Psalm 92

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
to declare Your faithful love in the morning
and Your faithfulness at night,
with a ten-stringed harp
and the music of a lyre.

For You have made me rejoice, Lord,
by what You have done;
I will shout for joy
because of the works of Your hands.

How magnificent are Your works, Lord,
how profound Your thoughts!

A senseless man does not know,
a fool does not understand this:
though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be eternally destroyed.

But You, Lord, are exalted forever.

For behold, Your enemies, O Lord,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.

My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.

They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare:

“The Lord is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

Psalm 146

Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in man, in whom there is no help.
When his breath leaves him,
he returns to the ground;
on that day his plans die.

Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them.

He remains faithful forever,
executing justice for the oppressed,
and giving food to the hungry.

The Lord frees prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord protects foreigners
and helps the fatherless and the widow,
but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever;
Zion, your God reigns for all generations.

Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord,

“He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.

He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.

You will only see it with your eyes
and witness the punishment of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord
—my refuge, the Most High—
your dwelling place, no harm will come to you;
no plague will come near your tent.

For He will give His angels orders concerning you,
to protect you in all your ways.

They will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the young lion and the serpent.

Because he is lovingly devoted to Me,
I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he knows My name.

When he calls out to Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble.

I will rescue him and give him honor.
I will satisfy him with a long life
and show him My salvation.

Psalm 83

God, do not keep silent.
Do not be deaf, God; do not be idle.

See how Your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate You have acted arrogantly.
They devise clever schemes against Your people;
they conspire against Your treasured ones.

They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation
so that Israel’s name will no longer be remembered.”

For they have conspired with one mind;  they form an alliance against You—
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,
Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them; they lend support to the sons of Lot.

Deal with them as You did with Midian, as You did with Sisera
and Jabin at the Kishon River. They were destroyed at Endor;
they became manure for the ground.

Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their tribal leaders like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said,
“Let us seize God’s pastures for ourselves.”

Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like straw before the wind.
As fire burns a forest, as a flame blazes through mountains,
so pursue them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your storm.

Cover their faces with shame so that they will seek Your name O Lord.
Let them be put to shame and terrified forever;
let them perish in disgrace.

That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 84:5-12

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools.  They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob!  O God, behold our shield, And look upon the face of Your anointed.  For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.  O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 85
Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored Jacob’s prosperity.  You took away Your people’s guilt; You covered all their sin.  You withdrew all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger.

Return to us, God of our salvation, and abandon Your displeasure with us.  Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger for all generations?  Will You not revive us again so that Your people may rejoice in You?

Show us Your faithful love, Lord, and give us Your salvation.

I will listen to what God will say; surely the Lord will declare peace to His people, His godly ones, and not let them go back to foolish ways.

His salvation is very near those who fear Him, so that glory may dwell in our land.

Faithful love and truth will join together; righteousness and peace will embrace.  Truth will spring up from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven.

Also, the Lord will provide what is good, and our land will yield its crops. Righteousness will go before Him to prepare the way for His steps.

Psalm 86

Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!

Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Lord, hear my prayer; listen to my plea for mercy.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.

Lord, there is no one like You among the gods,
and there are no works like Yours.
All the nations You have made
will come and bow down before You, Lord,
and will honor Your name.

For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
For great is Your mercy toward me,

And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name.

God, arrogant people have attacked me;
a gang of ruthless men seeks my life.
They have no regard for You.

But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth.

Turn to me and be gracious to me.
Give Your strength to Your servant;
save the son of Your female servant.
Show me a sign of Your goodness;
my enemies will see and be put to shame
because You, Lord, have helped and comforted me.

Psalm 88

O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.   Let my prayer come before You;  incline Your ear to my cry.   For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave.

I am counted with those who go down to the pit;  I am like a man who has no strength, abandoned among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and who are cut off from Your care.

You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest places, in the depths.   Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and You have afflicted me with all Your waves.

You have put away my acquaintances far from me;  You have made me repulsive to them.   I am shut up, and I cannot get out;  my eyes are worn out from crying.

Lord, I cry out to You all day long; I spread out my hands to You.

Will You work wonders for the dead?   Shall the dead arise and praise You?

Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?   Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?

Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?   And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

But to You I have cried out, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes before You.

Lord, why do You cast off my soul?   Why do You hide Your face from me?

I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;  I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught.

Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off.   They came around me all day long like water;  they close in on me from every side.  Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and darkness is my only friend.

Psalm 90:13-17

Lord—how long?

Turn and have compassion on Your servants.
Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love
so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.
Make us rejoice for as many days as You have humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen adversity.
Let Your work be seen by Your servants,
and Your splendor by their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;
establish for us the work of our hands—
establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 80:1-7
Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned on the cherubim, rise up before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.  Rally Your power and come to save us.

Restore us, God; look on us with favor, and we will be saved.

Lord God of Hosts, how long will You be angry with Your people’s prayers?   You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink.

You make us quarrel with our neighbors;  our enemies make fun of us.
Restore us, God of Hosts; look on us with favor, and we will be saved.

Psalm 80:14-19
Return, God of Hosts.   Look down from heaven and see;  take care of this vine, the root Your right hand has planted, the shoot that You made strong for Yourself.

It was cut down and burned up;  they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.   Let Your hand be with the man at Your right hand, with the son of man You have made strong for Yourself.

Then we will not turn away from You;  revive us, and we will call on Your name.   Restore us, Lord God of Hosts;  look on us with favor, and we will be saved.

Psalm 82

God has taken His place in the divine assembly;
He judges among the gods:

“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?

Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the power of the wicked.”

They do not know or understand; they wander in darkness.
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I said, “You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.
However, you will die like men and fall like any other ruler.”

Rise up, God, judge the earth, for all the nations belong to You.

Psalm 79:5-9

How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy keep burning like fire?

Pour out Your wrath on the nations
that don’t acknowledge You,
on the kingdoms that don’t call on Your name,
for they have devoured Jacob
and devastated his homeland.

Do not hold past sins against us;
let Your compassion come to us quickly,
for we have become weak.

God of our salvation, help us—
for the glory of Your name.
Deliver us and atone for our sins,
because of Your name.

Psalm 79:11-13    Let the groans of the prisoners reach You;  according to Your great power, preserve those condemned to die.   Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord.

Then we, Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will thank You forever; we will declare Your praise to generation after generation.

Psalm 70

Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord!

Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek and demand my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion and dishonor who desire and delight in my hurt.  Let them be turned back and appalled because of their shame and disgrace who say, Aha, aha!

May all those who seek, inquire of and for You, and require You [as their vital need] rejoice and be glad in You; and may those who love Your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified!

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my Help and my Deliverer; O Lord, do not tarry!

