August 1
“Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?” (Jer. 15:18).
Beloved, is your pain perpetual? Does it linger day and night? Do the wounds of your heart seem to be incurable? Have they refused to be healed no matter the amount of time you seek the great Physician? Have you wondered if the living waters, the streams of water that the Lord has been cleansing and refreshing you with, if they were deceptive? That they had no real healing powers?
Beloved, it is the faith that is in you, the trust that you have for the Lord and His Word that will sustain you. He is not a God that He should lie, for He is the very essence of truth. It is the eyes of your faith through which you must peer. If you look at what you see, at the circumstances that still befall you, then you will undoubtedly wonder, as did Jeremiah, if your pain will ever be healed and the pain gone forever.
Yes, my Beloved, oh yes! Very soon the Lord will show up in your situation and all the pains of this trial will be forgotten, replaced with shouts of rejoicing—hallelujah!
August 2
“Awake, awake, clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you” (Is. 52:1).
Beloved, it is time to awaken from the sleep of despondency. Awake and clothe yourself in the strength of the Almighty. We are not a defeated foe; we have won the victory through Christ Jesus. Why do you dread when you know who holds today and tomorrow in His hands? When you know who holds the heart of all your loved-ones?
Beloved, have you greeted Him this morning? Have you awakened to the presence of the Lord? Or have you allowed gloom and despair to invade your sleep, your bedroom, your home? Drive them out with songs of praise, with shouts of joy! Clothe yourself in these beautiful garments of strength and joy. Awake!
August 3
“By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea” (Ps. 65:5).
Beloved of His heart, God will answer, and His answer will be that of righteousness and goodness. Oh, He is the God of our salvation. He will save us. Who else is there to trust? Who else but the Almighty God?
The Lord is good and is greatly to be praised. It is by His awesome and magnificent deeds that we are saved from the destruction that looms before us. He loves us and answers us in all of our distresses. He gives us peace within the very midst of our storm. Hallelujah!!
Take time right now to praise Him for the awesome deeds that He has already done for you. Bask in the sunshine of His love there is nothing to fear, not a thing. For He will answer us in His awesome righteousness—glory to God!!
August 4
“My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation” (Ps. 62:1).
Oh, Beloved, is your soul waiting in silence for God only? It is Him that you seek? Or do you cry out in pain and despair because you are looking elsewhere for your salvation? Truly, He alone can help. But you look for another. You look for your lover, to whom God has made you a loathing. It is this time in your life that He has ordained for you to seek Him alone. For no other time was appointed than this very day, this very hour.
Whom do you seek? And why do you seek the living among the dead? If your lover is dead in his trespasses, then why do you seek him? God is life, and only through His resurrection power will you see your dead be made alive again for His glory. For when you seek Him, you shall find Him. And in the midst of His glory, all things will be made whole and be new. So seek the Lord, seek Him only. Wait in silence, for from Him alone is your salvation.
August 5
“He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken” (Ps. 62:2).
Beloved, my beloved, are you safely on the Rock? Is He the only Rock of your salvation? It is the power of His outstretched arm that is your stronghold.
How do you know?
Are you shaken? Are you greatly shaken when the storms hit you in your daily life? Or are you so strongly situated on His rock that when the storm hits you can sit in the midst of it and praise Him?
Beloved, take hold of Him today; let not another day or moment pass by. Run to Him daily, hourly, and moment by moment. He is there, your stronghold. Get firmly planted in Him, by His living waters, so that when drought or heat comes, you will not cease to yield abundant fruit. Once you grab hold of Him, once He is your Rock, once He is your salvation, then let the storms come, for you, my Beloved, shall not be greatly shaken, for He is your stronghold.
August 6
“O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain” (Ps. 60:11).
Beloved, the adversary is knocking on your door. He is about to come in and take hold of you. You again will be ransacked, plundered. Why will you again allow the adversary to come and steal what is yours when you have a Savior? Have you not seen in the past that all that you tried to do to stop the adversary was in vain? Deliverance by man is in vain. Have you sought other people of this world for help only to find that once again you were plundered?
