Published 2/6/20
Read Psalm 34:15-18
"The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
Reflect
During times of trouble, do you draw close to the Lord ... or do you run?
God graciously brought my friend Bob far beyond medical expectations. (He was a missionary who ended up being bound to a wheelchair.)
Eventually Bob learned to feed himself and to drive his own electric wheelchair as well as a customized van. He dedicated countless hours of technical advice to missions organizations and became a self-made "computer guru," offering his expertise to many who couldn't afford to take their computers to be repaired. He is now battling acute leukemia.
"Yet even with the trials, looking back I wouldn't want to return to just sailing along and being a good Christian but not really knowing God," says his wife--twenty years down the road. Over and over the struggles she and her husband have experienced have become a doorway to gain a fresh vision of Jesus, to see that He is her strength when she's weak, her provider when the family has need, her rest when she's weary. She knows her Lord in an intimate way because of the trials and difficulties. And she knows that He who sees her loves her with an everlasting love.
Pray
Lord, thank You for delivering me out of troubles. Thank You for lifting me up when I feel crushed. Amen.