Psalm 71

In You, O Lord, do I put my trust and confidently take refuge; let me never be put to shame or confusion!

Deliver me in Your righteousness and cause me to escape; bow down Your ear to me and save me!   Be to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man.   For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence.  Upon You have I leaned and relied from birth; You are He Who took me from my mother’s womb and You have been my benefactor from that day.  My praise is continually of You.

I am as a wonder and surprise to many, but You are my strong refuge. My mouth shall be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day. Cast me not off nor send me away in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent and my powers fail.

For my enemies talk against me; those who watch for my life consult together, Saying, God has forsaken him; pursue and persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

O God, be not far from me! O my God, make haste to help me!

Let them be put to shame and consumed who are adversaries to my life; let them be covered with reproach, scorn, and dishonor who seek and require my hurt.

But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteous acts and of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is more than I know. I will come in the strength and with the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will mention and praise Your righteousness, even Yours alone.

O God, You have taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared Your wondrous works. Yes, even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not, [but keep me alive] until I have declared Your mighty strength to [this] generation, and Your might and power to all that are to come.

Your righteousness also, O God, is very high [reaching to the heavens], You Who have done great things; O God, who is like You, or who is Your equal?   You Who have shown us [all] troubles great and sore will quicken us again and will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

Increase my greatness (my honor) and turn and comfort me.   I will also praise You with the harp, even Your truth and faithfulness, O my God; unto You will I sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises to You, and my inner being, which You have redeemed.   My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; for they are put to shame, for they are confounded, who seek and demand my hurt.

Psalm 73

God is indeed good to Israel, to the pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray.
For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have an easy time until they die, and their bodies are well fed.
They are not in trouble like others; they are not afflicted like most people.

Therefore, pride is their necklace, and violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes bulge out from fatness; the imaginations of their hearts run wild.

They mock, and they speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten oppression.  They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues strut across the earth. Therefore His people turn to them and drink in their overflowing words.

The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High know everything?”

Look at them—the wicked! They are always at ease, and they increase their wealth.

Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing?  For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.

If I had decided to say these things aloud, I would have betrayed Your people.
When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless until I entered God’s sanctuary.
Then I understood their destiny.

Indeed, You put them in slippery places; You make them fall into ruin.
How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors.

Like one waking from a dream, Lord, when arising, You will despise their image.

When I became embittered and my innermost being was wounded, I was stupid and didn’t understand;
I was an unthinking animal toward You. Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me up in glory.

Who do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.  Those far from You will certainly perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.  But as for me, God’s presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all You do.

Psalm 50:15    Call on Me in a day of trouble;  I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.

Psalm 55:16    As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me.

 Psalm 55:22    Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you;  He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Psalm 56:3-4    When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Psalm 56:9-11    This I know: God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Psalm 59:16-17    But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning.   For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. To You, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold— my faithful God.

Psalm 60:5    Save with Your right hand, and answer me, so that those You love may be rescued.

Psalm 60:11-12    Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we will perform valiantly;  He will trample our foes.

Psalm 61:1-4    God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer. I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy.  I will live in Your tent forever  and take refuge under the shelter of Your wings.

Trust in God Alone

Psalm 62

I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

How long will you threaten a man?   Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering stone fence? They only plan to bring him down from his high position. They take pleasure in lying; they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.

Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.

My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge.

Men are only a vapor; exalted men, an illusion. Weighed in the scales, they go up;  together they are less than a vapor. Place no trust in oppression, or false hope in robbery.  If wealth increases, pay no attention to it.

God has spoken once;  I have heard this twice: strength belongs to God, and faithful love belongs to You, Lord.   For You repay each according to his works.

Psalm 63:6-8    I meditate on You during the night watches because You are my helper;  I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings.   I follow close to You;  Your right hand holds on to me.

Psalm 64:9-10    Then everyone will fear and will tell about God’s work, for they will understand what He has done.  The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in Him; all those who are upright in heart will offer praise.

Psalm 66:8-9    Praise our God, you peoples;  let the sound of His praise be heard. He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip.

Psalm 66:10-20    For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined.

You lured us into a trap; You placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us out to abundance.

I will enter Your house with burnt offerings;  I will pay You my vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke during my distress. I will offer You fattened sheep as burnt offerings, with the fragrant smoke of rams;  I will sacrifice oxen with goats.

Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for me. I cried out to Him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue.

If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. However, God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.

May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me.

Psalm 67    May God be gracious to us and bless us;  look on us with favor so that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, God; let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy, for You judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise You, God, let all the peoples praise You.

The earth has produced its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.   God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

Psalm 68:3-6    But the righteous are glad; they rejoice before God and celebrate with joy.   Sing to God!   Sing praises to His name.   Exalt Him who rides on the clouds — His name is Yahweh—and rejoice before Him.

God in His holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows. God provides homes for those who are deserted. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.

Psalm 68:9-10    You, God, showered abundant rain; You revived Your inheritance when it languished. Your people settled in it; God, You provided for the poor by Your goodness.

Psalm 68:19-20    May the Lord be praised!  Day after day He bears our burdens; God is our salvation.   Our God is a God of salvation, and escape from death belongs to the Lord God.

Psalm 68:26-35    
Praise God in the assemblies; praise the Lord from the fountain of Israel. There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them, the rulers of Judah in their assembly, the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.

Your God has decreed your strength. Show Your strength, God, You who have acted on our behalf. Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring tribute to You.

Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those with bars of silver. Scatter the peoples who take pleasure in war.

Ambassadors will come from Egypt; Cush will stretch out its hands to God.   Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; sing praise to the Lord, to Him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens. Look, He thunders with His powerful voice!

Ascribe power to God.   His majesty is over Israel, His power among the clouds.   God, You are awe-inspiring in Your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people.   May God be praised!

Psalm 69
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck [they threaten my life].

I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, where the floods  overwhelm me.  I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail with waiting [hopefully] for my God.

Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would cut me off  and destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are many and mighty.   I am [forced] to restore what I  did not steal.

O God, You know my folly and blundering; my sins and my guilt are not hidden from You.  Let not those who wait and hope and look for You, O Lord of hosts, be put to shame through me;  let not those who seek and inquire for and require You [as their vital necessity] be brought to confusion and dishonor through me, O God of  Israel.

Because for Your sake I have borne taunt and reproach; confusion and shame have covered my face.  I have become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother’s children.  For zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches and insults of those who reproach and insult You have fallen upon me.

When I wept and humbled myself with fasting, I was jeered at and humiliated;  When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword (an object of scorn) to them.  They who sit at the gate talk about me, and I am the song of the drunkards.

But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord.   At an acceptable and opportune time, O God, in the multitude of Your mercy and the abundance of Your loving-kindness hear me, and in the truth and faithfulness of Your salvation answer me.