Cry out to the Lord in your distress. Say to Him, “O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by me or any man is totally in vain!” He is ever ready not only to stop what is again about to be stolen, but He will recover what has been lost. Settle for no other. It is the Lord who will deliver. Call on Him now. Ask Him to set a guard over your home, your children, and your heart. And Beloved, He will recover all that has been lost the moment He begins to move on your behalf.
August 7
“Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries” (Ps. 60:12).
Beloved, it is through God that we shall do valiantly. He alone is the One who will tread down our adversaries; for deliverance by man, mortal man, is in vain. But yet we try, try in the flesh to protect what we have, what is being threatened to be taken away. Oh, Beloved, it is only through God that we can do valiantly. Victory is in Him alone. Our feeble attempts only thwart the mighty hand of God. They prolong His movement.
When the threat comes on you to steal your peace, to whom will your run?
August 8
“Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God” (Ps. 62:11).
Beloved, have you not heard? Power belongs to God. Are you listening? Must I say in again? Power belongs to God.
Yet, how often have we foolishly given honor to the enemy as he speaks through our wayward loved-one? We listen to the lies that there is no hope. We listen to the plans of the enemy. We agree with the lies. Then we see no hope. We resign ourselves to the power that we give to the enemy in our agreement with his lies. But power belongs to God!
Beloved, who will you agree with? Will you agree with the Almighty God, who is all power? Thy will be done. Let Him be magnified. He who created all we see, He who calmed the storm, He who turned the heart of the king, He who walked on the water in the midst of the storm—can He not do what He has promised?
To whom will you give the power in your life, in your future, in your happiness? Power belongs to God.
August 9
“And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, for You recompense a man according to his work” (Ps. 62:12).
Beloved, the lovingkindness will not be found in anyone on earth, for lovingkindness is His—it belongs to our Lord. He has promised to recompense every man according to his work and his deeds. How will He recompense the deeds of yesterday? Did you seek Him diligently? Then you will find Him today. Did you comfort the hurting soul? Then your soul will be comforted today. Did you forgive with all your heart? Then today you will be forgiven.
Have you gone beyond returning evil for evil and insult for insult? Have you removed slanderous talk from your lips? Are you walking in humility, boasting about your weaknesses, that the power of God might dwell in you? Then your recompense will be great! He shall soon, very soon, give you the desires of your heart!! For lovingkindness is Thine, O Lord!
August 10
“O God, You are my God; I will seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1).
Beloved, have you sought your God earnestly today, this week, this very hour?
Does your soul thirst for the living water of Him and His Promises?
Does your flesh yearn for God alone, or are you still yearning for someone or something else?
Beloved, God is a jealous God. He alone can give you what you really need. He will give you the living water in that dry and weary desert land that you are now forced to occupy. It is not for punishment that He has brought you here. It is for you to learn to seek Him. For you to find that it is the Lord and His water, His Word that will bring refreshment and life to your soul!
My precious Beloved, if you continue to seek earnestly for anyone or anything else, then your seeking will be in vain. There is a balm in your desert land of Gilead; there is a great and mighty Physician there. Seek Him earnestly. That means to seek within your seeking.
Let your soul thirst for Him and drink in His very words to you.
Let your flesh long for Him. No substitutes or imitations will satisfy you. Not a man in your life. Not food. Not entertainment or busyness. Not another living thing or living soul. No. Your flesh must yearn for Him in this dry and weary land where there is no water. Seek Him.
August 11
“Thus I have beheld You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory” (Ps. 63:2).
Beloved, have you beheld Him in the sanctuary? A sanctuary is defined as “a safe place, especially for people being persecuted,” “a place protected from predators and from being destroyed,” “a holy place,” “a place that provides immunity from the law,” “the holy of holies in the Israelite temple at Jerusalem.” Have you beheld Him in His sanctuary? Have you seen the power and the glory that is His alone?
Beloved, stand in the awesomeness of His presence; begin to stand and praise Him with hands lifted high, for He is worthy of the praise that is due Him. Now, feel the peace that begins to surround you as you thank Him for His goodness, for His faithfulness, for His lovingkindness.
Beloved, stand and praise Him in your home, in the sanctuary, in your church; go there alone, make it a habit. For what evil that befalls you would follow you into the power and glory of Him in His sanctuary? Dance before Him. Love and adore Him. Crown Him with praise and behold Him and His power and His glory as you stand in the midst of Him.
