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Today is Sunday July 04, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Psalms, chapters 52-59. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-july-4

Today's Message: Facing Problems

We are all going to face problems in our lives, sometimes we create them all on our own and sometimes they just show up out of no where, but regardless of how we get them we have to face them. We can not run from our problems, they always follow us and tend to get even bigger. I remember when I was going through a bad year thinking, if I could just get away from it all. I ended up spending six months in New York, I thought by ignoring them they would go away, but they never went away. They just kept building up like a storm, then it was like a hurricane hit me. I ended up going through several more years of problems and unnecessary suffering because I did not want to just deal with the problems as I should have. God allows us to go through these problems and to even run for a while in order to get us to realize we can not run from them and we need help to overcome them. Of course, it is usually when we are going through the worse times in our lives that we do realize that. Instead of running from the problems we need to face them, this time with God showing us how to handle them.

David had an incident between his sons Amnon, Absalom, and Absalom's sister, Tamar, Amnon raped Tamar (II Samuel 13). When David heard about what happened he decided to ignore the problem rather than deal with it. The result, Absalom ended up having Amnon killed and now he is trying to kill his own father in order to reign as king. Talk about someone who must have been regretting that he never dealt with the problem. The truth is when we ignore things all we are doing is allowing the person or things creating the problem think they have control and they do as long as we ignore them. So, here is David discouraged and on top of his son deceiving him, his beloved friend was also (II Samuel 15-17). Yet, he put his trust in the mercy of God to save him. “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.” - Psalm 52:1-3,8,9. Mercy is another word for having compassion or sympathy for someone, David knew God would have compassion and show him what to do. God has mercy for everyone who calls on Him for help. Incidentally, an olive requires a long, hot growing season to properly ripen the fruit, without the right soil and sunlight it will not produce good fruit. The same is true for us, we need a long season to grow as a Christian and if we are not planted in God's Word we will not get the right amount of sun light to grow.

David too expressed the feeling of wanting to run away from his problems, he did for a little while, but realized he did not have wings like a dove, and he could not fly away. Instead, he committed his sorrows to God and trusted solely in Him, reminding himself what He had done from his youth. “Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah....As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.” - Psalm 55:1-7,16-18. David had assurance that his God was able to sustain him in every trial and would accomplish His purpose for his life. We too have the same assurance as we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save us. Praise God!

Every servant of God probably has had similar experiences. Since we are the Lord's servants, we should not be greatly surprised when we are disappointed, deceived, or even betrayed by others. In fact, the wounds that cut us the deepest are sometimes inflicted by those who are closest to our hearts. The one thing we need to remember is that God is always with us and is for us, not against us. “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” - Psalm 56:9-13.

We are to put our trust in the Lord to help us overcome all the problems we face, whether we created them or not. He alone is our defense, our protection system, against all that oppose us. “Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.” - Psalm 59:9-13. David prayed that God would not be merciful to his enemies, since God cannot be merciful to any sinner who does not repent of his sins. True repentance prepares our hearts to receive Christ as our Savior and allows Him to become Lord of our lives in obedience to His Word. When we obey His Word and are reminded that we can overcome all things through Christ, we receive God's help, and soon the problems will come to pass so we are better prepared for the next set of problems to come our way. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and your Independence.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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