Rescue me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me and from out of the deep waters.   Let not the floodwaters overflow and overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up nor the [dug] pit [with water perhaps in the bottom] close its mouth over me.

Hear and answer me, O Lord, for Your loving-kindness is sweet and comforting; according to Your
plenteous tender mercy and steadfast love turn to me.   Hide not Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; O answer me speedily!  Draw close to me and redeem me; ransom and set me free because of my enemies [lest they glory in my prolonged distress]!

You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; my adversaries are all before You [fully known to You].  Insults and reproach have broken my heart; I am full of heaviness and I am distressingly sick. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

They gave me also gall [poisonous and bitter] for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Let their own table [with all its abundance and luxury] become a snare to them; and when they are secure in peace [or at their sacrificial feasts, let it become] a trap to them.   Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually [from terror, dismay, and feebleness].   Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let the fierceness of Your burning anger catch up with them.  Let their habitation and their encampment be a desolation;   let no one dwell in their tents.

For they pursue and persecute him whom You have smitten, and they gossip about those whom You have wounded, [adding] to their grief and pain.   Let one [unforgiven] perverseness and iniquity accumulate upon another for them [in Your book], and let them not come into Your righteousness or be justified and acquitted by You.   Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and the book of life and not be enrolled among the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with God).

But I am poor, sorrowful, and in pain; let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.

I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving, And it will please the Lord better than an ox or a bullock that has horns and hoofs.   The humble shall see it and be glad; you who seek God, inquiring for and requiring Him [as your first need], let your hearts revive and live!   For the Lord hears the poor and needy and despises not His prisoners.

Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.  For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and [His servants] shall remain and dwell there and have it in their possession; The children of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His name shall dwell in it.

Psalm 29

Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;

And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 30:1-4     I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me.   O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.   O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Psalm 30:12   To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Psalm 28

To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:    Do not be silent to me, Lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Do not take me away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts.

Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors;  give them according to the work of their hands;  render to them what they deserve.    Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them and not build them up.

Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;  my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;  therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.

The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. 

Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance;  Shepherd them also, and bear them up forever

Psalm 18:1-6

I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.

The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

Psalm 18:16-36

He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.    He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.

He also brought me out into a broad place;  He delivered me because He delighted in me.   The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;  according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.    For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.    I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;  with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;  with the pure You will show Yourself pure;  and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.    For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.

For You will light my lamp;  The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;  The word of the Lord is proven;  He is a shield to all who trust in Him.   For who is God, except the Lord?   And who is a rock, except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.    He makes my feet like the feet of deer,  and sets me on my high places.

He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.    You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;  Your right hand has held me up,  Your gentleness has made me great.    You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip.

Psalm 18:46-50

The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;

He delivers me from my enemies.

You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.

Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name.

Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.

Psalm 18:6    In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

Psalm 27

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread?   The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require:   that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.

For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.

And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me!

You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need].    My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].

Hide not Your face from me; turn not Your servant away in anger, You Who have been my help! Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation!

Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me].

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me; they breathe out cruelty and violence.

[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

Psalm 21
The king [David] shall joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

For You send blessings of good things to meet him; You set a crown of pure gold on his head.  He asked life of You, and You gave it to him—long life forever and evermore.

His glory is great because of Your aid; splendor and majesty You bestow upon him.    For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence.

For the king trusts, relies on, and is confident in the Lord, and through the mercy and steadfast love of the Most High he will never be moved.

Your hand shall find all Your enemies; Your right hand shall find all those who hate You.    You will make them as if in a blazing oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire will utterly consume them.    Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, and their sons from among the children of men.    For they planned evil against You; they conceived a mischievous plot which they are not able to perform.    For You will make them turn their backs; You will aim Your bow [of divine justice] at their faces.

Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power.

2 Samuel 22
David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.   He said:

The Lord is my Rock [of escape from Saul] and my Fortress [in the wilderness] and my Deliverer;

My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge;

My Shield and the Horn of my salvation;

My Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior—You save me from violence.

I call on the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

For the waves of death enveloped me; the torrents of destruction made me afraid.   The cords of Sheol were entangling me; I encountered the snares of death.   In my distress I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God, and He heard my voice from His temple; my cry came into His ears.

Then the earth reeled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook because He was angry.
Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under His feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew; He was seen upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His canopy around Him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

Out of the brightness before Him coals of fire flamed forth.
The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice.
He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning confused and troubled them.
The channels of the sea were visible, the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of great waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay.

He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all His ordinances were before me; and from His statutes I did not turn aside.
I was also blameless before Him and kept myself from guilt and iniquity.

Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His [holy] sight.

Toward the loving and loyal You will show Yourself loving and loyal, and with the upright and blameless You will show Yourself upright and blameless.   To the pure You will show Yourself pure, and to the willful You will show Yourself willful.   And the afflicted people You will deliver, but Your eyes are upon the haughty, whom You will bring down.

For You, O Lord, are my Lamp; the Lord lightens my darkness.

For by You I run through a troop; by my God I leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried.    He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him.

For who is God but the Lord?   And who is a Rock except our God?

God is my strong Fortress;  He guides the blameless in His way and sets him free.   He makes my feet like the hinds’ [firm and able];  He sets me secure and confident upon the heights.  He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; and Your condescension and gentleness have made me great.

You have enlarged my steps under me, so that my feet have not slipped.

I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; and I did not turn back until they were consumed.
I consumed them and thrust them through, so that they did not arise; they fell at my feet.
For You girded me with strength for the battle; those who rose up against me You subdued under me.
You have made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

They looked, but there was none to save—even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
Then I beat them small as the dust of the earth; I crushed them as the mire of the street and scattered them abroad.

You also have delivered me from strife with my people; You kept me as the head of the nations.
People whom I had not known served me.   Foreigners yielded feigned obedience to me; as soon as they heard of me, they became obedient to me.   Foreigners faded away; they came limping and trembling from their strongholds.

The Lord lives; blessed be my Rock, and exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation.

It is God Who executes vengeance for me and Who brought down [and disciplined] the peoples under me, Who brought me out from my enemies.   You also lifted me up above those who rose up against me;  You delivered me from the violent man.   For this I will give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.

He is a Tower of salvation and great deliverance to His king, and shows loving-kindness to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

Psalm 12:5-7     Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy;  I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants.   The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over.   You will keep them and preserve them, O Lord;  You will guard and keep us from this [evil] generation forever.

Psalm 14:5-6  God is with the generation of the righteous.  The Lord is his refuge.

Psalm 16:1-2    Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.   O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

Psalm 16:7-11
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 17:1-9

Hear a just cause, O Lord,
Attend to my cry;

Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.

I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.

Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.

