I Will Look to the Lord
Israel's King David once wrote:
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
Psalm 145:17,18 (NKJV)
In the "evil day," the day of great difficulty and trouble, we
may feel that God and any hope for renewal or joy is far, far
away. But the Lord our God is never far away from those who
trust in Him. As the Psalm above says, God is near to all
who call upon Him in truth.
Micah, the prophet of God quoted in the graphic featured on
this page, lived many years after King David. By the time
Micah came along, Israel had fallen far from the good path the
people had once walked. God sent Micah and other prophets to
raise a cry, to call His people back to repentance. Micah
warned of severe judgments to come, and spoke clearly of the sins
that were all too common in his day.
But he also warned Israel's enemies not to celebrate the
nation's troubles too much. One of my all-time favorite
passages is in chapter 7 of Micah's book of prophecy.
Speaking on behalf of the city of Jerusalem, Micah says:
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.
Micah 7:8, 9 (NKJV)
In the Bible, wherever God speaks of judgment and ruin, He also
speaks of mercy, forgiveness and restoration. The very
purpose of God's correcting hand is to save and restore us.
He delights in doing good.
Some of the troubles we face in our own lives may have come
about by our own bad choices, our own greed or selfish desires or
cowardice. Yet the message we have in Scripture is clear:
God will forgive when we turn to Him for forgiveness and help.
God will make us clean again. God will take great joy in
bringing us safely home. He longs to hold each of us close
to His heart, and He is always watching for the first sign of our
return. Jesus compares sinners to lost sheep, to wandering
sons, to precious coins, and He makes it clear that even the
angels of heaven rejoice when one of us is "found" and brought
home again.
Not every difficulty that come into our lives is the result of
some sin in our life. Sorrows come upon all people, no
matter how good they try to be. We all lose loved ones.
Anyone can lose a home, a job, physical ability, a good
reputation. Anyone can be injured in a collision or suffer a
devastating illness.
But no one needs to walk alone in difficult times. No
matter how difficult the day becomes, or what you must go through,
look to the Lord. Call upon Him and trust Him to see you
through.
As He promised to His people long ago, so in Jesus Christ His
Word stands good for you as well:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
— Isaiah 43:1-3 (NKJV)
No one who trusts in the Lord ever walks alone, for God is with
them. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ for help and comfort and
strength. He will not ignore you or turn His back on you.
He will help you.
Finally, the Apostle Peter gives us the perfect closing thought
on this, and yet another promise from the Lord:
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so
that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on
him, because he cares for you.
Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your
adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your
brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same
kinds of suffering.
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all
grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will
himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To
him be the power forever and ever. Amen. — 1
Peter 5:6-11 (NRSV)
Jim Sutton |
