I LOVE our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Every day the reading just seems to resonate with what is happening, either in my own personal life, or for the world in which we live! Look at Psalm 56:3-4:
3 What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. 4 By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me?
What was the psalmist facing that he said these things? Look at verses 5-7:
5 All day long they twist my words and trouble my affairs; all their thoughts are against me for evil and my hurt. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they watch my steps, even as they have [expectantly] waited for my life. 7 They think to escape with iniquity, and shall they? In Your indignation bring down the peoples, O God.
Have you experienced this type of persecution in your own personal life? This certainly applies to what is happening to Bible believing Christians the world over, and even now in this nation! But then the psalmist restates his faith, trust and confidence in the One, True God of the Bible in verses 9-11:
9 Then shall my enemies turn back in the day that I cry out; this I know, for God is for me. 10 In God, Whose word I praise, in the Lord, Whose word I praise, 11 In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
AMEN! What CAN any man do to us that has the ability to affect us when our Source for protection, provision and safety is the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible? Train yourself to think like God and expect His very best! What SHOULD we do when faced with attacks, tests, trials and persecutions? Let's do what Jesus did! In Mark today we read what became of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus. When Jesus heard the news, He pulled his disciples aside to get away by themselves, then He did the most powerful thing He could do to counter this awful attack of satan (the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy - John 10:10a). He taught the people and then He did one of His most outstanding miracles! He fed the crowd, which included 5,000 men, besides all of the women and children, from five loaves of bread and two fish! THAT is how you combat the enemy! You do something that sets people free and gives all the glory to God! HALLELUJAH! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong Live again with "Always Will":
Shalom in Him!
