Trusting God

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Psalm 84:12 The Way To Be Blessed

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84:12

Most people desire to be blessed, to have favor in some area of their life. As they desire to be blessed, their definition of being blessed is having things with no troubles, pain or suffering. When there is trouble or things do not appear to go one’s desired way, people often feel as if they are not being blessed. This feeling increases when one is jealous of what someone else has or how successful someone else appears to be.

After talking about how great it is to be in God’s presence, the writer of this psalm says that the one who trusts in God is blessed.

The world sees blessings only through favor, no troubles or suffering and having material things. The more of these things a person has, the more one is blessed by the standards of the world’s view. There are some in the church who have bought into the same view as that of the world.

Believers in God should have a very different view on what it means to be blessed by God. No where in the bible did God ever promise that there will be no trouble while one is living on this planet. In fact, Jesus promised the disciples that they would have trouble.

As one believes the words of Jesus, one may wonder how one can still be blessed while having trouble. The blessings of God come in knowing that one is forgiven of all sins. It comes in knowing that this life is not all that there is, but that there is an eternal life in heaven with no more suffering or pain. Blessings are found in the peace that God gives in the midst of struggle and turmoil.

Ultimately blessings are found in trusting God, not the circumstances.

You will have troubles and struggles that appear to be larger than life. You may often wonder if you are blessed by God when going through difficult times. Put your trust in God and believe that He knows what is best for you and only allows what is best for you in every situation. Recognize how blessed you are that God forgives you of your sins and is preparing a home for you in heaven some day. Trust in the God of eternity, not the temporary things of this fallen and depraved world and you will be blessed beyond all measure.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will see how blessed you are in Christ Jesus; that you will trust God in every situation in your life; and that God will bless you in many different ways.

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Psalm 76:11 Pay Your Vows To God

Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them; let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared. Psalm 76:11

It is easy for people to make vows or promises. They are made on a regular basis to each other. Vows to do or not do something in order to make someone else happy. While these vows are constantly being made, many fail to pay them out, finding excuses to not do them. Many will find loopholes to say that they do not need to pay the vow that they had made.

Asaph tells the people to make their vows to God and then pay those vows. They are to bring their promised presents to God.

When people are in desperate situations, they will often make a vow to God to do something or not do something in order to get His help or favor. They hope that with their vow God will listen to them and get them out of the trouble that they are in.

However, when the difficulty is over, many forget those vows to God. Life moves on for them and God is placed on the back burner again, forgetting what He had done and what was promised. Believers who have made a vow to God need to fulfill that vow.

The first vow a believer makes is when one turns from sin and begins to follow Jesus. That believer has made a vow to follow God, rather than the sinful ways of self and the world. Doing this requires a daily choice to die to self and this world and choosing to live for God and obey His commands and ways of living.

In paying one’s vows, God then fulfills His promises and gives the believer power and authority upon this earth against the wicked.

At a minimum you have made a vow to God to live for Him. Now it is your responsibility to pay that vow to God and live for Him. Do not ignore or dismiss your vows to Him, but do what you have promised to God and trust Him to meet all of your needs and give you the life He has promised to you. God is faithful in all that He says, and so you should be faithful in all that you say and promise to Him.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will pay all of your vows to God as quickly as possible; that God will give you strength and boldness to pay your vows; and that you will see God’s faithfulness in His promises to you.

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Psalm 64:10 Being Glad

The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory. Psalm 64:10

Gladness or happiness is something that most people seek. Everyone wants to be happy and does whatever they can to have that happiness. Yet, despite all of the seeking gladness, very few people are glad. The struggles of life overcome them and destroy what little gladness that they can seem to find. Depression and sadness run rampant among people of all ages and every nationality. Being glad is often seen as an oddity or something is wrong.

David had been asking God to preserve his life from the enemy. He ends with saying that the righteous will be glad in God and will trust in Him and their heart will have glory.

People often seek gladness in having things or being able to do something fun. While things or doing things may bring some gladness, it is often very short lived, temporary. Shortly after the gladness is found, problems arise and seem to overcome or destroy the little gladness that was found.

Instead of seeking gladness in the temporary things of this world, believers will find their gladness in God. Knowing the presence and peace of God brings about a gladness that nothing else can provide in any way.

