relationships (Psalm 63:1-11) Making Changes For the Better

(Psalm 63:1-11)   God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You;

     My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
     In a dry and exhausted land where there is no water.
2   So have I seen You in the sanctuary,
     To see Your power and glory.
3   Because Your favor is better than life,
     My lips will praise You.
4   So I will bless You as long as I live;
     I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5   My soul is satisfied as with fat and fatness,
     And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

6   When I remember You on my bed,
     I meditate on You in the night watches,
7   For You have been my help,
     And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8   My soul clings to You;
     Your right hand takes hold of me.

9   But those who seek my life to destroy it,
     Will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be turned over to the power of the sword;
     They will be a prey for foxes.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
     Everyone who swears by Him will boast,
     For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Recently, in the Bible study that I attend, we looked at the scripture passage where twelve-year-old Jesus cannot be found.  The parents anxiously searched for Him over the course of three days.  Until now, I've been a little perplexed by Jesus' response.  I mean, it makes sense, but I just gleaned a little extra insight into this.  

So often, we feel like the Lord isn't there.  And if and when we search for Him, we can sometimes search in all the wrong places.  Don't get me wrong, the Lord Jesus is God (part of the Trinity), and He is omnipresent, and always there for us.  But are we going TO Him!?  Do we really desire to BE in His presence?  Or are we just selfishly hoping that God will cave in and tell us something like, "Oh yeah, what you are doing, the decisions that you are making, and the direction you are going in is good enough.  I'll be there to help you 'do you'."

Following Jesus is an investment, but it is also a sacrifice.  We are told to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus.  This means that we realize our flesh and are infallible brains are going to lead us and steer us in the wrong direction.  The definition of "insanity" is doing the same things and expecting a change.  In this case, if we continue following our flesh, the change/s will only be for the worse.  But when we follow Jesus, He changes things for us and in us - for the better!

"Swearing by Him" is not to say that we take His name in vain and flippantly use it as expletives.  Swearing by Him is to give Him all the credit, to let people know that you have full confidence in the Lord, and you depend on Him for everything, because you KNOW that He is faithful and has your best interest in mind.  And we can boast in Him because through Him we have victory over sin and have eternal life, and in the meantime, we can experience joy and contentment!

relationships (Psalm 62:1-12) Foundation For Life and Relationships

(Psalm 62:1-12)  My soul waits in silence for God alone;

     From Him comes my salvation.
2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
     My stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken.

3   How long will you attack a man,
     That you may murder him, all of you,
     Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
4   They have planned only to thrust him down from his high position;
     They delight in falsehood;
     They bless with their mouth,
     But inwardly they curse. Selah 

5   My soul, wait in silence for God alone,
     For my hope is from Him.
6   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
     My refuge; I will not be shaken.
7   My salvation and my glory rest on God;
     The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
8   Trust in Him at all times, you people;
     Pour out your hearts before Him;
     God is a refuge for us. Selah 

9   People of low standing are only breath, and people of rank are a lie;
     In the balances they go up.
     Together they are lighter than breath.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
     And do not vainly rely on robbery;
     If wealth increases, do not set your heart on it.

11 God has spoken once;
     Twice I have heard this:
     That power belongs to God;
12 And faithfulness is Yours, Lord,
     For You reward a person according to his work.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In life, we all have a choice to make:  to accept God or not.  Acceptance is about putting our trust in either God - or - putting our trust in our own power, position, intellect and resources and/or in someone or something else.  Interestingly, most people won't even realize how much faith and trust they will put into the idea of having a best friend, spouse or children!  It all sounds lovely, but no one is perfect.  We are not infallible.  Even when someone promises, it is only a matter of time before they let us down completely or to some degree.

Relationships and life itself is like building a house, and we have to ask ourselves what we are building upon?  I recently heard of a construction company that built a community of houses on a quarry line - knowing that there was a small chance of sink holes.  And the unthinkable happened!  And that was without any floods or storms.  A bunch of houses just started to slowly sink - immediately.  

Catching the problem early enough, the residents had to live in a hotel, while the company tore up the basements, and dug down more than 25 feet until they found solid bedrock to use as a foundation.  It was only then that they could lift the houses back up to where they had to be. 

