CONFIDENCE IN TROUBLE

CONFIDENCE IN TROUBLE

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me." (Psalm 138:7)

FAITH ENABLES THE ONE POSSESSING IT to rise above trouble, perceiving it as an opportunity for God to work. As the Scripture affirms, "My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9). Even though crisis and stress are difficult and inconvenient, those in Christ can negotiate through them with confidence. This is another marvelous benefit of being in Christ. Faith takes hold of reality, even when circumstance seems to contradict it. Coupled with hope, faith peers beyond the veil – beyond the situation – to the time of deliverance.

NOT MURMURING OR COMPLAINING, the believer can stand under remarkable stress. Confidence provokes supplication and praise; doubt and unbelief are the parents of murmuring and complaining. Rather than getting "angry at God," the believer anticipates deliverance from trouble. Those with faith may go into the furnace, but they also will come out of it. They may walk through the Red Sea, yet they will not be overcome by it. They may sit in a den of lions, but they will not be ultimately harmed. This is the heritage of the trusting ones.

HOW WONDERFULLY THE PROMISE COMES TO US. Take hold of it, and do not let it go! "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isa 43:2).

THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH. Faith has a language of its own. It speaks with God in mind, not the circumstance. It sees beyond the present into the future. "For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock" (Psa 27:5). Faith looks squarely in the face of circumstance and shouts, "I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness, Because Thou hast seen my affliction; Thou hast known the troubles of my soul" (Psa 31:7). Trust walks into the iron furnace of trouble and confidently confesses to God, "Thou art my hiding place; Thou dost preserve me from trouble; Thou dost surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah." (Psa 32:7). Faith causes hope to blossom and grow.

THERE ARE THINGS FAITH KNOWS that contradict circumstance and stabilize the soul. It does not deny that days of challenging trouble will come. Yet, it confesses, "But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble." (Psa 37:39). It knows God becomes both a hiding place and a source of strength in the time of trouble. "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." ( Psa 46:1). Faith is confident God will answer its cry when every earthly resource and personal abilities fail. "In the day of my trouble I shall call upon Thee, For Thou wilt answer me." (Psa 86:7). Faith realizes that salvation can be from all trouble, and not just a few of them. There is no difficulty in which we are left helpless or alone. Thus David testified for all believers, "This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles." (Psa 34:6).

THERE IS NO REASON WHY these confessions cannot be yours! The only thing that stands between you and their realization is faith. A choice is set before you, and you do well to ponder it. You can be impressed by your circumstances or you can be impressed by your great God. You can think in terms of the present, or you can anticipate what God has prepared for them who love Him! I can tell you from Scripture and from personal experience, "No one who believes in Him will be put to shame" (Romans 10:11).

THIS DOES NOT MEAN we pretend the trouble is not there, or that we will not be faced with circumstances so challenging we nearly despair of life (2 Cor 1:8). It DOES mean that, because of faith in God, we will recover and rise up, coming back from brief setbacks.

TESTIMONY OF DIVINE HELP. The perception of the hand of God in your past is strengthening to the soul. Like Samuel, you want to look over your past and acknowledge you have come this far with God's help. He actually took a large stone, set it up in a specific place, and gave it a name that signified God had helped him. "Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us" (1 Sam 7:12).

MAY THESE WORDS BE FOUND in your heart and mouth! "But as for me, I shall sing of Thy strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Thy lovingkindness in the morning, For Thou hast been my stronghold, And a refuge in the day of my distress" ( Psa 59:16). "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness; My soul refused to be comforted" ( Psa 77:2).

WEARY SOUL, YOU HAVE NOT BEEN LEFT ALONE! You may be on a stormy sea, but if you will look, you will see Jesus coming to you, walking on the waters! If you are in the furnace of affliction, look about – there is One with you that sticks closer than a brother. You will come out! You will come out! You will come out! The only thing that is really unknown is WHEN you will come out. And, ponder this, you have at least three possibilities set before you. (1) God can end the trial even while you remain on the earth. (2) You may pass from this world in death to a better place. (3) Jesus may come again, not only removing all trouble debilitating, but destroying the wicked one who caused it as well. Look up, saint of God! Look up!

– Given O. Blakely