Today I was reading Psalm 143 –
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! 2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. 6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah. 7 Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! 11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.
I am sure that you are crying out to God these days – I pray that you are going to Him who can help you. God IS good! He will listen to your prayers- He wants you to call on Him. He will help you, He will save you from your sins. He wants to have a relationship with you right NOW!
As David said in verse 5 – we need to remember what God has done in the past. Genesis is a great place to start – as He created the perfect world for us to live in. (Sin brought death into the world – beginning with Adam & Eve. It is NOT how God intended for it to be, but He made us with free wills – that we could choose whether to follow God or not). Creation – is such a wonderful reminder of His Awesome Works. Even God sending Adam & Eve out of the Garden was a wonderful act of Mercy and Grace. (If they had eaten from the Tree of Life – they would have been stuck forever with the consequence of their sin). There are so many evidences of God’s saving hand and protection in the Bible. Even David, in his life, saw God save him numerous times: giant Goliath, bears, lions, his enemies.
We also need to remember what God has done for us! The biggest thing is saving us from our sin – sending His Son Jesus to die in our place. We need to remind ourselves daily of this daily – what He brought us out from. Have you seen God provide for you financially? Have you seen Him bring you out of a difficult situation? Have you seen Him heal you or a loved one from serious illness? I can say “YES” to ALL of the above!!!
Daily we need to remind ourselves how MUCH God LOVES us. He is with us! He will help us again and again! Just remember, in tough times like these, “how” God has been with you and you in tough times.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