Just like that, people shift and sink.  Even mountains shake and erode.  So when we make an honest assessment, the better and only choice of survival should be very obvious.  With God, we not only will survive... we will be victorious with Him.  He is the Rock - a very solid and sure foundation to build upon - and in Him we can find infallible truth, unwavering faithfulness and certain hope for eternal life!

relationships (Psalm 61:1-8) Interacting With the King

(Psalm 61:1-8)  Hear my cry, God;

     Give Your attention to my prayer.
2   From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
     Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3   For You have been a refuge for me,
     A tower of strength against the enemy.
4   Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
     Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah 

5   For You have heard my vows, God;
     You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name.
6   You will prolong the king’s life;
     His years will be like generations.
7   He will sit enthroned before God forever;
     Appoint faithfulness and truth that they may watch over him.
8   So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
     That I may pay my vows day by day.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As king and a man after God's own heart, David had received the promise from God that his throne would be everlasting.  This will be accomplished through Jesus.  When God left heaven and was born through a virgin, so that He could be 100% man while remaining 100% God, it was through King David's lineage.  Therefore Jesus is the rightful King of Israel.  And because Jesus is God, He is the King of kings!  So when He comes again at the end of the Tribulation, He will fulfill all covenants with Israel and set up the Millennial kingdom.

Meanwhile, all who choose to fear the Lord and become a believer, gain eternal life and will inherit treasures in heaven.  And for the time being, we can have confidence that the Lord will guide us in His faithfulness and truth!.  Not only can we run to God any time we need help, we can have a daily and step-by-step interaction with the King of kings for everything.  

The Lord God Jesus is the mighty, faithful rock of truth!  He is the unwavering tower of strength!  He is the comforting wings of refuge!

relationships (Psalm 60:1-12) Realizing Our Need

(Psalm 60:1-12)  God, You have rejected us. You have broken us;

     You have been angry; restore us!
2   You have made the land quake, You have split it open;
     Heal its cracks, for it sways.
3   You have made Your people experience hardship;
     You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.
4   You have given a banner to those who fear You,
     That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah 
5   That Your beloved may be rescued,
     Save us with Your right hand, and answer us!

6   God has spoken in His holiness:
     “I will triumph, I will divide up Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
7   Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
     Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;
     Judah is My scepter.
8   Moab is My washbowl;
     I will throw My sandal over Edom;
     Shout loud, Philistia, because of Me!”

9 Who will bring me into the besieged city?
     Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have You Yourself not rejected us, God?
     And will You not go out with our armies, God?
11 Oh give us help against the enemy,
     For rescue by man is worthless.
12 Through God we will do valiantly,
     And it is He who will trample down our enemies.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

There has been a common theme in the last few psalms about being "broken", which is either to be torn down, or to be humbled.  And while this passage is in part prophetic, it still applies today.  For everyone, now, we all need Jesus to save us and help us!  

We all come into the world as broken people.  In that brokenness, we are actually proud and arrogant, assuming that we can save ourselves and take care of ourselves.  To go before the Lord Jesus requires a broken humble heart, which realizes our need to be saved and helped.  It is only through Jesus that we can be restored and do valiantly!  And it is only in having a close, personal relationship with the Lord, that we can walk alongside Him with confidence, peace, comfort and joy, no matter what is happening to us or around us.

relationships (Psalm 59:1-17) Taking Refuge Verses Revenge

(Psalm 59:1-17)  Rescue me from my enemies, my God;

     Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
2   Rescue me from those who practice injustice,
     And save me from men of bloodshed.
3   For behold, they have set an ambush for my life;
     Fierce men attack me,
     Not for my wrongdoing nor for my sin, Lord,
4   For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me.
     Stir Yourself to help me, and see!
5   You, Lord God of armies, the God of Israel,
     Awake to punish all the nations;
     Do not be gracious to any who deal treacherously in wrongdoing. Selah 
6   They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
     And prowl around the city.
7   Behold, they gush forth with their mouths;
     Swords are in their lips,
     For, they say, “Who hears?”
8   But You, Lord, laugh at them;
     You scoff at all the nations.

9   Because of his strength I will watch for You,
     For God is my refuge.
10 My God in His faithfulness will meet me;
     God will let me look triumphantly upon my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, or my people will forget;
     Scatter them by Your power and bring them down,
     Lord, our shield.
12 On account of the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
     May they even be caught in their pride,
     And on account of curses and lies which they tell.
13 Destroy them in wrath, destroy them so that they will no longer exist;
     So that people may know that God rules in Jacob,
     To the ends of the earth. Selah 
14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
     And prowl around the city.
15 They wander about for food 
     And murmur if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I will sing of Your strength;
     Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the morning,
     For You have been my refuge 
     And a place of refuge on the day of my distress.
17 My strength, I will sing praises to You;
     For God is my refuge, the God who shows me favor.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Whether people want it or not, or believe it or not, God is ruler of all.  By God allowing evil to exist right now, gives us an opportunity to see Him at work.  Either we will see the Lord putting an end to those who do evil, or curtailing evil, or holding evil at bay, or convicting a prideful heart to humbly turn to Him for redemption...  

