God's Word

Counsel for the Heart: God is For Me (Psalm 56:9-11)

April 29, 2020 By Joe

I have a vivid memory of getting lost in the woods at summer camp. I was 9 years old at the time, and it’s undoubtedly fear that seared that event into my memories.

Times of fear heighten our emotions and sharpen our senses. I recall waking up in my bunkhouse in the dim light of late night needing to go the bathroom. I didn’t want to wake anyone up, and I was certain I could find my way to the bath house just a short hike through the woods. So, I got up quietly, set out to find the bathroom and promptly got lost!

I tried backtracking but that didn’t help. I ended up on some small footbridge that I hadn’t seen before and not far away from the cabin full of girls – an area that at that time in my life I had the firm intention of staying far away from! I remember looking all around me, at the woods rising high above, obscuring sky and stars, and feeling panicked. Not to mention that I still had to go to the bathroom!

So, I stopped and prayed. I asked God to help me, and I remembered a verse I’d learned either at church or at home:

Psalm 56:3 – When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (ESV)

As young as I was, I was learning to turn to God when overwhelmed with fear. And as I repeated that verse I continued to ask God to help me get to the bathroom and get back to my cabin. Not long after that I calmed down, and by looking around I could see that the bathroom was just a short distance away from the footbridge I was on. And from the bathroom another small path back to my cabin.

By remembering God, His nearness to me and His promised help, I triumphed over fear.

Psalm 56:8–11

[8] You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
[9] Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
[10] In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
[11] in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me? (ESV)

Getting to the Heart

David had his own times “lost in the woods.” In this Psalm David remembers the time when he first fled for his life from Saul and ran straight to Gath in Philistia. It was a foolish move motivated by fear. David was fleeing for his life, not thinking straight. When he arrived in Gath (with the sword of G0liath of Gath tucked in his belt!), the Philistines recognized David and seized him. How did David escape? He started acting insane, letting spit run down his beard and scratching the gate posts in Gath. It was the Lord’s mercy and protection that allowed this façade to work, and David gave God the full credit by writing Psalm 56.

“This I know,” David says in reflection on that occasion when he was gripped by enemies, “that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Ultimately believers feel afraid. We get in situations like I did that night on the footbridge, or like David did by running into enemy territory. Often those situations are the result of our fears, and we face real threats due to making fear-motivated choices. David did wrong in 1 Samuel 21. He should not have run to Gath, and he might have lost his life, if not for the truth that God was for him. David worshipped God in repentance in Psalm 56:1 “Be gracious to me, O God.” David was counting on the Lord’s character of absolute graciousness toward him, and the Lord was true to His character.

Are you in a mess due to fear-motivated choices? Turn to the living God. Seek His forgiveness for choices made by fear. Trust Him for His grace and deliverance as you re-orient your life to “walk before God in the light of life” (Psalm 56:13).

Let’s talk it over:

Have you ever gotten in trouble by running scared like me in the woods or like David in Gath? What happened?
What truths about God from Psalm 56 can you find to pray to God and remember about God the next time you feel afraid?

Prayer:

O God, You are so gracious to us! We are prone to fear over things small and big. You know this about us, but You have promised to be for us as we follow You and live life according to Your Word. Sometimes we fail You and wander away from Your path because we feel afraid. Forgive us for those times and help us to worship You and trust You from Psalm 56 and other verses that remind us of Your graciousness and help in times of fear. We love You and thank You that You are our Helper! Amen.

Worship:

Great is Thy Faithfulness

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!”

Thomas Chalmers, 1923

Memory Passage for this Week:

Hebrews 13:5–6

[5] Keep your ___ free from ____ of ______, and be ______ with what you have, for he has said, “I will _____ _____ you nor ______ you.” [6] So we can ________ say,

“The Lord is my _______;
I will not _______;
what can man do to me?” (ESV)

Counsel for the Heart (Introduction)

April 27, 2020 By Joe

Years ago during seminary I attended a church that memorized scripture together over the course of one year. Of all the excellent content I received in seminary, that year of memorizing scripture was one of the things that most rooted me in the Faith.

Consider what has helped you to grow most as a Christian. What would you attribute to your endurance in following Jesus?

No doubt if you traced those lines of help and influencers down to the source you would see again and again God’s Word has been your lifeline.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks I will be writing a new devotional series called “Counsel for the Heart.” Each weekday I will focus on a common area of heart need that is commonly coming up in biblical counseling during Covid19. Fear, anxiety and worry, depression, anger, addictions, feelings of abandonment by God, and so much more comes up as people have reached out to me and others. As much as we tire of hearing about Covid19, it has provided many opportunities for us to renew our faith and come back to confidence in God by His Word.

