Read: Psalm 119: 114-115
“Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all
your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
This
life is full of trouble and trials. We just come out of one trial and another
one starts right up. Negative emotions such as depression, stress and anger
grow out of the soil of constant hardships, unless we keep our focus on Christ.
We learn God’s ways through our afflictions (Psalm 119:71). In this world, we are
guaranteed to have tribulation. We can be encouraged, however, because Jesus
already overcame them for us and gives us His peace, as we keep our focus
on Him (John 16:33; Isaiah 26:3).
There
is no need for us to have fear or to panic when something goes wrong. It is
simply a new adventure, a new opportunity for God to be strong in our behalf.
He is our God and He strengthens us, helps us and lifts us up in His hand (Isaiah
41:10). He has
not given us a spirit of fear, but with the tribulation we find His power, love
and clarity of thought (2 Timothy 1:7). We can run to Him and find safety no matter what we
are experiencing. Even repeating the name of Jesus provides us with a strong
tower (Proverbs 18:10). He is always with us and we shall not be overcome by our
trials (Psalm 16:8).
There
is no reason for us to be afraid, even in the face of earthquakes, tornadoes,
hurricanes and tsunamis. He is our refuge, our strength and is always near to
provide help in our times of trouble (Psalm 46:1-3). He puts a new song in our
hearts, because He is our salvation. He causes us to rejoice because we see His
hand in our lives (Psalm 40:3; Psalm 118:14-16). He is a shield. We can run to Him and be protected in
our trials. We hope in His Word and He protects us from evildoers as we walk in
His ways (Psalm 119:114-115).
No
matter what assails us in life, we can cast our cares and burdens on the Lord.
He promises to sustain us and not to ever allow the righteous to be overcome as
we cry out to Him in prayer during our distress. He will always hear us (Psalm
55:22; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 120:1). He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews
13:5). We can
run to Him and be safe (Psalm 133:2).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You give
your peace to us in every situation. It is not the temporary peace that the
world offers to us, but continual peace that rides us safely through every
storm of life (John 14:27). You shared so many truths with us during Your
lifetime on earth that teach us to find Your joy as our strength through all of
our tribulation (John 16:33). Keep us in perfect peace as we focus our thoughts on
You. We trust in You (Isaiah 26:3).
Thought
for the Day:
The
Word of God gives us life and comfort in our affliction. – Psalm 119: 50