August 12
“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You” (Ps. 63:3).
Beloved, His lovingkindness is better than the life that you have lost. You mourn the loss of your marriage, or your family, or maybe the dwelling place where you used to live. You look at the empty side of your bed, or a room that no longer occupies where your son or daughter sleeps, the clothes that are no longer there in the closet or in the dresser.
Yet, Beloved, His lovingkindness is better than life, so let your lips praise Him!!
Beloved, nothing that you lost will amount to anything once you’ve gained Jesus. For me, to live is Christ, but to die to this self is my gain. Nothing that you have lost or will lose is worth the pain that will leave your heart in an instant the moment that your lips sing praises to Him.
Beloved, right now, begin to praise Him for the loved-one who is gone, praise Him for the marriage that ended painfully, praise Him for the divorce that was lost, and praise Him for the possessions that were stolen. Praise him!!
Beloved, look there before you. The gates are opening now—wake up and leave the prison of pain. You are free, free to praise the name of the Lord—hallelujah!!
August 13
“So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name” (Ps. 63:4).
Beloved, will you bless the Lord? As long as you live, bless Him; lift up your hands, raise them high!! Surrender your heart, your will, and your emotions to the One whom we must bless. Bless the name of the Lord.
Beloved, don’t let denomination boundaries rob you of the blessing of praising the Lord with hands lifted high. Whom the Son has set free is free indeed!! The Psalmist, in the midst of his enemies, in the midst of the fields of his father’s flock, in the midst of an attack of a lion and a bear, he praised the name of the Lord. From there he received power from on high to give him the courage and confidence to stand before the giant.
Is there a giant of fear that is facing you, calling out and mocking you? But listen. This giant of fear isn’t mocking you, but your God. He is saying that He cannot or will not deliver you. He says you are unworthy. He’s right—none of us is worthy; we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But He, but God, He is worthy, worthy of our praise and trust in Him. And it is His desire to bring victory into your life!! Praise the Lord!
Lift up your hands right now and bless the Lord, Beloved, and as long as you live! He is worthy!! Hallelujah!
August 14
“My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips” (Ps. 63:5).
Beloved, is your soul satisfied with marrow and fatness? Or is it lean, hungry, wanting? Have you been feasting on the presence of the Lord? Have you given drink of the living water to your thirsty soul? Because with a soul that is full, your mouth will offer praises to the Lord with joyful lips!
Beloved, why are you cast down, O my soul? Do you wallow in self-pity? Have you begun to envy your oppressor and to learn his ways? Then your lips are parched, cracked, bleeding. Cries of pain, not joy, are on your lips.
Drink in the living waters, my dearest Beloved. Seek not to do anything with your time but to feast on Him. Read, meditate on His Word. Sit silently in His presence for your healing. Stand and worship with songs of praise and deliverance. For why should you, my Beloved, starve, when the fullness of the Lord is right there with you?
Offer praises with joyful lips!! Hallelujah!
August 15
“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches . . .” (Ps. 63:6).
Beloved, last night, did sleep evade and escape you? Did you lie awake and rehearse your troubles? Did you view that precious sleep as sleep that was due you, but it had been robbed from you?
No, my Beloved, it is upon your bed in the wee wakeful hours that you need to remember Him. Meditate on Him. Talk to Him. Speak lovingly to Him.
Beloved, remember Him on your bed, knowing that in the stillness of the night He is there. And not only is He in your dark night, but He is already in your morning too. He is laying the solid rock upon the steps that you are to tread when the sun begins to rise. He is already there in your tomorrow.
My Beloved, meditate on the awesomeness of God; look into the fullness of His face. The things of this world, the worries and cares that you carry, they will begin to grow dim and lose their importance when you bask in the light of His glory, His grace, and His mercy. Beloved, meditate on Him in the quiet, in the midst of the night watches.
August 16
“For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy” (Ps. 63:7).
Beloved, who has been your help in times of trouble? Who has brought you through with His outstretched arm? In the shadow of whose wings have you been hidden? Then sing for joy under the shadow of His wings!!
Beloved, why do we look ahead with dread when He has proven His faithfulness to us? Was He not always there to hear, to rescue, to comfort? Nay, you say He was not there since you did not feel Him—did you figured Him gone? But He promised to never leave you, never forsake you. Is He a God that He should lie? Then why did it happen, why did He not show up?
