Psalms 61-63

Click here to read Psalms 61-63.

There are number of great passages during these three chapters that offer us great reminders and insights into living the life we live.

First, notice how David reminds us that our victory comes from God.

Psalms 62:1 - "I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him."
Psalms 62:7 - "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone."

Like David, we need to learn to "wait quietly before God." He sees ALL that goes on in our lives. Even when we make those bad choices that consequently bring tough situations into our lives. God still loves us in spite of the dumb mistakes we make. And, it's good to know that He'll never give up on us. We might give up on Him, but He'll never do that to us. 

When bad things begin to happen, follow David's suggestion - pray and wait quietly upon God. In other words, when you pray know that He hears you. Then, be patient as we wait on Him to move. It may take some time. And, if it does, we are to wait patiently on Him. Fortunately, He can take our mistakes and the trouble that comes from our mistakes and turn them into something good. Only God can do that!

I think of a man who went to prison for doing some bad things as a young man. The law caught up with him and he spent some time in prison. Not long after he arrived at prison, he received Christ and started growing as a believer. He was given a 30 year prison sentence as a result of his bad choices. However, in time, he was paroled in an early release program. When he got out of prison, he spent the rest of his life preaching and teaching God's Word to inmates and in churches around the world. His bad choices led to terrible consequences - prison! Even though he faced 30 years of tough times, God turned things around for him. The best praise this man could have offered up to God was a surrendered life to God. In this case, that surrendered life was a desire to spend the rest of his life teaching and preaching God's Word in a church setting. The surrendered life comes in many forms. To surrender to God doesn't mean you have to become a pastor of a church or a missionary to Africa. It's simply means that we are totally emptied of our plans and will and seek fully to be open to what God wants for our lives. Usually that means finding a job, glorifying God in that job, representing His truth to all you know, and getting involved in a good, Bible-teaching church where you can exercise and use your spiritual gifts.

I love how David loves God! Notice what he says in Psalms 63:1 - "I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you."

Can you say that about you? Do you "thirst" for God? Do you "earnestly search" for Him?

As much as I'd like to say that I always feel that way - in reality, I don't. I would say that I mostly feel that way. But, after going through a deeply broken time in my life and after becoming emotionally bankrupt as a result of that time, it was hard for me to hunger for the Word or prayer. I was emotionally numb. I longed for the days where my heart hungered or "thirsted" for God. I took several years of healing to get there, but over time God has done a healing in my heart. As of this writing, I can't say that I'm all the way back, but I'm close. I keep moving forward because I know God loves me, is for me, and the trials of life are simply events where I'm tested in the crucible of fire to allow God to see where my faith and trust really lie. 

If you've gone through a divorce, a job loss, financial ruin, or any other type of tragic event, you are going to be tapped out emotionally. You may even become like I was - emotionally bankrupt - where you can no longer feel passion for anything in life, except for your own kids and grandkids.

If so, I encourage you not to give up. The testing of your faith is only for a little while. Mine was 7 years. But, those 7 years are a drop in the bucket compared to my entire life. I've spent most of my life basking in the warm and powerful embrace of God's richest blessings. By the time I was 50 years of age, I felt rich in so many ways. I was a blessed man. The next 7 years, however, became one dramatic and emotionally disturbing event after another. Fortunately, my knowledge and constant faith in God's love for me - even when I didn't feel it - were a source of strength. There were times when I honestly felt like God had totally abandoned me and turned His back to me, but in my heart and mind I knew that was a lie from Satan. Seven years later, I can say categorically those were lies from Satan. Those lies were meant to destroy 50 years of building a relationship with God. Only by the knowledge I had about God got me through those tough times.

If you're going through a tough time, hang in there!! Reach out to your pastor or some Godly person and confide in them for counsel and encouragement. Or become part of a support group. Remember what the Bible says in Proverbs 24:16 - "The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked."

God loves you beyond measure! Hang in there!