about who we are and whose we are. This is a time for real belief...deep hearted faith flowing out into our lives. Thanks for your encouragement and direction!

Holy Week '24 . . . be used gladly!

Do everything without grumbling or arguing , so that you may become blameless and pure , “children of God without fault in a warped and cro...