Beloved, where is your hope? Where is your salvation? For whom do you long? Is it His face that you seek or merely His hand of deliverance? Beloved, rejoice in all that has adversely happened in your life, for not only do you have His promise that He will never leave nor forsake you, as your lover has done to you, but He has promised that the very thing that has broken your heart will be used and worked together in His creative hands for your good!!
Beloved, sing for joy under the wings of the Almighty, for He has been and will be your help in times of trouble— hallelujah!!
August 17
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91:1).
Beloved, where do you abide? Are you safely hidden in His shelter? Are you abiding in the shadow of the Almighty? Or do you stay exposed? Exposed in the midst of the war that rages against you and your family? Beloved, run to Him; stay hidden in Him. Do not look at what is happening in the natural. Your Father, the Most High God, is handling all that concerns you. Do not listen, fret, or worry; it will only lead to your weariness and destruction. Stay hidden in Him.
Beloved, where has the worrying gotten you? Instead, leave it at the cross, then go to your prayer closet and hide there in the shelter of the Most High. Do not be tempted to be lured out, but abide. Abide in the shadow, the cool shade of the Almighty. Praise the Lord for His lovingkindness!! Hallelujah! We will stand and see the salvation of the Lord! Hallelujah!!
August 18
“I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’” (Ps. 91:2).
Beloved, what will you say? Do you proclaim to others and to yourself, “My God is my refuge and my fortress”? Or are you hiding amidst the rubble of the war that rages against you?
Beloved, in whom do you trust? Are you trusting in mankind? Is it your prayer partner, your friend, your pastor, or someone else in whom you trust? Then you will be like a bush in the desert. You will not see prosperity. Instead, you will live in a wasteland.
Oh, Beloved, the world and most Christians do not trust in the Lord. They run to man, frantic, only to run to and live in the desert land. But we are His beloveds. Whom should we dread? Of whom should we be afraid? If the Lord is on our side, if it is He who will trample down our enemies, then why do we run? Why are we afraid? Why do we doubt?
Proclaim today and every day, “The Lord is my refuge and my fortress—He is my God in whom I trust!” Hallelujah! No matter what you see or feel, know that the Lord’s lovingkindness is for those who fear Him, those who love Him! Hallelujah!! Praise the precious name of the Lord!!
August 19
“For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, and from the deadly pestilence” (Ps. 91:3).
Beloved, has the snare of the trapper gotten hold of you? Are you ensnared in fear, in worry, in planning, in wondering what is happening in the enemy’s camp, or wondering what will happen to you next? Oh, precious believer, it is He, our Father, He, our Lord, who will deliver you!! Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh!
Beloved, have you been poisoned in your heart and in your spirit from the deadly pestilence of bitterness? Oh, seek Him, the great and mighty Physician. Sit in His presence. Worship Him with holy hands. And once you are healed, Beloved, never allow another root of bitterness to be planted in your heart again. Forgive. Forgive anyone and everyone. What you choose to hang onto will poison you. It will not harm those who have offended you. Leave it with the Lord, who can deal with it; either it is yours or His—it is your choice. Do you want to be healed? Then stretch forth thy hand. It is He who will deliver you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence that is determined to kill you spiritually and emotionally.
Beloved, praise Him and let all things go into His loving hands. Worship Him! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!!
August 20
“He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark” (Ps. 91:4).
Beloved of the Lord, the Lord will cover you, and cover the sins of your past, the mistakes that you daily make. It is under His wings of love that you may seek the refuge that you need from the storms that beat against your heart and mind. Beloved, it is His faithfulness that will shield you.
Is He your bulwark? Is He your wall, the structure to keep out the attackers who want to come against you? Is He the person who gives protection and support to you? Is He the wall that is built in the sea that rages, to shelter you in a harbor of calm seas? Is He the One who will defend and support you strongly? My Beloved, yes! The Lord is the One, the only One who is able to do just that.
Rest in Him, for He is faithful. Hallelujah!!
August 21
“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (Ps. 91:11).
Beloved, have you not felt the wings of the angels as the Lord has given them charge over you? Are you not aware of their presence concerning you? The Lord is good and greatly to be praised. Praise Him with song. Praise Him with gladness. He has sent guards to watch over you, heavenly beings to protect you. Then why do you continually fear?
