Out of the Pit and Onto the Rock - Psalms 40-42 and Acts 27:1-26
Troubles are not any fun, and they are painful. If we had our way, we would probably skip all of them, but God has a different plan. He wants to use our troubles to show us His love and His power to deliver us. It is when we are in the pit that we have to look up to God, because there is no where else to look. David was in the pit a lot. He had many enemies and many troubles. Some of his troubles were self inflicted and some were the result of other people. In each case the solution was the same. He would cry out to God for deliverance, and God would lift him up and put his feet on the rock. The Rock is Jesus. The Rock is being firmly established in our relationship with the Lord. It is not just physical deliverance from a bad situation. God is not an enabler. If He took us out of the pit when we did not have a right heart, He would be harming us by enabling us to go back to our old ways. God delivers us, when He sees that we are trusting Him. That is what David did when he found himself in the pits of life.
Paul was not in a pit, but he was about to be in the sea. That is frightening for anyone. Can you imagine how Paul prayed and fasted, even though he was trusting God all along? It is no fun to think about being aboard a sinking ship and having to swim for shore. That is what Paul was facing. As he prayed, though, he did not just pray for himself. He prayed for everyone on board to be spared, and God granted his prayer. David spoke of that type of unselfish care for those in need, too. God responds to that type of care, because it shows that our hearts are right with Him. Most of the time, the temptation in a crisis is to be very selfish. When we are in the pit, we tend to just think about ourselves, but if we are like Jesus, we will think of others. Think of Jesus on the Cross praying for his executioners and taking care of His mother. God saw Paul's heart, heard his prayer, and promised to put his feet safely on the shore. Paul still had to swim for it. However, because of his trust in God, he swam with the realization that everything was going to be alright. That is what God wants for all of us, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 43-45 and Acts 27:27-44.
Paul was not in a pit, but he was about to be in the sea. That is frightening for anyone. Can you imagine how Paul prayed and fasted, even though he was trusting God all along? It is no fun to think about being aboard a sinking ship and having to swim for shore. That is what Paul was facing. As he prayed, though, he did not just pray for himself. He prayed for everyone on board to be spared, and God granted his prayer. David spoke of that type of unselfish care for those in need, too. God responds to that type of care, because it shows that our hearts are right with Him. Most of the time, the temptation in a crisis is to be very selfish. When we are in the pit, we tend to just think about ourselves, but if we are like Jesus, we will think of others. Think of Jesus on the Cross praying for his executioners and taking care of His mother. God saw Paul's heart, heard his prayer, and promised to put his feet safely on the shore. Paul still had to swim for it. However, because of his trust in God, he swam with the realization that everything was going to be alright. That is what God wants for all of us, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 43-45 and Acts 27:27-44.