I was reading Psalms 3 today
and I couldn't help but think how anointed it is, even now, for those of the
Lord who feel like their faith is not where it should be. Take a moment to read
it…
Lord,
How they are increased who trouble me!
Many
are saying of me "There is no help for him in God."
But
You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
With
my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His Holy hill.
I
lay down and I slept; I awakened again, for the Lord sustains me.
I
will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against
me and round about.
Arise,
O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You
have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Salvation
belongs to the Lord May Your blessing be upon Your people!
Today is
my best friends birthday. Many times she has told me how much I have lifted her
spirits and renewed her faith. The truth is that she showed me 20 years ago
what it is to be truly courageous. She was seven months pregnant with a child
she had prayed for years and years.
It should have been one of the happiest times of her life. Out of the
blue, her husband with whom she was very much in love was killed at the hands
of a drunk driver. Most people would have given up, wrung their hands and asked
God "Why, me?" She stood tall and made the choice to go on with her
life with her new baby in joy. It wasn't easy, but she did it. I learned then
that life was about choices.
In Psalms
3 the psalmist makes a choice. Despite his depressing situation he doesn't give
up. He lifts his head because he has confidence in the Lord to rescue him out
of his situation. Maybe you are where the psalmist was today. Maybe you have
friends and family who think that you are crazy for continuing to believe in
God coming to your rescue. Perhaps they think you are a religious nut. Like the
psalmist you can ignore that because as a child of God you know that your help
comes from your Heavenly Father.
When
lives situations depress us it seems like everything around us is falling
apart. Sometimes we can hardly drag ourselves out of bed in the morning. We
lose our strength and our will to go on. We become depressed because we are
looking at our situations instead of looking to the Lord.
God wants
us to learn to trust Him, no matter what situation we are in. I am reminded of
Abraham, who had been shortchanged by his nephew Lot. God came to him at that
moment and told him to "lift up" his eyes and look around him in all
directions. God told him that he was giving Him all the land as far as his eyes
could see for his inheritance. In Psalm 24:7 the psalmist says "Lift up
your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you age abiding doors, that the King
of glory may come in." Do you need to lift your eyes up today? Are you
looking down, depressed and gloomy? Look up because God wants you to keep your
eyes on Him. You can choice to do that now, and tell the devil to buzz off.
We all
get tempted at times to give up; I have had those moments in my own life. Times
when I thought, "Oh, what's the use in trying, nothing will ever
change!" But true victories have come in my life when I repented for that
attitude and told God in prayer, "No matter what happens, Lord, I am going
to stay faithful to you!" You would be surprised at how many times my
situation turned around once I decided to walk in the joy of the Lord,
regardless of what was going on in my life.
No matter
what is going on in our lives we have two choices. We can give up and quit or
we can keep on going. If we decide to keep on going we have two choices. One is
to live in depression and misery; the other is to live in hope and joy.
Choosing
to live in hope and joy doesn't mean that you will never face any more problems
or disappointments. It simply means you have decided not to let them get you
down. God is faithful to His word. He promises to see us through each and every
situation. He will give us abundance and joy again for that is the nature of
God. Make up your mind today that you are going to quit giving in to your
moods. Find joy in each and every moment, even if you have to create it
yourself for others.
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