Psalm 13

How long will You forget me, O Lord?   Forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day?

How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

lighten the eyes [of my faith to behold Your face in the pitchlike darkness],

lest I sleep the sleep of death,

Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him, and those that trouble me rejoice when I am shaken.

But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness;

my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 20

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!

May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high [and defend you];
Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion;

Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. 

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.

We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory,
and in the name of our God we will set up our banners.

May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;

He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.

Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses,

but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.

They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright.

O Lord, give victory;

Let the King answer us when we call.

Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.  When I put the sovereignty of God beside his unfailing love, my heart can rest.

Mother Teresa
God will never, never, never let us down if we have faith and put our trust in Him.   He will always look after us.   So we must cleave to Jesus.  Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.

Verdell Davis
God is doing a greater work in us, and that can only come as we learn to trust him no matter how dark the days and sleepless the nights.   And it is only as we have been through the darkness with him that what we know with our heads slides down into our hearts, and our hearts no longer demand answers.   The Why? becomes unimportant when we believe that God can and will redeem the pain for our good and his glory.   When I put the sovereignty of God beside his unfailing love, my heart can rest.

GOD WILL NEVER PUT YOU WHERE HE CANNOT KEEP YOU

Deuteronomy 31:8     “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you;   He will be with you.   He will not fail you or forsake you.   Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 33:27    The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
what a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning,
safe and secure from all alarms;
leaning, leaning,
leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
leaning on the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 31:6     Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Joshua 1:9    Do not be afraid.   Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Lord will fight for you;  you need only to be still.

Job 29:3   By His light I walked through darkness.

Psalm 42:5    Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul?  and why art thou disquieted in me?  Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

Psalm 46:1     God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 70:5     But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God.   You are my help and my deliverer;  Lord, do not delay.

Psalm 71:12    O God, be not far from me: 0 my God, make haste for my help.

Psalm 115:9-11    O Israel, trust thou in the Lord:   He is their help and their shield.   Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord:  He is their help and their shield.

Psalm 119:73     Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen Thy precepts.

Psalm 121:1-2    I will lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 146:5    Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Psalm 18:2   The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 28:7   The LORD is my strength and my shield;  my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.   My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 37:3-7    Trust in the Lord and do good;  so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.   Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.   Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him, and he will do this:   He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Psalm 34:10   Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:17-19    When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.  The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.   Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.

Psalm 46:10    Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 50:15    Call upon me in the day of trouble;   I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Psalm 71:3     Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;  give the command to save me,  for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalm 71:20    Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;  from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

Psalm 119:50   My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise preserves my life.

Psalm 145:18-19     The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on him in truth.   He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;   He hears their cry and saves them.

Proverbs 16:3    Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.

Proverbs 18:10    The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Isaiah 12:2   Surely God is my salvation;  I will trust and not be afraid.   The Lord, the Lord, is my Strength and my Song; He has become my Salvation.   With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 35:4     Say to those with fearful hearts,  “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance;   with divine retribution He will come to save you.”

Isaiah 43:1-3    Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by name, you are mine.   When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;  when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.   For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of  Israel, your Savior.

Lamentations 3:22-26     Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.   They are new every morning;  great is Your faithfulness.   I say to myself,  “The Lord is my portion;  therefore I will wait for him.”   The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him;   it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

I THE LORD HAVE SPOKEN, AND I WILL DO IT

2 Corinthians 1:8-10     For we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.   Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God Who raises the dead.   He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us;  on Him we have set our hope that He will rescue us again.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10   But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;  perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken;  struck down, but not destroyed;  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18     Therefore we do not lose heart.   Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly weare being renewed day by day.   For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far  outweighs them all.   So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 9:8   And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 12:9    My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Philippians 4:12-13    I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.   I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation

I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH

Hebrews 13:5-6     Let your conversation be without covetousness;  and be content with such things as ye have:  for He hath said, ”I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.   So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me’”

1 Peter 4:19    Let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

1 Peter 5:6-7     Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:

Casting all your care upon Him;  for He cares for you

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Learning to Hear and Trust God’s Voice
God is Sovereign
God is in Control
God Has a Plan for Your Life
God is Trustworthy
God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do
God Teaches the Cycle of Trust
God Strengthens Us
God Fights For Us
God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have
God Never Puts Us Where He Can’t Keep Us

Nothing is Too Hard for God

God is Supremely Able

Able:   having necessary power, skill, resources, or qualifications; qualified

Romans 4:21     Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

Genesis 18:14     Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord?   At the appointed time, when the season [for her delivery] comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son.

Deuteronomy 8:18   And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Psalm 33:8-9    Let all the earth fear the Lord;  Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.   For He spoke, and it was done;  He commanded, and it stood fast.

Psalm 40:2    He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.

Psalm 68:6     God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;  But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Isaiah 59:1   Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear.

Jeremiah 32:27   Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?

Philippians 4:6-7     Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19     And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 32:17   Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth By Your great power and outstretched arm.   Nothing is too hard for You.

Psalm 21:1-7

The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips.

For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.

His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.

For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

We Serve A Mighty God

Genesis 49:24   But his bow remained strong and steady and rested in the Strength that does not fail him, for the arms of his hands were made strong and active by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel

Deuteronomy 3:24     O Lord God, You have only begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth that can do according to Your works and according to Your might?

Deuteronomy 7:21   You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is among you, a mighty and terrible God.

Terrible:   very serious or extreme; causing awe; exciting terror, awe, or great fear; formidably great

Deuteronomy 9:29     Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm.

Deuteronomy 10:17     For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe.

Joshua 22:22    The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and let Israel itself know!

Nehemiah 9:32     Now therefore, our God, the great, mighty, and terrible God, Who keeps covenant and mercy and loving-kindness, let not all the trouble and hardship seem little to You—the hardship that has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.

Job 36:5     Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.

Psalm 24:8   Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Psalm 50:1   The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Psalm 54:1   Save me, O God, by Your name; judge and vindicate me by Your mighty strength and power.

Psalm 59:16   But I will sing of Your mighty strength and power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning; for You have been to me a defense (a fortress and a high tower) and a refuge in the day of my distress.

Psalm 71:18     Yes, even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not, [but keep me alive] until I have declared Your mighty strength to [this] generation, and Your might and power to all that are to come.

Psalm 89:8 O   Lord God of hosts, who is a mighty one like unto You, O Lord? And Your faithfulness is round about You [an essential part of You at all times].

Psalm 106:2     Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?   Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?

Psalm 106:8   Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake [to prove the righteousness of the divine character], that He might make His mighty power known.

Psalm 145:12     To make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

Psalm 150:2   Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!

