Psalm 107:6
They cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress.
Psalm 107:13
They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
Very unusual.
I listed 2 verses from Psalm 107 where people cried out to the Lord, in the middle of their troubles......................and he delivered them.
From their distress.
If you read the entire chapter you will find four such references to crying out to God in trouble and being delivered from distress.
My first thought is, "It doesn't say that the Lord delivered them from their trouble. It says He delivered them from their distress."
Isn't that the same thing? No. Trouble would be the situation or circumstance these people were in. The situation or circumstance created hardship whether real or psychological causing the people to turn to the Lord.
The Lord heard, but took them from the emotional turmoil and pressures the event or situation was causing. Delivering them from their distress. How does He do that? By bringing peace.
Peace to their hearts.
Peace to their minds.
Peach to their spirits.
and most importantly the ability to walk in the middle of the situation without caving in and being crushed by emotional strain that comes.
Most people today seek relief from the event rather than grab hold of the hand of God. I don't say this lightly as my own heart seeks relief from the things I face. I want God to come swooping in and rescue me. After all, I am a child of His. I fail to see the real purpose that God has for allowing me to go through certain events. He wants me to grow up in Christ.
Maybe today I'll ask for relief from my distress rather than run away from everything.
God on you....
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6 comments:
When God gives his peace it's amazing how much trouble we can endure. His peace is supernatural, it's a real display of His power.
In the past, when I was in emotional pain, I would beseech God to heal my heart. Most recently, I was compelled to ask instead that I would bear the pain in a Godly manner, that His purpose be accomplished in me. God is so good! KDR
Jose...
That is the hard part of growing up...bearing the pain. You nailed it you said, "bear the pain in a Godly manner."
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That was Denise - what a heart!
To paraphrase Andrew Murphy, "What we secretly pray for is to be delivered from the very things that God is using to refine us". As I went through the most severe time of my life when 'the world was crumbling'-- I just wanted the pain to go away. Eventually, over time, I came to understand that He was (is) graciously teaching me 'God-sufficiency' vs. 'self-sufficiency'.
Lane
AHHHHH KDR. Boy do I feel dumb!
DENISE~~~~~
I miss you and I still have the prophetic words you wrote for me during our days at Vineyard. I pray that God increases your prophetic vision and that you do rest in Him.
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