Tag: comfort me

5.o. Nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Job 13:15  Though he slay me, I will hope in him;

Psalms 23:4     Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Proverbs 14:32    The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.

Romans 8:38-39    For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Job 19:25-28  For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,  whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

Psalms 27:1   The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

You can hear the love these men of God had for God.  You can hear it in their faith in God.  You can hear it in their hope in God.  When a person makes a life commitment to humbly serving, honoring, following, obeying, relying and trusting in God they have a deeper sense of God’s love and promises.  They are certain that even in worldly death they will be victorious.  They are certain of being with God upon their death.  Can’t you just hear the certainty of this in  “And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh, I shall see God,  whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”  Their hope was not in this life but in the life to come.  In our Sunday morning bible study, a person said this “we don’t spend enough time in God’s Word and because of this, we miss the promises of God and only see things of the world as important”  This is so true isn’t it?  We are so busy that we lose sight of eternity and can only see the present.  The present does not have much to offer our soul.  We do well to keep our eyes on Him who is worthy and has the keys to eternity in His hands.

5.i. You will look around and take your rest in security.

Job 11:13   “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.”

Isaiah 12:1-2    You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.  “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Hosea 6:3    Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

There is nothing like feeling secure.  We find a peace that passes all understanding when we humbly come to Jesus Christ with a contrite heart, repentant heart, and a seeking and desiring heart.  We enter into a restful peace because we have yielded all claim to self and self-reliance into the hands of Jesus Christ.  We know this to be true and yet too often we wait until there are trials and troubles before we do the yielding.  The fact is we could have more satisfying and fulfilling lives if we would just learn to live with a daily committed yielding of any claim to our life and yield it all to the honor and glory and obedience of Jesus Christ.

Waiting in Faith

“but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.”

Psalms 119:121   I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors.  Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me.  My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.  Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.  I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!  It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken.  Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.  Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

Psalms 119:81-82    My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.  My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?”

Psalms 69:3     I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

Psalms 130:6     my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Psalms 143:7     Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

Lamentations 4:17    Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save.

Psalms 63:6     when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

Psalms 119:147    I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.

Lamentations 2:19   “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!

Psalms 62:8    Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

“He looked to God alone, he looked eagerly, he looked long, he looked till his eyes ached. The mercy is, that if our eyes fail, God does not fail, nor do his eyes fail.” (Spurgeon)

This waiting expectation shows us that faith came before experience. The Psalmist was willing to have faith until the experience came, and would wait for God’s salvation, and wait as long as it took.

The Psalmist wanted understanding; but not so much to know the future or some hidden secrets of his soul or that of someone else. He wanted this understanding so that he would know the testimonies of God better.

There is much that confuses us, but none more than the interference of waiting, in faith, for God’s plan and purpose.  Waiting is good, for it keeps our heart, mind and soul desiring and seeking to see God’s provision.  Waiting takes faith.

In our waiting satan will throw many temptations of action our way – none of which, if acted upon, are going to be in line with God’s will for us.  Our actions, apart from those being God directed,  in a time of waiting will never satisfy or fulfill the need we seek

Though it does not seem like it, waiting is action – Action of the heart and mind committed and purposed to see, hear and understand the will of God.

In waiting faith we grow anticipation of God’s action.  The best place to be while waiting, is in His word feeding on His promises, grace, mercy, strength, power, and steadfast love.  It is in our waiting that we hear more clearly the whispers of His quiet small voice leading and confirming action to come.

Not my will Lord God, but yours.  Your plans are perfect for my life.  Your timing is faultless.

Do not be double-minded and unstable

Psalms 119:81   My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.  My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?”  For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes.  How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?  The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.  All your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me! They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.  In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

Psalms 119:20     My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.

Psalms 119:40     Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

Psalms 42:1-2    As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalms 84:2    My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Psalms 119:42     then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.

Psalms 119:74    Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.

Psalms 119:77     Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.

Revelation 3:15-16     “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:1    “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Matthew 24:12   And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Psalms 81:11-13     “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.  Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

Joshua 24:15-24    And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve,

Matthew 6:24     “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

James 1:8     he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

There are many things that can lead us down a path of being “lukewarm or double-minded”.  Probably the most influential would be being complacent with and neglecting God’s word.

His word is a lamp unto my feet, food to my soul, strength to my heart, encouragement to my mind.  In and through His word is the “Good News” of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our savior.

Determine in and through His word what it means to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey Him.  Learn of His holiness, grace, mercy, and love.  Learn of His promises.  Learn to hear His quiet whispers of leading.  Learn to trust in, rely on, and cling to Him.

Restore us, O LORD God

“For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.”

“Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.”

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Psalms 85:1   LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.  You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.  You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!  Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?  Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.

Jeremiah 31:18     I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God.

Lamentations 5:21    Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored!