Isaiah 9:6     For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 49:26   And I will make those who oppress you consume themselves [in mutually destructive wars], thus eating their own flesh; and they will be drunk with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh will know [with a knowledge grounded in personal experience] that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Jeremiah 20:11     But the Lord is with me as a mighty and terrible One;  therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not overcome [me].   They will be utterly put to shame, for they will not deal wisely or prosper [in their schemes]; their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.

Jeremiah 32:18   You Who show loving-kindness to thousands but recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosoms of their children after them. The great, the mighty God; the Lord of hosts is His name—

Zephaniah 3:17     The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]!   He will rejoice over you with joy;  He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them];  He will exult over you with singing.

Romans 4:21  Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

Ephesians 1:19   And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength

1 Peter 5:6     Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you

Revelation 15:3   And they sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, Mighty and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God the Omnipotent!   Righteous (just) and true are Your ways, O Sovereign of the ages (King of the nations)!

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Learning to Hear and Trust God’s Voice
God is Sovereign
God is in Control
God Has a Plan for Your Life
God is Trustworthy
God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do
God Teaches the Cycle of Trust
God Strengthens Us
God Fights For Us
God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have
God Never Puts Us Where He Can’t Keep Us

Psalm 56:9   When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.

Psalm 68:20     Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Psalm 109:21   But you, Sovereign Lord, help me for your name’s sake;  out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

Psalm 140:7     Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.

Isaiah 50:7     Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

Isaiah 50:9     It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.   If God Be For Us Who Can Be Against Us?

Romans 8:31    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

God Fights FOR Us

Deuteronomy 1:30    The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes.

Deuteronomy 3:22    You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.

Deuteronomy 20:4    for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Deuteronomy 31:8     It is the Lord Who goes before you;  He will [march] with you;  He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit—depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm].

Deuteronomy 33:27     The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms;

Joshua 23:10     One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.

1 Samuel 17:47     Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear;  for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.

2 Samuel 22:2-3     The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;   The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge;  My Savior, You save me from violence.

2 Chronicles 20:15     And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you:   ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’

Psalm 9:9-10     The Lord also will be a refuge and a high tower for the oppressed, a refuge and a stronghold in times of trouble (high cost, destitution, and desperation).   And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Psalm 29:11     The Lord will give strength to His people;   The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 31:24   Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!

Psalm 32:7     You are a hiding place for me;   You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance.

Psalm 34:4-6   I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.   They looked to Him and were radiant;  their faces shall never blush for shame or be confused.   This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 34:10     The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing.

Psalm 34:15   The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.

Psalm 34:17-18     When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalm 37:40   And the Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they trust and take refuge in Him.

Psalm 41:1     Blessed is he who considers the poor;  The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

Psalm 55:22   Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 57:1-2     Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You;  yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.   I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!

Psalm 61:1-4   Hear my cry, O God;  listen to my prayer.   From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting;  lead me to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me].   For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary.   I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever;  let me find refuge and trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Psalm 62:8     Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him.   God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower).

Psalm 91:15-16   He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Psalm 121:8   The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 138:3     In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.

Psalm 138:8   The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands.

Isaiah 12:2   Behold, God, my salvation!   I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song;  yes, He has become my salvation.

Isaiah 40:28-29   Have you not known?   Have you not heard?   The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary;   there is no searching of His understanding.   He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].

Isaiah 41:10   Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

Isaiah 43:1-3   But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have
called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Isaiah 54:10     For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.

Jeremiah 32:17   Ah, Lord God!   Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.  There is nothing too hard for You.

Lamentations 3:22     It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.

Habakkuk 3:19    The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army;  He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

Matthew 6:31-34   Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat?   or, What are we going to have to drink?   or, What are we going to have to wear?   For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.   So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Matthew 10:29-31   Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows.

John 16:33     I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.   In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

Romans 4:20-21     No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

Romans 8:28   We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

Romans 15:13     May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

Ephesians 3:20-21     Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:16     May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

Philippians 4:4-9     Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

Philippians 4:13     I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me;  I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:19     And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4:16     Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

1 Peter 5:7     Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

1 John 5:14-15     Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

We Don’t Know What To Do But Our Eyes Are On God

2 Chronicles 20
It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.  Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.  So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,  and said:

“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?

Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?  And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,  ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’

And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them—  here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.  O our God, will You not judge them?   For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.  And he said,

“Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat!

Thus says the Lord to you:   ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow go down against them.  They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.

You will not need to fight in this battle.   Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’   Do not fear or be dismayed;  tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.  Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa;  and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said,

“Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

“Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.”

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them.  And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.   So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth.   No one had escaped.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.  And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.  So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord.  And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.  Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

<   Previous:   God Strengthens Us

Next:   God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have   >

Learning to Hear and Trust God’s Voice
God is Sovereign
God is in Control
God Has a Plan for Your Life
God is Trustworthy
God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do
God Teaches the Cycle of Trust
God Strengthens Us
God Fights For Us
God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have
God Never Puts Us Where He Can’t Keep Us

Psalm 18:2     The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

God Understands Our Feelings of Weakness

Psalm 147:5     Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.

Nehemiah 9:32     Now therefore, our God, the great, mighty, and terrible God, Who keeps covenant and mercy and loving-kindness, let not all the trouble and hardship seem little to You — the hardship that has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.

Job 36:5   Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.

Psalm 46:1     God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Ephesians 1:19     And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength

God Hardens Us to Difficulties

Isaiah 41:8-20
But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,

‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:

Fear not. There is nothing to fear. I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties,

Yes, I will help you;
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Behold, all they who are enraged and inflamed against you
Shall be put to shame and confounded;
They shall be as nothing
And those who strive with you shall perish.
You shall seek them and not find them—
Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing, As nothing at all.

For I the Lord your God hold your right hand;
I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!

Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Behold, I will make you to be a new, sharp,
threshing instrument which has teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And shall make the hills like chaff.
You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them.
And you shall rejoice in the Lord,
You shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.

I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box-tree together,

That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

God Cannot Harden Us to Difficulties if We Never Experience Any

It’s one thing to read about famine and starving children in Africa and to feel pity and quite another to know first hand what it is like to be truly hungry or to watch your child grow weaker because they have not eaten.

It’s one thing to read the Bible and nod in agreement that God is all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-present, completely in control, and will take care of you no matter what and quite another to have to trust Him to provide.

Yes, God does bless His children. There is nothing wrong with prosperity or good times or blessings.   God is a God of loving kindness and tender mercies.  The Bible tells us so in many places.  The Psalms tell us He will give us the desires of our heart and that He delights in the prosperity of His children.

The Bible also tells us over and over that we are to trust Him.  Be still and know that He is God.  To keep our eyes on Him and to grow in faith.

How can we ever trust Him or truly believe He is Who He says He is or He will do what He says He will do if we never experience situations that require that kind of faith?

