PSALM 94:18-19 – When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”
THEME OF THE DAY: THE PAINFUL “WHENS” IN LIFE. In today’s scripture, the Psalmist identifies two “when experiences” every child of God will know on the journey to heaven.
First, we will have those painful thoughts that flood our minds during difficulties and temptations of the Christian life that tell us, “I cannot do this anymore. I am failing so much. My spiritual feet are slipping all the time.” When we think “our feet slip”, the Lord comes to us with His steadfast love. Here is the height of comfort to the struggling Christian. God does not bring condemnation when we sin. Nor does He say, “I told you so” when we fail. No, His steadfast love is a love that rejoices over us and promises to quiet our racing minds – The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17).
The next painful experience we enter as Christians is when the cares of our heart are many or overwhelming. These are “emotional upheavals” that result from life. As they come upon us, the Lord does not leave us alone in our turmoil. He comes to us with comfort, and the only form of comfort that meets the needs of our worry, anxiety, and fear. And the greatest is the promise of Christ’s return and presence – Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also (John 14:1-3).
God and the painful whens in life. They hurt, but He does not abandon us in our pain. He comes with His steadfast love and comfort. May the Lord help us to see through our suffering to our Savior who is full of steadfast love and comfort.
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for coming to my aching heart with comfort and strength when life is overwhelming.”
QUOTE: “It isn’t ‘if life gets hard’. It is ‘when life gets hard.’ Remember that when tempted to think otherwise.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim