“Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” (Psalms 62:8)
This psalm of David is encapsulated in verse 8. He encourages the people to trust God. David knew about trusting God. As a youngster he tended to his father’s sheep. He trusted God to protect him, to protect the sheep he was charged with, to help him and to fight for him when predatory animals came after the sheep. God never failed him, and his psalms are filled with his heart’s cry for help, his praise for a faithful God and his encouragement to others to trust God.
When the Philistines took him at Gath, he writes, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psalms 56:3) In the enemy’s grasp, he never throws in the towel, but continues to trust God. The interesting thing is that he is afraid. He is not some superhero who knows he will escape, but he is afraid. Regardless, come what may, he trusts God. That is an attitude of complete trust. Many of us trust God for deliverance for a coming time, when we are fearful, we may be in the clutches of whatever dreadful circumstance we perceive is coming. We want deliverance before the trouble. And when the trouble comes and we are being pounded, many of us think we are done, and that God has failed us. But David knows God hasn’t abandoned him, even in the midst of trouble. He encourages people to trust God at all times.
When in the darkest times, one may feel alone and without God, but that is when we have to trust God. David wrote: “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.” (Psalms 145:18) Trusting God is near and being sure, that is having that conviction as a certainty is hard. In those times, it seems that the Lord has abandoned us. He is quiet, but He is near. Will you trust Him? Like David will you know without a doubt that He is near, no matter what happens and even though you have to suffer shame, hurt or danger? Will you trust God for His deliverance?
A part of trusting God in the midst of trouble is to wait on God to move. We cannot turn to our own understanding and devices but need to wait for God to glorify Himself. Our resources are limited. Our power is useless. Our knowledge is inadequate. We must allow God to show Himself strong in the situation. And sometimes we will have to go through the trouble. “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalms 27:14) When we know He will glorify Himself in the impossible, our resolve is strengthened. We will be able to go through the suffering. “But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:25) As long as we know that the Lord is faithful, that His promises to us are yea and amen and that He will glorify Himself when we are weak, we can hope and wait on Him.
When Paul and Silas were imprisoned, they hoped. They waited on the Lord and most importantly, they sang songs of praise. It’s hard to sing when it looks dark, but because of their praise, God sent an earthquake, and the doors of the cells were opened and their chains loosened. (Acts 16:16-31) How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me”. (Psalms 13:2-6) Other versions read “I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me.” Singing in the midst of trouble cements in our hearts trust in God Who will rescue us, whether we go through the trouble or not.
The Lord did not save us to dash His purposes asunder and abandon us when the enemy and trouble come against us. But He has set us up for victory to glorify Himself and work in us to fulfill His Will and Purposes. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Whether we are going through good times or bad times, God will use it for His glory. And we can rejoice in the victory.
Comments