Psalms Walk-Thru #004

“In Jehovah I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, Flee like a bird to the mountains?  For lo, the wicked bend their bow; they make ready their arrow on the string, so that they may secretly shoot at the upright in heart.  If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  Psalms 11:1-3

 

Truly a Christian, one who has repented and believed the Gospel, one who by faith has believed into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, knows or should know that God Almighty is trustworthy. 

 

There are many sorts of trials and persecutions that Believers go through.  For some it may be as simple as a neighbor who is generally unfriendly, for others they lean on their Maker, knowing that He will keep them safe under His wings (Ps. 91:4).  Depending on where one lives, the conditions of government repression, the religious institutions or religion of the respective country, there are varying degrees of troubles that can come upon a Christian.

 

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the Word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My Word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.”  John 15:18-23

 

The foundations will never be destroyed for we are promised by Jesus:

 

“For He Himself has said, By no means will I ever leave you nor ever forsake you.  So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:5a-6

 

As often is mentioned on the radio show, remember these three words, trust and obey.

 

“For the righteous Jehovah loves righteousness; His face beholds the upright.”  Psalms 11:7

 

God is not going to forget about us, we can rest assured that God will take care of those who are upright and truly following Him, through Jesus Christ.  Once again, trust and obey. 

 

A Christian can be assured that if God has spoken to your heart regarding an issue, that it will come to pass, but we must trust and obey, not be unfaithful to Him.  We don’t always understand the purposes that God has for us, sometimes bad things will happen and certainly there are still martyrs for Christ throughout the world. 

 

“Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders bore witness.  By faith we understand that the universe was prepared by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen did not come into existence from things which are visible.  By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him; for before he was translated he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not understanding where he was going.  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude; innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were foreigners and pilgrims on the earth.  For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.  And truly if they had called to mind that place from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But now they reach forth to a better, that is, a heavenly place. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.  By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, In Isaac your Seed shall be called, reckoning that God had the power to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and did homage on the top of his staff.  By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a proper male child; and they were not afraid of the king’s decree.  By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the recompense.  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.  By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn should not touch them.  By faith they crossed over the Red Sea as through dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were swallowed up.  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.  By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.  And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty in battle, turned to flight the armies of foreigners.  Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.  Still others had trial of mockings and floggings, yes, and of bonds and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tried, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, oppressed; of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.  And all these, having borne witness through faith, did not obtain the promise,  God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made complete apart from us.”  Hebrews 11

 

For those who are in very oppressive situations now and for those who will be in oppressed during the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), better known as the Tribulation, remember these words and take them to heart.

 

“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, I will now arise, says Jehovah; I will set him in the safety for which he pants.  The Words of Jehovah are pure Words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  You shall keep them, O Jehovah, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.  The wicked walk on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.”  Psalms 12:5-8

 

Amen!