We cannot know people's hearts and we do not know what the future holds for them, so we could be making terrible mistakes if we sought revenge.  But God knows!  And here is just one example:  God allowed Saul (in Acts 8) to go around persecuting the Church and having people put to death.  I'm sure most of the Christians at that time would have wanted God to just remove Saul from the earth.  

Had God answered a prayer like that to appease the Christians and make them feel seemingly safe for the moment, they would not have had such a fellow servant added to their ranks.  God knew that Saul would become a believer.  Changing his name to Paul, God used this zealous man who desired to live out His will, even though he'd be persecuted more than most, to spread the gospel message in many countries, encourage churches, and write a lot of  the New Testament.

Therefore, when any of us face trials, we need to pray and look to God.  We should know to trust in Him enough to continue striving in His will.  Because God knows people's hearts and their future, we should seek and take refuge in Him, and allow Him to work things out in His will.

relationships (Psalm 58:1-11) Confidence in Knowing

(Psalm 58:1-11)   Do you indeed speak righteousness, you gods?

     Do you judge fairly, you sons of mankind?
2   No, in heart you practice injustice;
     On earth you clear a way for the violence of your hands.
3   The wicked have turned away from the womb;
     These who speak lies go astray from birth.
4   They have venom like the venom of a serpent;
     Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5   So that it does not hear the voice of charmers,
     Or a skillful caster of spells.

6   God, shatter their teeth in their mouth;
     Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
7   May they flow away like water that runs off;
     When he aims his arrows, may they be as headless shafts.
8   May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
     Like the miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
9   Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns 
     He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance;
     He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And people will say, “There certainly is a reward for the righteous;
     There certainly is a God who judges on the earth!”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

While a lot of people will acknowledge that there is a God, they prefer to see Him only as a God of love - a god created in their own image - according to how they feel and imagine.  Although, people will then often say, "If there is a loving God, how can He allow such horrible things to happen?"  

There are a few things we need to understand in order to answer this question.  First of all, the God of love will not force anyone to love Him back, therefore He created us with a free will.  What is free will without options?  And what are options without some freedom to act upon them?  

Even though people are born into sin, and choose to live in sin - God still loves everyone unconditionally.  God even came in flesh to suffer and die, paying the cost for all sin, for all people, of all time... whether they accept Him or not.  Therefore, God's love does not and cannot include or incorporate "acceptance" or "tolerance".

In all of this, it is imperative to understand that love is not God's only attribute.  Very simply, God will one day judge everyone.  Because He is truth, righteous, holy and all-knowing, He is just and fair.  Those people who are unbelievers will be punished according to their sins.  These are the people who have rejected Jesus and His free gift of forgiveness and salvation.  

Those people who have accepted Jesus' forgiveness and salvation, will be judged and rewarded for the good deeds they have done with right motives.  Therefore, whatever we do, we should ask Jesus to help us do them with His love, strength and righteousness.  And although there are challenges (tests and trials) that we go through, we can know the peace and joy of the Lord, right now.  As well, we can be confident in knowing that one day, the Lord will bring true peace and justice, and all things will be set right.

relationships (Psalm 57:1-11) Equipping Yourself

(Psalm 57:1-11)   Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,

     For my soul takes refuge in You;
     And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge 
     Until destruction passes by.
2   I will cry to God Most High,
     To God who accomplishes all things for me.
3   He will send from heaven and save me;
     He rebukes the one who tramples upon me. Selah 
     God will send His favor and His truth.

4   My soul is among lions;
     I must lie among those who devour,
     Among sons of mankind whose teeth are spears and arrows,
     And their tongue is a sharp sword.
5   Be exalted above the heavens, God;
     May Your glory be above all the earth.
6   They have prepared a net for my steps;
     My soul is bowed down;
     They dug a pit before me;
     They themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah 

7   My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast;
     I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
8   Awake, my glory!
     Awake, harp and lyre!
     I will awaken the dawn.
9   I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
     I will sing praises to You among the nations.
10 For Your goodness is great to the heavens 
     And Your truth to the clouds.
11 Be exalted above the heavens, God;
     May Your glory be above all the earth.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can "awaken the dawn" - start each day - with personal devotions, prayer and humble hearts.  To study and see God's strength, truth, faithfulness and goodness, will give us confidence that it is the Lord who accomplishes all things for us!!!  Therefore, we can and should cry to Him, and seek refuge in Him in every situation.  By starting each day this way, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, we will be equipped to not only remain steadfast, but to glorify God and share His love and good news with others.

