Good Morning,
"I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy; for you have considered my trouble; you have known my soul in adversities. And you have not given me into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a broad place." (Ps. 31:7-8) I have been thinking on 'God knowing my soul in adversities'. Quite often it is not only the troubles that touch our lives personally, but also those that we are connected too, that cause us anguish. Such as, family members, loved ones, church family, and close friends, sometimes even those that you don't know personally, like the people in Japan that are going through a time of extreme life-shaking troubles. We have empathy for them and can identify somewhat with them, we feel their hurt and loss. Everything is more relative when it is your own sphere of circumstances, it may seem like the earth is quaking and hurricane force winds are devastating your gardens of life. It seems, when you are engulfed by trouble that people seem to vacate the premises, and leave you there alone to deal with the aftermath. Sometimes your friends may become as Job's friends, council that bring you guilt and condemnation, then you wish they would leave you alone! There are a few genuine people who have learned to comfort others with the comfort that they received from God or God-sent ones, when they were going through difficult times. I like what the psalmist says here, that you (God) have known my soul in adversities. Known means to be acquainted with; to perceive and discern; understands and differentiate, and realizes. Soul is the seat of emotions and appetite; self, mind, desire, emotions, passion; it is the activity of mind, will, and character. Adversities denotes troubles, distresses, afflictions, anguish, and tribulations. Putting it together then it means that God understands, and makes a difference when I am distressed, or going through troubles and afflictions and He differentiates and understands my emotions, desires, and my mind. That is why He is so merciful to His children and He is not so hard on us as we are sometimes on ourselves, when we miss it with our emotions, as we are going through troubles. Of course, this knowledge is not an excuse to act ungodly or have a spiritual 'baby tantrum', because you are having a tough day. Yet, we can see as long as we don't curse God or Holy Spirit, that God is so compassionate and longsuffering toward us, especially during times of trouble or anguish. We should be so thankful that He doesn't give us over into the hand of the enemy, right. "My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me" (Ps.31:15). Remember hands indicates power, means and directions. We are in God's power, His means, and His ability not the enemy's. He is aiming us for the target, and He never misses.
That brings me to the other verse that I have been meditating on. "I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember — the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over) He's all I've got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return." (Lam.3:19-31) Think on that, especially the bold words. The worst is never the worst, we have God on our side, so God is really protecting us from the worst. God's mercy is new for you every morning, that is the only reason we are here to walk in victory another day. Waiting doesn't diminish us, no we are enlarged in the waiting! The longer we wait, the larger we become and the more joyful our expectancy!
Love,
Pastor D.
Daughters of Z 