In addition to my devotion series you will see accompanying articles written by the biblical counselors of our church. They want all of us to see that life is blessed as we submit to the Lord Jesus and live in obedience to Him.

Above all we know that God’s Word is life-giving! And as I conclude this brief introduction of the series I invite you to memorize a passage with me this week. Work on these verses, meditating on them, asking the Holy Spirit to help you internalize the message. You and I will need this passage always, but especially for times of fear that come up out of seemingly nowhere. I will write more about fear tomorrow and the rest of this week.

Hebrews 13:5–6

[5] Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [6] So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?” (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

In this section each day I will ask a question or two or offer a reflection of my own for you to meditate on. For today, consider what this verse says: we can put our confidence in either money or God. One of the draws of money is that if we just get enough of it we can potentially live without fear. The Bible says that is a false assurance. Why?

Why is trusting in what money can provide a dangerous hope?
According to these verses, how do we know we can trust the Lord?

Prayer:

Holy Lord, Maker of every human heart, we seek Your blessing on your Word in our lives. Your Word leads to life! To whom else can we go but You? Please use this series on Counsel for the Heart to bring about good in our lives. Please change us to be like our beloved Lord Jesus. Help us by Your Holy Spirit to walk in Your Word with faith. Lift up those who are struggling and tempted by sin. Lead none of us into temptation. You are worthy of our undivided hearts, Father, and we give ourselves again to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Worship in Song:

Christ Our Glory

I’ve had this song on repeat recently. It has gospel-rich truths in it, and these lines stick in my head:

“Our rest is in heaven, our rest is not here
Then why should we tremble when trials draw near?
Be still and remember the worst that can come
But shortens our journey and hastens us home”

Local Perspectives on Coronavirus – Pt 5

April 21, 2020 By Joe

Today’s perspective comes from Jared Hallford, a student at West High School. Jared shares that purpose and mission can come out of the boredom of quarantine when we recognize God is in control.

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Life during quarantine for teens, or at least for me, has been pretty dull. For the most part, the other teens and I have been stuck at home, just like everyone else. This has led to many of us forming some new habits or participating in random games on social media. I, for example, did a couple of riddles on Instagram where if I got it wrong I had to post it on my story, and my followers would hopefully then respond and act accordingly. However, when it comes to entertainment, it’s mostly limited to whatever we can do on our phones, laptops, or whatever show we are binging on Netflix. Several of us, myself included, have taken to doing daily workouts. For the most part it’s nothing crazy, but enough to keep in shape. On the less fun side though, we are having to take classes online via the Zoom app, or doing assignments that have been posted online by our teachers. I find this quite boring, and most teens will probably agree. So all in all, it’s honestly not that different from everyone else’s lives, except that we’re spending more time on our phones than our parents or the older members of our family.

One of the areas in which us teens are able to grow spiritually is by the amount of time they spend in the Word, talking to God every day. Speaking from experience, a lot of teens, although they might try to live by Christian principles every day, do not read the Word every day, and instead prioritize time for school, sports, or something else. But now, with the inability to leave the house, there is plenty of time in the day to find some for God. Another area where teens can improve in their walk in the faith is by trying to get rid of their worldly obsessions and non-Christian habits. I recognize that it’s hard, and truth be told I haven’t been doing the best job at these, but that’s why it’s a way to grow, and not a continued habit.

One of the ways that I, and many of my friends, are being challenged is by not being able to leave the house. Most teens enjoy the ability to leave the house and go out and see their friends, and even though we might not always do that, having the choice is what makes the difference. But now we are all stuck in our homes, same as everyone else, with the only interactions being with our family members, who are all sick of each other. Due to this, I have had a few extended texting conversations with some friends of mine who are worried or upset by the situation and the resulting regulations. My mindset is that the situation is what it is, and that we teens, and everyone else, should just be patient and trust God that this epidemic will be over soon. That actually leads into the next way that we are being challenged, which is that teens, or at least me, are beginning to have strain put on my faith due to everything that is happening, and how it doesn’t make sense to me. Personally, I can’t see the big picture of His plan, but I have been lucky enough to see some of the small ones. I (or my family, that is) have been one of the lucky few volunteers who were asked to help make and deliver food boxes to those in need. The willingness to serve that I’ve seen out of everyone has been a reassurance that God is still working amidst the current crisis, and that he is still in control.