We take so much for granted and often have feelings of entitlement.   Too often we fail to acknowledge all that God does for us every day.   We have established trust in provision to the point we are often oblivious of its existance.   Can you name the number of  bridges within a mile of your home?   Doubtful.  Next time you go to the market or commute to work make a point to look for them and count.   You might be surprised.   You trust daily that the bridges you drive your car over will support you.   In fact, you believe it so much that you probably don’t even know the number of bridges you cross just to get to work or the supermarket on a regular basis.   But we see in the news from time to time that bridges do give out.   That people do die.   Sinkholes open in what was considered to be solid ground.   Rains loosen dirt and mudslides cause million dollar homes to slide off mountains.   Earthquakes and hurricanes cause icons of steel and mortar to tremble and sway and twist as if they were made of string.

Once you have personally experienced the failure of what you took for granted the next step is less confident.  Less sure.

We think nothing of complaining about our jobs or the chore of paying bills until we have no job and no money to pay our creditors.   It’s easy to take for granted climate control and clean hot and cold water until no job leads to no money and no money leads to no power.   Suddenly the thermostat in your home is rendered no more than a wall decoration and no amount of  effort can cause water to pour from a faucet.   What then?   Do you truly believe that God will supply all your needs?   Do you truly trust that He is in control and hears your prayers and will come quickly to answer?

Many people believe that “God helps those who help themselves” is a Bible verse but actually it was Benjamin Franklin who quoted those words.   Still, even if it is not in the Bible word for word is it not still a handy maxim?   God surely seems to support the concept of being all you can be and working hard.   The story of the ant and the grasshopper is in the Bible as well as the parable of the talents.   2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”    So, what does God expect of us?

Do we scramble around and put forth every effort to make things happen for ourselves?   Do we take lemons and “turn them into lemonade”?  Do we borrow?  Do we sell all that we have?

No Matter What the First Thing Should Always Be to Consult God

Psalm 146:3     Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

Psalm 121:1-2     I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help.   My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth .

Proverbs 3:5-6     Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.    In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Matthew 6:8     your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:33     But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The Second Thing Is to Remember God Is In Control

Proverbs 19:21   Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

2 Corinthians 4:7–10     But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.   We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken;  struck down, but not destroyed;  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

Ephesians 1:11     In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

1 Peter 4:19     So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Isaiah 45:6-7     That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Daniel 4:35     All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

The Third Thing Is to Realize, Accept, and Embrace That There Is a Purpose For All Things

Philippians 4:12     I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

2 Corinthians 1:8–10     For we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.   Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.   He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again

2 Corinthians 4:16–18     So we do not lose heart.   Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.   For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 12:9     But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Genesis 50:20     As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Exodus 9:16     But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Do Not Be Afraid God Is With You

Psalm 56:3     What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Psalm 91:1–2, 5-6, 9-12     You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.   Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.   On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.

Psalm 91:14–16     Those who love me, I will deliver;  I will protect those who know my name.   When they call to me, I will answer them;  I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.   With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.

Psalm 112:1&7     Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments.   They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.

Psalm 119:28     My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

Psalm 119:50   My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise preserves my life.

Proverbs 3:24-26     When you lie down, you will not be afraid;  Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.   Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.

Proverbs 29:25     The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

Isaiah 12:2     “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.   The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 35:4–5     say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Isaiah 43:1–3     Fear not, for I have redeemed you;  I have summoned you by name; you are mine.   When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.   When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord, your God.

Be Strong and Let Your Heart Take Courage

Exodus 14:14     The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

Deuteronomy 20:4     for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Deuteronomy 33:27     The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Psalm 9:9-10     The Lord also will be a refuge and a high tower for the oppressed, a refuge and a stronghold in times of trouble (high cost, destitution, and desperation).   And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].

Psalm 29:11   The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 31:24   Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!

Psalm 32:7     You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance.

Psalm 34:4-6     I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.   They looked to Him and were radiant; their faces shall never blush for shame or be confused.   This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 34:10     The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing.

Psalm 34:15     The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.

Psalm 34:17-18     When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.   The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalm 37:40     And the Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they trust and take refuge in Him.

Psalm 55:22     Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 56:9     When I cry out to You,then my enemies will turn back;  This I know, because God is for me.

Psalm 57:1-2     Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.   I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!

Psalm 62:8     Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him.   God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower).

Psalm 91:15-16     He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;   I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.   With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Psalm 121:3   He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved;  He Who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 121:8   The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 138:3   In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.

Isaiah 41:10   Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.   I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

Jeremiah 32:17   Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.  There is nothing too hard for You.

Matthew 6:31-34     Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.   But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.   So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own.   Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

John 16:33     I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration;  but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]!  For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

Philippians 4:4-9   Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

Philippians 4:19   And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

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Next:   God Fights For Us   >

Learning to Hear and Trust God’s Voice
God is Sovereign
God is in Control
God Has a Plan for Your Life
God is Trustworthy
God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do
God Teaches the Cycle of Trust
God Strengthens Us
God Fights For Us
God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have
God Never Puts Us Where He Can’t Keep Us

Have you ever gone through really hard times?   Not just the “blues” or the “blahs”.   Not a little boredom.   Not just having to cut back some because money is a little tight.   But really scary, really lonely, really heart wrenching, question your faith, question God, tempted to doubt, hard times?

Have you ever felt guilty for having such little faith?

Were you ever sure you must be a disappointment to God?

Have you ever felt like God had abandoned you?

Have your friends and family ever told you bad things were happening to you because God was punishing you for sin?

If so, King David just may be your soulmate.  Read the Psalms and you may feel David is speaking the words from your heart.

Troubles without number surround me.

My heart fails within me.

Please come quickly to save me Lord.

Psalm 88

O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.

Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.

For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.

I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man who has no strength,

Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.

You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.

Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves.     Selah

You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I am shut up, and I cannot get out;

My eye wastes away because of affliction.
Lord, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.

Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You?     Selah

Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?

Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.

Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?

I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.

Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have cut me off.

They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.

Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.

It is widely understood that David suffered at times from deep depression, loneliness, and isolation.   David was chosen of God, called by God, used by God, and was called a man after God’s own heart.   His very name, David, means “beloved of God” and yet he suffered and battled deep emotional pain.

Acts 13:22     And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

David was a man after God’s own heart. Yet we know that David sinned, David made mistakes, and David was human.   He cried out to God many times in the scriptures and no doubt countless more times that are not recorded in the scriptures. We know that David was chosen of God and we know that David still endured many unpleasant situations in his life, depression, loneliness, and times of feeling that God had abandoned him.

David was in a horrible pit, his feet stuck in miry clay that held him down and God brought him out.   That’s a story of triumph, right?   It’s easy to read that and gloss over it.   That’s great.   David was sad and God made him glad.   Hooray!

But why was David in the pit in the first place?   Wasn’t he a man after God’s own heart?   Beloved of God?

