Trust God, Have Faith, Be patient!
Ps
18:6 I called upon the Lord in my distress and cried out to my God for help. V.12
He wrapped darkness about him, he made dark waters & thick clouds his pavilion.
V. 18 He delivered me from my strong enemies and from those who hated me, for they
were too mighty for me.
If
you have been in a situation where you felt you were not in control, a
distressful situation, the first thing many people do is to think of Plan B! If
all plans don’t work, we proceed in calling out to God in desperation. No, we
should think of God first. The Psalmist said: “I called upon the Lord and
cried out for help.” It sounds to me like it was already an emergency
situation. I wonder when are we really motivated to cry out to God. Is it when
all else has failed? There is no indication that the psalmist had tried
everything else. When we go to God, we should begin telling God how we have
confidence that He is powerful enough to save us. Having Faith means walking
with God from the very beginning, even before situations turn into emergencies.
We should involve God in our thinking, in our planning, not just when things
start to go hay wire. God delights in hearing from us. V 12 says He wrapped darkness
about him.
This
is surprising! It seems to suggest that God can hide from us, and be successful
about it, especially when we are in distress. Here is my reasoning: If darkness
is a tool for God, His use of it should have a purpose. May be to teach us? I
hear that when birds teach their young to fly, they have to pick them out of
the nest so they can fly. It really sounds awful but they are built to
withstand the fall, and they have to do what God has made them for: fly!
Parents know that they are ready. We might not enjoy it, but it certainly
benefits us in the same way that doctors sometimes have to give you an
injection and hurt you in order to heal you.
Also
with other animals young, they have to master the art of hiding so to avoid
predators. Stay still…so you can survive. All these are examples that tell me
that if God hides with darkness about him and thick clouds, there is a purpose
that is ultimately good for us. May be God is hiding so, we can learn to walk by
faith without Him holding our hands? Just like the animal parents have to go
out and get food, their young have to survive until parents come back. I am
convinced that When we are stuck in a hopeless and stressful situation, it
appears to us as if God is not present. Is He hiding? To teach us to walk by
faith without him holding our hands? Knowing that walking in this world
presents countless of challenges, so we need to learn to navigate these
challenges by faith, waiting patiently and trusting God. The waiting may be a
trial to many of us but God intends to deliver us, because he loves us. V 20
says: “He brought me out in the open places and He rescued me because he
delights in me.”
Our
OT lesson we heard what happened between Moses and God. We know that they had a
close relationship that span over 40 years, and the nation of Israel depended
upon it. Is this the kind of relationship you have with God? It was an intense
relationship! It was scary sometimes when you read everything that happened,
families were killed because they disobeyed… There was trust, tears, anger,
rescue… you name it, they experienced it all. Whereas there are many things in
our lives we are grateful, there is also things we are not proud of. Is there? If
not let’s go back to teenage years? Could it be that Moses also had that?
Something He wasn’t proud of. Whatever it was, God was not pleased. As a result,
Moses was told by God, that He would see the promised land with his own eyes,
but he would not put his feet into it. God was serious about that! We learn
that in this passage. So many lessons for us:
TRUST
GOD, whoever you are, whatever position you hold, TRUST GOD. Be patient, let
God work in his own timing. Have Faith: Know that your God is a powerful God!
Tell God how POWERFUL HE IS!
Be
Blessed!
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