It’s not how I “feel” but what His Word reveals about Him is the foundation to live amidst “times of troubles.” He says. “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble…“- Psalm 91:15. Otherwise we will be tossed to and fro like a piece of drift wood crashing beneath the howling ocean waves and spewed back to the surface only for the whole destabilizing scenario of living by “feelings” as the ultimate authority to happen again and again is emotional and anxiety filled living. It is to live by sight and not by faith in God who is faithful in times of trouble. Nauseating. double-minded. Stressed. Uncertain living. Unbelief. When we refuse to take Him at His Word we experience these and more.
The choice is to trust Him or replace Him by choosing to trust yourself or something or someone else in times of trouble. Either way, it takes faith! Pure faith or perverted faith. The difference is who is the object of our faith? The Savior or self substitutes? Christianity is personal trust in a Person, The Lord Jesus Christ!
THE BATTLE THAT RAGES FOR YOU IN TIMES OF TROUBLE…
1.- THE BATTLE ? Is ultimately an attack on your mind to express love to Him by placing your faith in HIM. {Read John 14:21, Heb 11:6}
THE BATTLE…is to
A)-TRUST HIM.
THE TEMPTATION… is to
B)-REPLACE HIM.
This is what you often face in times of trouble. Trust Him by relinquishing yourself, the situation to Him and following His Word as the ultimate authority, and rejecting all other “substitutes” for Him and His ways that seek to REPLACE Him! {Read Prov 3:5-7}
2.- HIS ASSURANCE to you in the battle? Is HIMSELF!
He gives you HIMSELF and His PROMISE …”I WILL BE WITH him in times of trouble “-(Ps 91:15.) Trust Him- Don’t Substitute Him by living by “feelings” as the authority, rather than faith in Him, who alone is trustworthy! “Feelings” may not be wrong but they must always be taken to His Word and examined in light of His Word, and are never the ultimate authority but His Word is!- (Read Phil 4;8-9),
THE BATTLE THAT RAGES FOR YOU IN TIMES OF TROUBLE;
…It is not what I “feel” but what He has revealed in His Word which is the ultimate authority in every situation and trouble I face, is to be our attitude as we talk to ourselves reminding ourselves of Him, His Word.
In the battle we are turning to Him deriving from Him, depending exclusively upon Him – and applying His Word empowered by His Spirit in our situation. We look to Him, lean on Him, we take Him at His Word! We TRUST HIM, He is trustworthy!
You are not alone in your troubles.
You can honor Him even in your troubles.
James puts it this way, “Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”-{ James 1:12 Amplified Bible.}”
In your trials and troubles, you and I have an opportunity to express love to the LORD Jesus through persevering in the trial, trusting Him. And should we not and instead fail to, what then, are we forsaken, abandons, placed on the “scrap heap” with a big “D” hat on our head for “dunce” or “F” for “Failure? NO! Thank God He forgives and will empower us as He did dear Peter to arise from our failure and begin afresh more dependent upon Him and more grateful to Him, trusting ourselves less as we learn to trust Him more and more! And also the opportunities to strengthen others with compassion and concern for their spiritual well-being and ultimately that they now by His grace they can honor Him and express LOVE TO Him as they trust Him by enduring, persevering in trusting Him! To God be the Glory!
God Bless,
Aidan.