Does a fair, loving, righteous God let one of His children, much less a child after His own heart suffer?   Wouldn’t a good and loving father save a child from all hurt and pain?   Where is love?   Where is justice?   What earthly father would let his own beloved child suffer?   And God.   God is all-powerful.   What is going on?

Was God mad at David?   Had David failed Him too many times?   Was David being punished?

No doubt many people have sat under teaching that God WILL get you if you don’t tow the line.   Walk the straight and narrow.   People are told that if they are suffering it is punishment for unconfessed sin or because they have no faith. Their doubt has caused them hardship.

Suffering people hear preaching like that and go away with no comfort and no compassion.   They believe they suffer because they are bad and they haven’t tried hard enough.   Some put more effort into their works believing that if they go to church more or put more in the offering plate or act more “Christian” perhaps they will appease God and He will lift the suffering.   They were hurting before and now they are hurting AND striving to please God.

The more they hurt the more they feel like complete failures and that they will never please God so why even try?

The saddest part of a scenario like this is that everyone, the suffering and teacher alike, has totally missed the point. The point is, was, and always will be that God is in charge.

God is sovereign.

God is good.

He knows what He is doing and above all, God is trustworthy.

Yes, David did suffer.   Yes, that is sad.   Without question it was hard.   It is hard and sad when anyone suffers.   But when you apply The Point you are able to look at every situation differently.   Instead of throwing a pity party you throw a God party.   A praise party.   A trust party.   Sound cheesy?   Sound insane?   It’s what David did.

Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

Was David in a bad place?   Yes he was.   Was he hurting, lonely, frustrated, sad, scared, depressed, abandoned by friends, and emotionally raw?   Yes he was.   Did he lament and cry out?   Yes he did.

BUT, David believed, David took his needs to God, and David waited on God.   God chose David to suffer at times because He knew David would be faithful.   David was a powerful man.   Many people admired him and followed him.   Many people were watching him.   David did suffer and then God used it for His glory.   God used David’s suffering as a witness that his faith in the one true God was warranted.   God delivered him.

Psalm 40:12-13, 17
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!

But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Anyone who knew David would have seen what he was going through.   All that he was struggling with and they would have known the agony of his heart.  They also would have seen and known that David continued to cry out to God to save him.

Psalm 30

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.

O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”

Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made supplication:

“What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
Lord, be my helper!”

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

David tells us in Psalm 130 verse 6 “I shall never be moved.”

He had learned what it was like to have all his walls torn down.   All of his protection and trappings removed.   All of his crutches and support and soft places to land eliminated.  All that was left was his stripped bare heart and his God.

No one else.  Nothing else.  Not family.  Not friends.  Not his support group.  Not his Chamber of Commerce.  Not his banker.  Not his money.  Not his investments.  No government agency.  No church Bible study.   It was just David and God.   God put him there.   God was the only one who could save him.

Verse 12 tells us why:   To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

David’s times of suffering, all of his crying out to God set a pattern for his life.   David suffers.   David cries out to God.   God hears.   God answers.   God elevates David to a new level.  Each time David is learning.   David is growing in faith. David is growing in his relationship with God.   It’s a cycle.

No one else helped David.   No one else supported David.   No one else saved David.  So no one else got any praise or glory.   Just God.

Psalm 142

I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.

I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.

Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.

Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.

Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

By the time we get to Psalm 142 David has learned who his real friend is and where to go for his help. He goes straight to God.

Verse 5, “I cried out to You, O Lord:   I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.” is a different tune than Psalm 88:14 “Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?”

David is still human and his life is not free from all trouble but he has learned to call upon God, wait for God, and to trust that God will answer and that (Psalm 142:7) ”You shall deal bountifully with me.”

David learned the cycle.

Suffer > Pray >  Trust > Wait > Receive a Blessing > Be Promoted > Repeat

David was so real.   He talked to God.   He reminded God we are human.   That our lives here are short and that while God is not ruled by time and space, we are.   He frequently cried out to God to HURRY! and he reminded God that dry bones in a grave cannot praise Him.

The Bible tells us in Isaiah 41 that God hardens us to difficulties.   God cannot harden us to difficulties if we never have any difficulties. The Bible also tells us that God disciplines those He loves.

Hebrews 12:5-11   And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.   Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect.   Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?   For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Revelation 3:19   Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.

Proverbs 3:11-12   My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Proverbs 15:5   A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Job 5:17-18   “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.”

1 Corinthians 11:32   But when God does judge us, he disciplines us as his own sons, that we may not be involved in the general condemnation of the world.

This discipline is not the punishment kind.   It’s like the Army drill sergeant kind.   Pushing his men to the very brink of exhaustion and mental breakdown in oder to harden them.  Make them tough.  Make them warriors.  It is hard.  It hurts. Sometimes it seems too much to ask and too much to bear.  But God has promised it will be worth it.

Next:   God Strengthens Us   >

Learning to Hear and Trust God’s Voice
God is Sovereign
God is in Control
God Has a Plan for Your Life
God is Trustworthy
God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do
God Teaches the Cycle of Trust
God Strengthens Us
God Fights For Us
God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have
God Never Puts Us Where He Can’t Keep Us

Romans 15:4     For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.

When you read stories in the Bible it’s easy to gloss over what actually happened. Often they are just a few verses so the impact can be cushioned if you are not meditating on what is being said. The story of the heavens and the earth, man and all the animals being brought forth from nothing is about two pages depending on your Bible translation choice.  Noah and the ark, Daniel and the lion’s den, even the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can be recounted in a handful of scriptures.   Stop and really consider the impact of these stories.

JOSEPH SOLD AS A SLAVE

When Joseph was just a kid his brother’s sold him into slavery and he was carted off to Egypt.

Do you have a 17-year-old child?   Do you remember being a 17-year-old child?   Can you imagine the headlines in today’s media if a bunch of brothers sold their pesky, know-it-all little brother into slavery?   It would be outrageous.  Why would God allow such a thing?   It’s too horrible to imagine.   Parental heartbreak.   Anguish.   Pain.   Loss.   Hurt.  Anger.

But we know that God was directly behind all of it.   In fact, scripture tells us that God was with Joseph.

Genesis 39:1-6     Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt.   And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.   So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him.

Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.   So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

When it was time for Jacob (Israel), Joseph’s father, to die he called his sons together.   All twelve of them.   The twelve tribes of Israel.   Jacob gave to each of them a prophecy/blessing.   This is the blessing of Joseph, the 17-year-old smart mouth, arrogant, know-it-all kid who drove his brothers into a jealous frenzy to the point that they sold him into slavery:

Genesis 49:22-26
Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
The archers have bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
But his bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong
By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him
who was separate from his brothers.

