Thursday, December 26, 2013

Day 125: Trust in Crippling Times



Reading: Psalm 56:1-13

I know there have been many times in life that I was afraid. Tonight, for instance, I spend my first evening alone in our new home as my husband works late. The sounds are different than that of our apartment. The space is bigger, we are more into the city, and the smallest sound makes me fret. We read how on numerous occasions David feared, and for good reasons too. He constantly had people after him. But we also read that when he feared, he turned to The Lord. "But when I'm afraid, I put my trust in You," he writes in verse 3. 
There is no point in fretting your life away with fear and worry. When fears come our way, we can remember to do what David did in his hard situations. We can remember that The Lord can deliver you. He fights to protect you, and helps you to trust Him more and more. Look to Him to deliver you from those fears. 


Reading: John 4:27-42

As we continue on with the reading about the Samaritan woman, we see the other half of her story is about being a testimony of her encounter with Jesus. She goes and tells her town about how He knew everything about her, and gets people curious about Him. People come from all over to see and learn more of Jesus. 
There is a great example we can take from this woman. As she went out and shared her story, we also need to share the stories we have about our encounters with Christ. This woman didn't need to know the scripture inside and out to share the good news. She didn't need theology or a degree to tell her town about Him. She simply shared a story from her experiences with Him. And because she did, we read that many from her village came to believe. 
As a Christian, you have a story to share about your walk and encounters with Christ. Why keep it a big secret when others can benefit and relate to your story? Go share it so many can believe. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 


Reading: Judges 2:6-3:31

God uses unlikely people to help deliver a nation. We read many times in Judges how the people continue to disobey. But they find peace when unlikely heroes trust in His direction and follow His will to do what needs to be done to bring His name to a broken land. Othniel was brought forth as a judge who does what God's will is. And because of this, The Lord helps him take victory over the king of Aram, causing 40 years of peace in Israel. 
Even when the people of Israel once again do evil in God's eyes, He once again delivers them with another brave leader, Ehud, who cleverly kills the king Eglon and gives Israel another 80 years of peace. It must have taken a great load of courage for Ehud to go into enemy territory and secretly kill the king, yet cleverly out-smart the servants. He certainly relied on God's power.
We also read of Shamgar, who killed 600 people with an ox goad. 
These leaders walked with The Lord, and trusted Him to get them through the giant tasks they faced to bring peace to Israel, even though they continuously did evil in God's eyes. Are you allowing God to use you as a strong leader for Him, delivering His people into peace? Take heart and consider the great work He did in these leaders we just read about. 


God can deliver you from the fears that take a grip on your life. We must remember, however to be a testimony of His deliverance. We, as believers, have a story to share with the world, to encourage them in following the God that can rise up great leaders to complete His work in a very broken world. Take heart, and cling to His promise of deliverance.