Victory In Times Of Despair
There is a very direct connection for those who experience marriage restoration and the amount of time spent reading the Bible, because it’s not possible to have the faith and steadfastness needed for the restoration of our marriages without getting very serious about reading and understanding the word of God. Unfortunately, all I can do is make the recommendation, because it’s up to each of us as individuals to determine how committed we are to the restoration of our marriages and whether or not we’re willing to do something so simple, and yet so life transforming!
Since reading the Bible is so important for all Christians; especially those in need of a supernatural move of God’s hand in our lives, such as marriage restoration, a planned schedule for reading the Bible is strongly recommended. Since God gives us so much to encourage and guide us in the Proverbs and Psalms, reading them monthly is a huge blessing, which we can do by reading one chapter of Proverbs and five chapters of the Psalms a day. And an easy way to do that is to read the Proverb that coincides with the day of the month; like Proverbs 23 for today. Then read the Psalm that coincides with the date; Psalm 23 today, and then read four more chapters from the Psalms in increments of 30; like Psalm 53, 83, 113 and 143 today. Since Psalm 119 is so long, it can be skipped and read along with Proverbs 31 in the months with 31 days. And using online Bibles, like BibleGateway.com, makes it easier to read a different version each month for even more insight and interest. In addition to that, it’s important to have a planned reading schedule of a set number of chapters each day to eventually get through the ENTIRE Bible.
Many Christians think reading the Old Testament is boring or difficult, but the modern versions make it a lot easier to read and understand, and it really helps build up our faith and trust in the Lord. It also teaches us so much about the character and nature of God, so it’s VERY important to set aside time to seriously read and STUDY the Bible.
If we read what David wrote in Psalm 143, we can probably all relate to the despair he experienced. But don’t rush through this chapter; take the time to read it line by line and consider what each verse means, especially the wisdom of David’s instruction for all of us in times of despair as found in the following verses:
5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.
When we reflect on the glory of God, all of the awesome stories of deliverance and blessings found in the Old Testament (even our own testimonies or those of others) and the absolute wonder of all of God’s creation, it is totally awe inspiring and uplifting! That’s why it is critically important to keep our focus on God’s omnipotence and NOT our problems.
6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
God wants us to acknowledge our absolute helplessness and to surrender our lives to Him, desperately longing for what ONLY He can give.
7 Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
There are many Bible verses confirming that God creates and uses disasters in our lives to make us totally dependent on Him or to bring us back into His will for our lives, so He is moved when we so desperately acknowledge our need of Him.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
We can always count on God to respond and acknowledge it when we are in despair, and we put our trust in His UNFAILING love And give our deepest concerns to Him, and rely totally on His leadership.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you.
When we trust God and do things HIS way, He will ALWAYS rescue us!
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
When we ask and surrender to Him, the Lord is faithful to teach us to do His will, for which He gives us the Holy Spirit to help make us more consistent in our walk and faith. As we saw in yesterday’s post, we have to ask Him to give us a more steadfast heart when we despair and falter.
11 For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
We are always saved and delivered for the praise and glory of God, as we’ve seen in previous posts, and it is when we live in His righteousness, according to what His word teaches, that God hears and answers our prayers. That’s why we MUST know what His word, the Bible, tells us. We have to know what His righteousness means and we have to know what brings praise and glory to His name, as well as what does not. God is never going to answer a prayer that does not bring praise, glory and honor to Jesus Christ and when we’re living in accordance with His will and word, and love Him above everything else, He absolutely WILL fulfill EVERY promise found in His word!
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.
When we give our lives to the Lord by truly making Him the Lord of our lives, and live in accordance with His will and word, the gates of Hell can NOT prevail against us, because we are His church; we are His bride and He died for us! He died to give us victory over Satan and every weapon fashioned against us, and to give us hope and confidence in every word and promise we find in His love letter to us; the Bible! Is it even remotely possible that our spouses could send us a love letter that we wouldn’t read every word of, NO matter how long it was? Of course not! And it’s totally ridiculous to even suggest that! So I hope and pray you will remember that the next time you say you love the Lord and the next time you open your Bible.