When Joseph’s father died his brothers came to him and said:

Genesis 50:15-20   When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.”   So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.”’   Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.”   And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”    Joseph said to them,

“Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?  But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

THE STORY OF JOB

Job, a faithful servant of God, was very distressed at what happened to him but he still considered God sovereign and admonished his wife:

Job 2:910   Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

But he said to her,  “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”

In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

KING DAVID

The Psalms are full of David’s cries to God for help.  David was such a real person with real problems, real prayers, and real needs.   David talked to God about everything.  David cried out to God for help.  David praised God and rejoiced every time God answered his prayers.  Psalm 37 reminds us not to look at what others have when we are in need but to trust that God knows and is working.

Psalm 37:1-6
Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

SOLOMON

In a similar fashion to Job, Solomon laments in Ecclesiastes that God is the God of prosperity as well as adversity.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider:   Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

MEDITATE ON THESE

• Do you suppose Noah enjoyed looking like a fool building a boat in the desert in front of people who had never seen or heard of rain?
• Do you suppose Noah enjoyed knowing that everyone except his family was out there drowning?
• Do you suppose Abraham relished the grief of his barren wife?
• Do you suppose it was easy to have a new-born when he was an old man?
• Do you suppose it did not break his heart when God told him to sacrifice Isaac?
• Do you suppose Joseph was not terrified being dragged off to another country as a slave?
• Do you suppose his father’s heart did not break in two with grief at the loss of his baby boy?
• Do you suppose Hannah never shed a tear as the day neared to take her toddler and leave him in another city with a priest?
• Did the ability to have more children keep her from missing her little boy or wishing she was raising him herself?
• Do you think that the fact that God restored Job’s wealth and gave him more children ever fully eased the pain of losing the first ten?
• Do you think his heart never ached when he thought of them?
• Do you tell your children a story of Daniel dancing all the way to the lion’s den?
• Do you assume that just because he believed God was with him and would take care of him that he was not afraid at all?
• Did he tap dance his way down to the pit singing, “Woo hoo! I’m going to the lion’s den! I can’t wait!” ?
• Were you of the belief that when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego got out of the fiery furnace they yelled, “AGAIN! AGAIN! LET’S DO IT AGAIN!” ?

The Bible says that all these people believed God, trusted God, were faithful and loyal to God, but it does not say they never hurt.   It does not say they never wished things could have been different.   It never says their lives were easy and happy all of the time.

God used their lives as examples.  God used their stories then and He’s still using them now to show people His faithfulness and to show that it is possible to trust Him even when things look bleak, when things are hard, when situations seem hopeless.

God hasn’t stopped using people’s lives to show his power. God is not out of the miracle business people are just out of the believing business.

Romans 8:28   We are assured and know that all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

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Learning to Hear and Trust God’s Voice
God is Sovereign
God is in Control
God Has a Plan for Your Life
God is Trustworthy
God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do
God Teaches the Cycle of Trust
God Strengthens Us
God Fights For Us
God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have
God Never Puts Us Where He Can’t Keep Us

Before we can talk about how trustworthy God is we must first believe without a shadow of doubt that GOD IS and then meditate on WHO GOD IS.

Hebrews 11:6   But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

In the 36th book of Job Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness.  He says:

Job 36:4-5   For truly my words are not false; ONE WHO IS perfect in knowledge is with you. Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.

Job 36:26   God is Great! Beyond our understanding.

We serve a great and mighty God.   Frankly speaking, who would want to serve a puny God?   An average God?   A kinda strong God?   If God is not the creator of all things, omnipotent, omniscient,  omnipresent, righteous, sovereign, supreme ruler, then why bother?   The human condition is not a walk in the park.   Life can be hard, unfair, and downright unbearable at times.   Why add the burden of jumping through a bunch of religious hoops in the name of some pitiful little God who might not even exist?

If you believe in God then believe in a
GREAT BIG MIGHTY GOD.

Human beings are finite creatures.   We are born, we live a while, and we die.   We are limited in so many ways and we have a tendency to put God into the same cramped box we live in.   This is a huge mistake.

Isaiah 55:8   “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

King Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest man who ever lived.  He was the son of King David, the beloved of God.  David is credited with writing many of the Psalms and Solomon is credited with writing Proverbs.  From heavenly father to earthly father to son the admonition to fear the Lord has been passed down to us:

Psalm 111:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.

Proverbs 1:7   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The type of fear these scriptures speak of is not an anxious, cowering fear of an angry God just waiting to smite someone. This kind of fear means reverent awe.   Take time to meditate on God.   Consider WHO HE IS.   Humbled in God’s presence we get just a glimpse of His power and majesty.   Any more would kill us.   Like Elihu said, “GOD IS GREAT! Beyond our understanding!”

When God called Moses to go and free the Israelite children even Moses wondered how he was going to explain a God who appears in a burning bush that is not consumed.

Exodus 3:13-15   Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’

God didn’t say “I am this God or that God,” He said, “I AM WHO I AM.”   God is not subject to past, present, or future tenses.  He just is.   He is God.

Revelation 1:8   “I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “WHO IS and WHO WAS and WHO IS TO COME, the Almighty.”

The words we use to describe God are less adjectives and more simply just WHO HE IS.   Being trustworthy is not something God does, it’s something GOD IS.

God is Supremely Trustworthy

Trustworthy:   deserving of trust or confidence;  dependable;  reliable

Deuteronomy 32:4   He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are law and justice.   A God of faithfulness without breach or deviation, just and right is He.

1 Kings 8:56   Blessed be the Lord, Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise which He promised through Moses His servant.

Psalm 9:10   And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

2 Samuel 7:28   Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

Psalm 9:10   And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;  For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm 28:7     The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.   My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 62:8   Trust in Him at all times, you people;  Pour out your heart before Him;  God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 111:7   The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.

Psalm 118:8   It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man.

Daniel 6:23   The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den.  And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

God is Supremely Faithful

Faithful:   strict or thorough in performance; true to one’s word, promises, or vows;  steady in allegiance or affection; loyal;  constant;  reliable, trusted, or believed

Deuteronomy 32:4   He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are law and justice.   A God of  faithfulness without breach or deviation, just and right is He.

Psalm 36:5   Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds.

Psalm 89:1-2   I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.   For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”

Psalm 92:15   [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises;  He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Isaiah 40:8   The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

Lamentations 3:22-23   Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

<   Previous:   God Has a Plan for Your Life

Next:   God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do   >

Learning to Hear and Trust God’s Voice
God is Sovereign
God is in Control
God Has a Plan for Your Life
God is Trustworthy
God Sees A Bigger Picture Than We Do
God Teaches the Cycle of Trust
God Strengthens Us
God Fights For Us
God is Bigger Than ANY Need We Have
God Never Puts Us Where He Can’t Keep Us