FATHER'S RESPONSE TO CHILDREN

Verse for Today: Thursday, October 21, 2010

Psalms 34:17 - The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.

God's children are confronted with troubles of different type during their sojourn. These troubles are sent by the enemy to discourage them and distract them. Discouragement would cause them to weaken their faith in the power of the Lord to give them protection and release from it. Distraction makes them focus on the object of the trouble, like a thing or a person, and they will be tempted to use their energies to fight against these objects. Both of these tactics of the enemy are to deprive the child of God of the power and control of the Spirit of God over them. On the other hand, God's children are tested by God by sending them through seeming difficulties of various type. These tests are for strengthening their faith and to help them measure the degree of their faith. In both circumstances, they can go to the Lord for help. Their call for help might take the form of prayer, supplication, loud cries and tears. When they express their emotions out of deep suffering in these manner, they have the comfort that they are in the presence of the Lord. It is the place where they can forget about their troubles and tests and trust in the Lord to whom they make their appeals. As they cry out, their Lord would certainly hear the voice of their cries. He also sees them with their concerns and burdens and will have pity over them. He would first give them peace about their situation. He also gives them the reassurance that their cries are heard and that the Lord would intervene at the right time to deliver them from all their troubles. When the disciples were in the boat which was in the eye of a storm, remember how they called out to the Lord. He quickly rebuked the storm, and it stopped. When people cried out for healing and release from demon possession, He responded immediately to answer them. But there were also times when the Lord delayed to test the measure of the faith of the people. He went to Bethany to intervene in the situation of the death of Lazarus only after the death of Lazarus, but the end result was greater glory for Him and greater privilege for Mary and Martha to witness how He made possibilities out of impossibilities. He delayed, but gave Abraham and Sarah a son. He delayed, but delivered Israel from Egypt. He delayed, but fulfilled the dreams of Joseph. He delayed, but David surely sat on the throne as the king of Israel. He would have some times delayed in your case, but surely He will act, as He has promised to wipe away the tears of His children.

Dear reader, are you weary and feeling miserable, crying out to the Lord because the burden is too heavy for you to carry it alone ? His answer to your anguish is on its way. Perhaps He is delaying, but His delays are not delays of inactivity, but preparation. He is preparing you spiritually so that you would be able to value His answers in its full significance. When the right time comes, just as in the case of Abraham and Sarah, you will receive the special answers to your prayers. His answers are at the point of your total inadequacy so that you would not be tempted to take any part of the credit for what He is doing. If you think that He has answered because you have prayed relentlessly, that need not be true. Your intense prayer is because of your faith, but His answer is because of His benevolence and loving kindness. His time is not your time, and His methods are not yours. He is the Mighty God who deals in your matters according to His divine plan which is perfect. Your troubles are only for you to become stronger to fight the enemy and to prove the degree of your faith and trust in Him. So, dear friend, keep praying, keep on crying, and keep all your supplications at His feet. He hears it all. He sees you in all your emotional expressions out of intense suffering. He is near you to strengthen your faith and to lead you forward. He builds up your faith and trust in Him to be able to put all your confidence in Him to wait until you are prepared according to His plan to receive the answers at the best possible time. So please be compelled by the Spirit of God to take all your burdens to the Lord and leave it there.

Psalms 34:15 - The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.

Thought for Today
It is our privilege to cry unto the Lord and His grace and compassion to answer us.

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