January 14, 2009

Put Your Trust in the Lord

“. . . In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You [are] my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You [are] my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the LORD. I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.” (Psalms 31:1-8 NKJV)

Is Jesus your rock and fortress? It is very easy to let the flesh initiate self-preservation tactics. When we hear things that challenge us, we often get mad or become defensive.

One of the great blessings of serving God is to know that nothing can happen to us that He has not allowed. There is no problem too big. He can protect us from all enemies, and He can sustain us through all difficulties.

The key is to learn to rest in Him. When challenged or attacked we need to wait upon the Lord. That might mean holding your tongue for a moment. It could mean giving a soft answer. Experience has taught us that the flesh reacts much quicker than the Spirit does if the Spirit on a regular basis has not subdued the flesh.

Are you growing in this area? If not, then evaluate your daily activities. It is a matter of faith to discipline your life to do Bible study and to pray. However, these are the tools that arm you for battle. Remember how David started to face Goliath with Saul’s armor. It was too clumsy, and he was not used to it. Therefore, David took what he had practiced with to battle and there slew the giant. If you are to engage the enemy, you had better be acquainted with your weapons of warfare. Think about it.