In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.Psalms 31:1-5
David was fearful for his life. He knew the only way out was to cry out to God for his provision and protection. David was not weak minded. He was a great statistician and knew how to outwit his enemies in many situations. Yet, occasionally, he was in a place where his only hope was to cry out to God. We do the same. We look at a situation and know how to get free. But there are those situations where God has placed us to test our faith.
{ Faith: confidence or trust in a person or thing }
Besides my faith in God, other ideas that pop into my mind are:
- faith that my car will start
- faith in my employment status
- faith in my spouse
- faith in our children to do the right things
- faith in our pastor to lead us
When do you feel that your faith is true—when you are tested or when a friend is tested? We are all tested at one time…a time to make us stronger and more dependent on God for our everyday needs.
Think of Noah, when he was first asked to build the Ark…. Can you imagine the conflicting thoughts coursing through his mind? Out of holy fear and obedience, Noah built the Ark. Preaching while he built, he did his best to tell people about the end of the world if they did not turn from their wickedness and join him and his family. The people, ridiculing him and his family, did not understand what a flood was. They did not perceive that life was going to end. They did not care. They just knew that they were happy with their life and did not care about serving another god.
How many of us, as we walk through life, have replaced God with idols? How many of us pursue that name-brand purse, name-brand clothes, ‘name- brand’ whatever? Should we dwell on those things or should be pursue our family, our children, and our friends with the same kind of enthusiasm? We are to be about Kingdom business. We are to have the faith that when we step out to share God’s love, He will reward us for wanting to spread the Good News.
For that is our purpose—to share God’s love with others. And to share with others the good things, as well as our trials and our future in God.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28: 18-20
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Father, Thank you for loving us enough to share your son Jesus with us. Forgive us when we forget to share our faith or when we become afraid to share our faith with others. Give us the courage we need to become evangelist and disciple makers for you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