relationships (Psalm 56:1-13) Two-Way Communication

(Psalm 56:1-13)  Be gracious to me, God, for a man has trampled upon me;

     Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
2   My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,
     For they are many who fight proudly against me.
3   When I am afraid,
     I will put my trust in You.
4   In God, whose word I praise,
     In God I have put my trust;
     I shall not be afraid.
     What can mere mortals do to me?
5   All day long they distort my words;
     All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6   They attack, they lurk,
     They watch my steps,
     As they have waited to take my life.
7   Because of their wickedness, will there be an escape for them?
     In anger make the peoples fall down, God!

8   You have taken account of my miseries;
     Put my tears in Your bottle.
     Are they not in Your book?
9   Then my enemies will turn back on the day when I call;
     This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
     In the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
     What can mankind do to me?
12 Your vows are binding upon me, God;
     I will render thanksgiving offerings to You.
13 For You have saved my soul from death,
     Indeed my feet from stumbling,
     So that I may walk before God 
     In the light of the living.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we put our trust in the Lord, He saves us.  His salvation is binding.  Because of God's love and provision, we have eternal security.  Therefore we do not have to live in fear of anyone or anything.  Therefore we will want to give praise and thanksgiving.  We can and should want to walk before God and with God, alongside other fellow believers.  Not to put our trust in other Christians, but together we should encourage each other and equip each other to remain steadfast.

Always, the key is to stay focused on God and His will, which is clearly written down for us to read, study and know.  As David says in verse10, he praises the Lord God's word!  The loving God who desires to have a close, personal relationship with us, has provided a way to communicate with Him directly.  Relationships are all about having a continuous two-way communication!  The Lord has given us His inerrant word and indwelling Holy Spirit, and we are able to pray to Him any time - all of the time!  For anything - and everything!  Because He loves us!

relationships (Psalm 55:1-23) Finding Peace in Conflicts

(Psalm 55:1-23)   Listen to my prayer, God;

     And do not hide Yourself from my pleading.
2   Give Your attention to me and answer me;
     I am restless in my complaint and severely distracted,
3   Because of the voice of the enemy,
     Because of the pressure of the wicked;
     For they bring down trouble upon me 
     And in anger they hold a grudge against me.

4   My heart is in anguish within me,
     And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5   Fear and trembling come upon me,
     And horror has overwhelmed me.
6   I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
     I would fly away and be at rest.
7   Behold, I would flee far away,
     I would spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah 
8   I would hurry to my place of refuge
     From the stormy wind and heavy gale.”

9   Confuse them, Lord, divide their tongues,
     For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
     And evil and harm are in her midst.
11 Destruction is in her midst;
     Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me,
     Then I could endure it;
     Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
     Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man my equal,
     My companion and my confidant;
14 We who had sweet fellowship together,
     Walked in the house of God among the commotion.
15 May death come deceitfully upon them;
     May they go down alive to Sheol,
     For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 As for me, I shall call upon God,
     And the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and moan,
     And He will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,
     For they are many who are aggressive toward me.
19 God will hear and humiliate them—
     Even the one who sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah 
     With whom there is no change,
     And who do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
     He has violated his covenant.
21 His speech was smoother than butter,
     But his heart was war;
     His words were softer than oil,
     Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
     He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
23 But You, God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction;
     Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.
     But I will trust in You.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Our battles can come from many sources.  One of the hardest things to go through is when a fellow believer hurts, deceives and/or betrays us.  Our sinful instinct is to either run away and hide, fight back, or vent and gossip.  These methods are all wrong and equally destructive.  So whenever the temptation arises to react in these ways, stop, pray and ask ourselves what our next steps should be.

If we have to vent. we should vent to God, and then move away from our fear, frustration, hurt and anger.  But this will only happen as we move closer to the Lord and lean on Him for His help, asking Him for discernment, clarity and direction.  To cast our burdens upon Him means to completely hand that over to Him.  While we allow Him to deal with things, it is always to our great benefit to remain focused on the Lord, studying His word, praying, and living in His will with His help!

Making friends with mature Christians is still far better than making friends with those who are not.  While each believer draws closer to the Lord, we will all grow closer to each other.  Of course, we are all capable of failing, falling and straying, so whenever this happens, it is up to each individual to make the decision to return to the Lord, and reconcile things with both God and each other.  