This gladness also magnifies when one knows and believes that God can be trusted in all things. The world is steeped in sin and will only get worse, but the believer can trust that God is in control and will provide victory for the believer in the end, bringing about an inner gladness that nothing in this fallen world can provide.

As the believer recognizes these things about God, one will be able to have glory in the heart and glory in God as one is glad in the Lord.

As you are going through struggles in this life, do not attempt to seek the temporary gladness that the world provides, that usually only ends in death and destruction. Instead look to God and trust that He is in control and then find gladness in who God is and what He is doing in your life.

God will provide you an inner peace and gladness that the world cannot know nor understand. It is a gladness that the world cannot take away.

Are you glad in the Lord today? Are you trusting God today?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be glad in the Lord; that you will trust God in all things; that you will find glory in God; and that you will see victory in Christ Jesus in every area of your life.

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Psalm 62:1 Waiting Silently

Truly my soul waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1

Waiting is something that is difficult for many people. The majority of people want what they want right now or at least faster than what is possible. During times that people have to wait, many will choose to complain about the having to wait and why they have to wait. They will also blame others for the time of waiting, rather than being patient and understanding. Many will then try to take things into their own hands and make it work, rather than wait for the right time or best way.

David states that his soul waits silently for God, because it is from God that comes his salvation.

Going through life, people have many different struggles and difficulties. Sometimes people will see a relief from those problems that is on its way. Once it is seen, they still have to wait for it to arrive.

Waiting silently is very difficult for most people. During the wait there may be pain and suffering, so many people blame God and others and complain about the wait.

Instead of complaining, believers are to silently wait for God to bring about their salvation. This salvation not only includes the saving of the soul and stepping into eternity in heaven with God, but it also includes being saved from troubles in this life. It may be the removal of the difficulty, or strength to make it through the difficulty or it may be bringing one into heaven for eternity.

Complaining is not believing that God is in control and will provide salvation at the right time and in the best way. One has to remember and fully believe that God is in complete control. Everything is done in His perfect timing.

Going through life you will have times that are difficult. You may wonder how long you will have to go through those times. You may wonder why you are going through them and when God will save you from them. Do not allow yourself to complain or get angry that God has not brought about the needed salvation from a problem, but wait silently, trusting that He is in control and will meet your needs at the perfect time and in the perfect way. It is only from God that you true and perfect salvation comes.

Are you waiting on God’s move?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know God is in control; that you will wait silently for God to bring about your needed salvation; that you will trust God’s timing and ways; and that you will know it is God alone who brings your salvation.

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Psalm 57:7 A Steadfast Heart Amid Trouble

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Psalm 57:7

Going through a difficult time is very difficult for most people. They worry and fear about what is occurring and what may still occur through the situation. Heart rate goes up, loss of sleep and trembling begins to happen out of the worry and fear of danger. Calmness has appeared to flee. These things only increase more and more with the greater the danger in the life of a person. The more it threatens one’s life, the more unstable the heart is.

As David is fleeing from being killed by Saul and hiding in a cave, he says that his heart is steadfast and repeats it again, and then says he will sing and give God praise.

While most people do not have someone physically coming after them to kill them, most have other dangerous situations that threaten them in some major way. Threat of the loss of a job, or a house or vehicle, threat of health that can include possible loss of life or some other major threat in one’s life occurs often.

During times like this, most people are scared, and their heart rate goes up out of fear and worry, and they complain about the situation. The world has a reason to fear, because they have no real hope.

Believers are not immune to dangers like these, in fact, Jesus promised that there would be threats and dangers. Yet, despite all the trouble that will occur, believers can be like David and have a steadfast heart. They do not have to worry or fear about anything, no matter how dangerous it is.

Believers can be calm with a steadfast heart, sing and praise God, because they know He is in control and will bring victory in the end.

As trouble occurs in your life, you may notice that your heart rate goes up and fear and worry tries to grip your heart. Instead of allowing that fear to take over your heart, your trust in God. Allow His supernatural peace to overcome the fear and bring peace to your heart and mind.

Sing a song of praise to God in the midst of trouble to refocus your mind upon God and how big He is and not on the temporary trouble in your life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will allow God to bring peace and calmness to your heart during trouble; that you will sing a song of praise to God during times of trouble; and that you will trust God in every situation in your life.

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