Micah 7:18    Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Acts 13:39     and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Colossians 2:13     And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

Isaiah 54:7     For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.  In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.

Psalms 78:38     Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.

How do you know if God is angry with you?  How do you know if you are being disciplined?  How do you know if you are right with God? How do you know if your life is on the straight and narrow path of God?   There are many examples in scripture that speak of generations of people who lived in a way that was apart from God.  There was a choice made in their life to neglect Him and His statutes.  This choice, I have to think, was not all at once but was the result of many small steps on a path that did not honor, serve, follow, or obey God.   Taking many small steps or fewer large ones in the wrong direction on the wrong path will always end up further and further away from God.  Soon you are lost and forget what the path of God for your life looked liked.  The light on His path for your life becomes totally dimmed, if not dark and deserted.  Everyday we battle our sinful desires that want to direct our heart, mind and soul.  Neglecting Him and being complacent in service and obedience to Him is what Satan desires and uses to light a path away from God.  The only way to win this battle is to stay in His word, desiring to stay close to Him, and wanting to be led by Him.  Do not wait until you are totally lost before turning back to Him.  Call out and seek to be rescued and restored.  Seek Him and He will be found.  Humbly serve Him and He will guide you.

I will Praise You

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

“I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.”

Psalms 71:14  But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.

Psalms 66:16    Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

2 Samuel 22:1 And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.  He said, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,  my God, my rock, in whom 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 upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.  “For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me;  the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.  “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.

1 Chronicles 16:4  Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!  Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!  Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!  Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered,

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Giving thanks to God and speaking about His righteousness, power, might, strength and salvation are indicators of the abundance of Him in our heart and mind.  Note how those in scripture speak of God.  This is for our edification and to encourage us to continually seek God in all we do.  A good place to start is in His word with a daily desire to know and honor Him.  This is a heart deep commitment and most certainly He is worthy of our all.

Whispers of God

“O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us.”

“Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies.”

“And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not in your midst, lest you be defeated before your enemies.’”

Psalms 60:10  Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Psalms 20:7    Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalms 44:5  Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.  For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.  But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.  In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.  But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies.

Psalms 118:9  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.  All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

Isaiah 8:17     I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.

Isaiah 12:1  You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.  “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Joshua 7:12    Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

Deuteronomy 20:4    for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

1 Chronicles 10:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.  And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.  The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers.  Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.  And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died.  Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together.  And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.  The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.  And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people.  And they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.  But when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,  all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.  So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.  He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

I heard a person from “Proverbs 31 ministry” reflect on the busyness of life and they said “I have to take time to hear the whispers of God first thing everyday.  If I don’t I find myself getting caught up by the shouts of this world and am unable to hear God”.  A simple reflection of the past week and see if this is not true.  Is not God our purpose and reason for living this side of eternity?  Why  do we find it hard to commit to daily spending time in His word and in prayer, seeking to know Him deeper and the purpose and plans He has for our life?  Go back and reread these scriptures again and see what happens in the lives of those who; breach faith, seeking guidance apart from God, devoted to destruction (set their heart on things other than God), trust in princes, trusted in their own power, strength and what they own.  We are accountable to humbly serve, honor, obey and follow God.  How can we do this if we can’t hear His whispers of guidance?  How can we do this if all we have in our lives are the shouts of what this world has to offer?  The answer is – WE CAN’T!!!  Everyday needs to start with, be maintained throughout and end with Him.  Commit to spending time in His word and prayerfully seeking God for guidance for the day.  It is clear God turns away from those who reject, turn away, and lukewarmly seek Him.  Seek and desire Him with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind – if you do this His whispers become shouts and the world shouts turn to whispers.

Why are you afraid?

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

“And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”

Psalms 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress

Psalms 27:3    Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Hebrews 13:6   So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Luke 21:9  And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”  Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

Luke 21:25  “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,  people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Matthew 21:21   And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

Luke 21:33   Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

2 Peter 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

There is much in the world that does not make any sense at all.  We hear the news all the time of things happening around the globe.  Some of this surely would bring fear if there is no God.  Surely we have right to be afraid.  But that is not what His word tells us.  He says there will be signs. In Hebrews it says “the Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me.  In Psalms it says “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.” We are told to trust in Him alone who is our fortress, refuge, and hope.  My wife and I were listening to a pod cast the other night and the man speaking said what is the worst that can happen to you in trusting God?  You die and go to heave to be present with Him forever!!!  Though there are troubles around us we have nothing to fear – God is bigger than any of them.  He is sovereign and has purpose for each of our lives.  Nothing will thwart His purpose and plan.  Place your trust and faith in Him.  Do you want to grow your faith? Do you want to have confidence to face whatever may come?  Spend time in His word daily.  Pray to Him.  Humble serve, honor and obey Him.  Truly desire to know Him.