27.i. “I will bless the Lord who counsels me— even at night when my thoughts trouble me.”

 

Psalms 16:5 Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I will bless the Lord who counsels me— even at night when my thoughts trouble me. I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely.

ii. “Preserve me from the world; let me not be carried away with its excitements; suffer me not to be before its blandishments, nor to fear its frowns. Preserve me, from the devil; let him not tempt me above what I am able to bear. Preserve me from myself; keep me from growing envious, selfish, high-minded, proud, slothful. Preserve me from those evils into which I see others run, and preserve me, from those evils into which I am myself most apt to run; keep me from evils known and from evils unknown.” (Spurgeon) David’s heart was instructed first by God and His Word, and therefore his heart could also instruct him in the ways of God. How many times do we lay awake at night to try to figure out our problems? We wrestle with fear, confusion, anxiousness, and worry.  It seems as though we get on a train of thought and continue to stoke up the steam engine to get it down the track to the town of “I have figured it out” which is right next door to “I have a plan to make it right”, only to find, after numerous times of stoking we have never left the station. It is not wrong to meditate on the worries of life but it must be always in the presence of God, surrendering it into His hands, and with a heart and mind the trusts and rely on Him.  When we find those worrisome thoughts pounding in our head we need to take them captive.  Don’t allow them to consume our peace and joy.  When we recognize thoughts that are giving us a mental beating we can talk to God about them.  We can place them where we can stand back and see them and then see the mighty power, awesome love, and all-knowing Heavenly Father.  When we do this our heart turns from worry, anxiousness, fear, and confusion and starts to begin to rejoice in God, His power, His love, and how He is able to handle and make sense of it all.  Give it to Me.  Rejoice in Me.  Know that I have it all under control.  I will give you peace and rest.  Trust Me.  We can find a security, joy, peace, and rest that only God can give.

All Things Are Possible

” But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”

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? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Job 29:3   when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

Micah 7:7-8  But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Malachi 4:2   But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall

.John 8:12   Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Isaiah 12:2   “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.”

Isaiah 51:6-8   Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.  “Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings.  For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.”

Psalms 62:6    He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Psalms 28:7-8  The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.  The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Philippians 4:13    I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

2 Corinthians 12:9   But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Sometimes I wonder if we think we will never see trials or troubles or have dark times or sickness.  Scripture is very clear that we will.  We are made whole in these times of weakness and when the issues we are facing are beyond our ability to have any influence.  Paul rested in weakness.  He feared not what God was asking him to do and say.  He saw the power of Christ through his weakness.  David proclaimed God as His strength, light, power, and salvation.  “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”.  There surely is a darkness in the world.  This darkness looks not to God but rather to man.  Free choice allows us to choose the light or stay in darkness.  Free choice in the light of God gives us power, strength, hope, salvation, and the ability to do all things through Him.  Free choice to stay in darkness gives us false hopes, power, strength, and no hope of salvation.  We freely choose to open the door of our heart and mind to the light and power of God.  We freely choose to believe, listen, follow and obey.  I hear so much fear and hatred these days which does not reflect the light of God.  I wonder if God has given people a spirit of delusion in one last attempt to draw them out of the darkness.  Are you facing any darkness in your life?  Open the door to God and you will find rest, peace, power, and hope for your heart and soul and mind.