Still, before ourselves and any human being, God should come first, because He is consistently, eternally and absolutely faithful and will never let us down.  Plus, He is able to help us with any circumstance, even the most darkest, most powerful evil forces this world has to offer, including Satan, himself.  God is more powerful than all other powers put together!

Therefore, even if the battles are still raging, God will give us peace when we give Him all our struggles and let Him sort things out.  We can trust God - so we should put our trust in Him.  If we say we trust that God will help us, we only prove that we don't if and when we go and try to settle things in our own timing, wisdom, efforts and strength.  

I can say with complete confidence that when I have been in very hopeless situations and asked God to just take over and bring His peace, He has answered these prayers brilliantly!!!

relationships (Psalm 54:1-7) What or Who is Set Before Us?

(Psalm 54:1-7)  Save me, God, by Your name,

     And vindicate me by Your power.
2   Hear my prayer, God;
     Listen to the words of my mouth.
3   For strangers have risen against me 
     And violent men have sought my life;
     They have not set God before them. Selah

4   Behold, God is my helper;
     The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
5   He will pay back the evil to my enemies;

     Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

6   Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
     I will praise Your name, Lord, for it is good.
7   For He has saved me from all trouble,

     And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It would seem that verse 3 is key!  We all need to have God "set before us"... He needs to be first in our lives, as our personal Lord and Savior.  He needs to be our focus of adoration and help.  And He needs to be leading and guiding our direction in life for each and every step we take.  Then...

In trusting and depending on the Lord, we need not fear or worry about anything, because when we call upon Him, He will hear and answer our prayers.  He might not answer our prayers in the timing or in the way that we want or expect, but He will look after those who love and honor Him!  The Lord saves us, helps us and sustains our souls, because the Lord is good and He is faithful!

relationships (Psalm 53:1-6) Avoiding Drama and Contentious Battles

(Psalm 53:1-6) The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

     They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
     There is no one who does good.
2   God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind 
     To see if there is anyone who understands,
     Who seeks after God.
3   Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
     There is no one who does good, not even one.

4   Have the workers of injustice no knowledge,
     Who eat up My people like they ate bread,
     And have not called upon God?
5   They were in great fear there, where no fear had been;
     For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you;
     You put them to shame, because God had rejected them.
6   Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!
     When God restores the fortunes of His people,
     Jacob shall rejoice, Israel shall be glad.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Until the millennial kingdom, there is injustice and so many evil things that happen.  And no matter how good people try to be, we still mess up.  Verse 5 points out that we even create issues when and where there haven't been any.  Somehow, many people love creating and living in drama and contentious battles.  Do we think that we show our value or prove something to others in some way when we disturb the peace?  This sort of thing happens when we stray from living in God's will, and from following and trusting in Him.  

The solution is "easy".  No matter what is going on with us or around us, it is to our great benefit to keep seeking after the Lord and calling upon Him!  And as we gain understanding of God and His will, and ask and allow Him, He will do good in and through us.  Not only can we have inner peace, and can live in peace with others, but we are to try to facilitate peace with those around us.  We cannot control others, but we can be an example, while sharing the good news when given an opportunity.

(Romans 12:18)  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people.

relationships (Psalm 52:1-9) Humility Versus Pride

(Psalm 52:1-9)  Why do you boast in evil, you mighty man?

     The faithfulness of God endures all day long.
2   Your tongue devises destruction,
     Like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3   You love evil more than good,
     Lies more than speaking what is right. Selah 
4   You love all words that devour,
     You deceitful tongue.

5   But God will break you down forever;
     He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent,
     And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 
6   The righteous will see and fear,
     And they will laugh at him, saying,
7  “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
     But trusted in the abundance of his riches 
     And was strong in his evil desire.”

8   But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
     I trust in the faithfulness of God forever and ever.
9   I will praise You forever, because You have done it,
     And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We simply have to make the decision to choose God as our refuge and salvation.  "Simple" - but not.  It requires us to see the futility of doing things in our own strength with our own resources, while thinking that we know better.  Turning from our pride can be the most difficult thing we have to do.  Humility is not about feeling humiliated or defeated - it is quite the opposite.  It is to realize that we need God, and that God desires to save and help us!

Even in our spiritual journey with the Lord, always striving to have a closer, more personal relationship with Him, we need to continually do a heart-check to make sure we are not trying to take "the reins" away from the Lord.  God is omniscient and omnipotent and wants the very best for us, so why wouldn't we let Him take and keep "the reins"?

The unbelievers will mock us and laugh at us for now, but stand firm and trust in God's faithfulness and we will see in the end that it was all very well worth it.