Where Is He When We Need Him?

The night was so dark that even the stars were hidden behind the clouds. The winds were so fierce and the rains so heavy that it was nearly impossible to see. A chaplain noticed a young sailor trying to hide behind the ship's guns where there was a dim light. Trying to comfort him, the chaplain opened his New Testament to John 3:16 and asked him to read that verse. He wanted to talk to him about God. “For God so loved the world,” he began reading quietly, “that He gave His only forgotten Son.”

Many of us frequently forget the Lord, His Word, and His works until we need His help. This happened to the people of Israel. The Psalmist reminds us of this in two simple words that all of us, unfortunately, can relate to: “They forgot.”

Often when we face a crisis, it is easy to focus on the crisis rather than the Christ who can guide and guard us through it safely if we would only allow Him. We think of everything that we can do rather than what He can do. So, we delay calling on Him. More than we can understand, He is waiting and willing, to hear our voice. He wants to comfort and care for us, strengthen and sustain us. But, we choose to tackle tasks by ourselves - believing that we can live life without His help. Then, when we realize that we are helpless, we turn to Him and, as always, He responds. Could it be that He allows us to “try it” on our own and fail so that He can remind us of our weakness and His enduring strength?

Can we find promises to assure us of His help? Indeed! “Call on me, and I will answer you...” And again, “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” 

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for always hearing our voice. How foolish we are, Father, to ever forget that You are always present in our lives, waiting, willing, and wanting to help us. Enable us to believe! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: But they soon forgot what He had done. Psalm 106:13a 

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Fortified By Faith

If we knew what was going to happen, we would not need faith. We could plan for tomorrow and the next day and the next with confidence. But only God knows what tomorrow will bring into our lives. So, we need faith.

Faith enables us to live courageously, live life with confidence, and know that with God beside us, His Son within us, and the Holy Spirit to empower us, we can be filled with confidence and assurance that God will guide us and guard us.

Unfortunately, not all Christians walk by faith. Some squeak through life by sight. But, the two principles of action are exclusive of each other and contradictory.

One is sight. Sight is concerned with things that are material and visible. The other is faith. Faith is concerned with things that are invisible and spiritual. Each principle struggles to master the other. Christians must choose which one will be their master.

 If we walk by sight, we will encounter many things that will cause us to be filled with fear and frighten us. We see this in the lives of the people of Israel. When they left Israel, they were followed by the greatest army who had the best fighters in all of Egypt.

When they came to the Red Sea and saw the enemy about to destroy them, they were frightened. But despite their lack of faith, the Lord saved them. He caused the sea to divide and provided a dry road for their escape. God can and did great things for them.

“Then,” states the Psalmist, “they believed His words.” When? After they saw His miracle. They didn't need to experience such despair and the fear of destruction. Their lack of faith in His presence and power caused them to doubt His promises. God is constantly doing the impossible for us even when our faith is weak. Trust in His greatness.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for doing the impossible for us. Help us to take You at Your Word and trust in You to always protect us. Please increase our faith. Help us to believe in You for all things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Then they believed his promises. Then they sang his praise. Psalm 106:12 

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Remember Me!

“But I’m not that important to God. I have not accomplished anything with my life, and I’m too old now to do anything about it. I can’t imagine that I will make any difference in God’s scheme of things,” he said. “How could any God love someone as worthless as me? I’m hopeless!” 

It seems as though the writer of Psalm 106 felt the same way. “Remember me, O Lord, when You show favor to Your people, come to my aid when You save them.” He felt alone, abandoned, forsaken - perhaps even worthless. He could not imagine God including him in His plan of redemption. “I’m excluded!” he cried. “No hope.”

Another man made a similar statement. This one was a thief hanging on a cross dying for his crimes. How interesting it is to note that he was hanging next to some One who had never committed any crimes, but was dying for the crimes he - the thief - had committed. He had no time to turn over a new leaf and lead a better life. He could not go to the people he had wronged and ask for forgiveness, or attend a religious ceremony for cleansing. He could not perform any good works - his hands were nailed to a cross. All he could do was to call on the Name of the Lord and ask Jesus to “Remember me!” And, we too, must realize and remember that no one is beyond the grace of God. 

Although he was a thief condemned to die for his crimes, our Lord loved him just as much as He loves us. “Today,” Jesus assured him, “you will be with Me in paradise.”

God has no favorites. His love includes everyone.

Prayer:  Thank You, Father, for Your love that includes all of us no matter who we are or what we have done! Help us to find our worth in Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Remember me, O Lord, when You show favor to Your people, come to my aid when You save them. Psalm 106:4 

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Do Right!

“Blessed are they...,” said the Psalmist, “who constantly do what is right.” Jesus, too, emphasized the importance of righteousness when He began His public ministry. “Blessed,” said Jesus, “are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Doing what is right and hungering and thirsting for righteousness is not a priority in the lives of many who call themselves “Christian.” It sounds like a lifestyle that is more suitable for monks who live in a monastery and spend their time reading the Bible and praying than for people who work for a living. Monks can avoid the “real things” of life and “be righteous.” It’s what they live and die for.

Perhaps when we think of being “righteous” and “doing what is right,” we shudder because it sounds so “limiting” on the one hand, and “impossible” on the other. “What fun is there in being righteous?” we ask. Or, “If I ‘do right’ I’ll live a life of gloom and doom with no room for happiness and joy.” What a grim prospect.

But the exact opposite is true. God has a specific plan for each of our lives and will enable us to fulfill it if we so chose. Ultimately we will become like His Son. If we seek and follow the plan and purpose He has for our lives, as did Jesus, we will walk in paths of “righteousness for His name’s sake.” If we want to know the “path of righteousness” He has for our lives, we must study His Word. And, the more we study His Word, the more we will become like Him. If we desire to “do right” and become “righteous,” we will need to spend time with Him, get to know Him, and love Him. If we “do right,” we will “become right.”

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for the plan you have for our lives. We all want to “do right.” But we cannot “do right” unless we are willing to know what is right. May we turn to Your Word to learn Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right. Psalm 106:3 

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Proclaim His Mighty Acts!

Not many people have ever heard of Mithridates the Great, King of Pontus, from northern Asia Minor, in 88 B.C. He was famous for his size, his strength, and his skill of mastering the languages of the twenty-five nations that he ruled. There’s also Cardinal Mezzofanti, who was born in Bologna, Italy who spoke more than one hundred languages and dialects. Language enables us to understand one another and share ideas. It connects us.

Today, philologists claim that there are between 6,000 and 7,000 different languages that people use to communicate with one another. The majority of the languages in our world flow from one person to another. Some languages exist that have never been reduced to writing. Every language evolves and changes over time. When people connect with other people in other places, languages become richer and more inclusive.  Some languages add new words while other words are deleted when they no longer make sense. Some words lose their meaning and are soon forgotten.

Yet, no matter how many words there may be or how many languages are spoken, the Psalmist put things into the proper context when he asked, “Who can proclaim the mighty acts of God, or fully declare His praise?” 

We will never be able to praise God as much as He deserves, but we can praise Him with a sincere heart. If we ever begin to realize the magnitude of God’s love and mercy that saves us, and sustains us, our hearts will be filled with such joy that our voices will never cease to express our gratitude and thanks!

Prayer:  Thank you Father for your love and mercy that saves us. We lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving to You for Your love for us and the gift of Your Son, who came to share Your message of hope. In His Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Who can proclaim the mighty acts of God, or fully declare His praise? Psalm 106:2 

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