In You I Trust

Saturday, December 20, 2014, 7:12 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “All My Life.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 25 (ESV).

I Trust

Of David.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
~ vv. 1-3​

Who are our enemies? Primarily, as followers of Christ, our enemy is Satan, as well as are all spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Satan will use humans, too, as his servants to do his bidding, but ultimately he is the one behind their actions. What would you say is Satan’s greatest weapon against us? I believe it is lies. If Satan can get us to doubt God or his word and to fear humans or our circumstances, then he has accomplished his goal. If he can get us down and discouraged, or feeling as though God is not really there, then he has us where he wants us. If he can get us to believe that we lack the necessary resources to do what God has called us to do, then his battle plan has had some temporary success. And, if he can get us to live by our feelings instead of to walk by faith, then he rejoices in a small victory (skirmish), but he will never defeat God/Jesus or his purposes or his word.

So, if we don’t want our enemy to exult or to gloat over us, because he has had some minor success in defeating us, what must we do? We read in Eph. 6:10-20 that we must be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might, and we must put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes. So, what does that mean exactly? I believe it means that when Satan hurls his lies at us that we respond back with the word of truth, with confidence and faith in our Lord and in what he has done for us in defeating Satan and sin, and we don’t give the devil a foothold in our lives through us yielding to our flesh.

For instance, right now I am still feeling the effects of the flu bug I had for a week. I am weak and I lack physical strength and mental agility. I feel like my head is in a fog. It takes great effort to read and to understand anything right now. It is times like these when Satan loves to attack us and to try to get us to just follow our feelings instead of to walk by faith. Yet, it is in these times when we need to draw on the strength of the Lord the most, even when we don’t feel like it, i.e. even when we would just like to check out (crash; sleep) until our bodies return to “normal.” Yet, the Lord is still there encouraging and strengthening, and he is reminding me to keep trusting in him and to not let “brain fog” keep me from following him in obedience. He will give me all that I need when I need it. Amen!

Your Ways

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
~ vv. 4-5​

If we want the Lord Jesus to show us HIS ways, then we have to be listening for him to show us, we have to not resist his voice, and we have to obey what he shows us, even when our emotions or our bodies or our minds may be struggling to cooperate, for whatever reason. We can’t have our minds made up a different direction, either, or have decided ourselves what we are going to do and then choose only to listen to our Lord when it fits with our schedules or when it is convenient for us. We have to have the mindset that we work for the Lord 24/7, which includes our secular jobs, housework, kids, spouses, etc. And, we have to commit our ways to him, allowing him to show us what he has for us each day. We can’t put God in a box or confine him to only a certain space in our lives. We need to give him full and free reign to do with us what he wants when he wants and how he wants.

He Confides

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
~ vv. 14-15​

Literally this should read something more like, “The secret of the Lord is for those fearing Him…” Some have translated this as “secret counsel” or “intimate counsel” or that the Lord confides in those who fear him. What I believe this is saying here is that the Lord will talk intimately with those of us who honor, value, respect, and obey him. He will teach us his ways, and will give us insight into his word, and he will also show us his more specific will and purposes for our individual lives. He will have intimate conversations with us like a friend would have with another friend, or most especially like a husband would have with the bride he loves and adores. I believe he will also reveal to us how his word is being lived out in our world today and how it is to be applied to the situations we are presently facing.

Yet, this is not “secret” in the sense of some new revelation for the church not revealed before, but he will teach us his word and he will make that word practical to our real world and to our individual lives if we will listen to him and if we will obey. In other words, I believe he will open our eyes to discern deception, and he will show us the truth behind the lies. I believe he will give us understanding into world events and how they fit with prophecy of scripture with regard to these last days. I believe he will open our eyes to see the spiritual condition of today’s church so that we can pray, and so we can warn those who are complacent to turn from their idols and to follow Christ instead. And, I believe he will show us each day just what he has for us, and how he wants to use us in the lives of others. He amazes me all the time just watching how he works in people’s lives.

Deliver Me

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.
~ vv. 16-22​

When we decide to put our trust in the Lord, and to walk in his ways, and to sit at his feet and to listen to him speak; and when he confides in us, and we get to know his heart and his mind, and we respond to him in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives, Satan will not be happy. He will plot how to attack us and to try to bring us down. We may be rejected and hated by others and experience times of great loneliness and affliction. Or, we may go through some difficult trials intended to test our resolve and our faith. Or, we may be physically down and it may impact our emotions and we may be tempted to drift away and/or to fall into complacency. So, it is in these times when we must call upon God, rest in his love, rely upon his strength, and put on our armor of God so that Satan does not defeat us. And, we must keep on keeping on, strengthened in the faith, and committed to following our Lord no matter what may come our way.

All My Life / Ralph Carmichael

All my life
Through the good and bad of life
Whether I should gain or lose
Still I choose to live my life
Every moment all for Thee
Walking, oh, so close to Thee
While I’m learning every day
Come what may to trust in Thee…


 
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