Beloved, arise and awake and put on the cloak of praise today! There is nothing that is going to happen today that the Lord has not already seen and prepared you for. Seek Him throughout the day. Talk to Him in your coming out and going in. Stay in His perfect will where there is protection. In the midst of any and all trials, rejoice! For the Lord has given His angels charge concerning you. They will guard you today, and every day, in all your ways. Hallelujah! Praise Him now.
August 22
“They will bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone” (Ps. 91:12).
Beloved of the Most High God, your foot can never slip. The angels who have charge over you will never allow even your foot to strike a stone. Their mighty arms, their outstretched wings will bear you up. Why do you fear? Why do you dread?
Beloved, do not dread. It leads to doing evil. Do not envy your oppressor. Learn none of his ways. Why do you look upon the sinner and envy? They are without hope without the presence of the Lord. You may be rejected, but your rejection is by man, not by the Lord, your God, your Redeemer. Look with compassion on those who don’t know Him, those who have walked away like an ox to slaughter. Cultivate compassion.
Beloved, keep this in the forefront of your mind as you go about your day: you are never alone. Speak to the Lord with all your concerns. Speak to Him as a Lover and a very dear and close Friend. For He has said, “I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.” Thank Him right now for His faithfulness. Hallelujah!!
August 23
“You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down” (Ps. 91:13).
Beloved, why fear the enemy who is in your path? It is the fear you should fear. The Lord, our Savior, said to fear nothing but Him; fear displeasing Him. Did not He rebuke Peter for his lack of faith even when it was he, Peter, who was the only one who would venture to get out of the boat, to attempt to walk on water when the Lord bid him, “Come”? Shall we too grieve our Lover, who has given us dominion over the evil one?
Beloved, the enemy was crushed at Calvary. Our Lord overcame evil, death, and dying. If you are in Him, you are a new creation. Old things are past; new things have come. You must put off the old man of fear. Put on the new man of faith, of no fear. Tread upon the lion and the cobra. Trample them down. Have no fear. Rejoice!
Beloved, this is the inheritance of the Lord. Take it; meditate on this today and watch your fear leave as you experience the peace that passes all understanding, even though the war rages against you, as you abide in the arms of your Beloved, Jesus, you have nothing to fear!
August 24
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name” (Ps. 91:14).
Beloved, how great is your love for the Lord? Have you fallen in love with Him? You must be intimate with the Lord. For in the day of judgment, you do not want to hear the words, “Depart from me; I never knew you.”
Oh, Beloved, whom do you seek? Your loved-one? But He has removed your lover and your friend far from you. He has made you a loathing to them. This is the day, this is the time, this is the moment of your honeymoon to become intimate with your Savior. You are His Bride, white without blemish. Are your sins forgiven? Are they as white as snow under the blood of Jesus?
Beloved, let Him set you securely on high because you love Him. Why stay in the valley of distress when there is a place of intimacy waiting for you? Why continue to be anxious when the Lord is ready to deliver you and set you high above your enemies, so that you will see their end. In that day, the heart of the one you love will be turned back to you. Do not wait or hesitate. Run to Him. Love Him. Know Him intimately. Know His name.
August 25
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and honor him” (Ps. 91:15).
Beloved, have you called upon the Lord today? Is it His sweet name that you utter first as you awaken from your slumber? For He has said that if you call, He will answer. But so few call in the day of trouble. They fret, they fear. They run to the phone, the computer, to a friend to help. But He is the One who will stick closer than a brother. And He is right there, only a breath away.
Beloved, will you call upon the Lord? Will you listen for Him to answer you? Will you wait for Him to calm you? He will be with you in the times of trouble. You are never alone. In the midst of the most serious of circumstances, He will rescue you.
Oh, Beloved, just think of it. Now in the midst of your trials you are being dishonored, humiliated, and mocked. Yet, the day is coming when He, the King of kings, will honor you. You will be clothed with honor in the presence of your enemies. Oh, how your cup of joy will run over. Surely goodness and His tender mercy will follow you all the days of your life. Now dwell in the house of the Lord, in His love, forever. Hallelujah!!
August 26
“With a long life I will satisfy him, and let him behold My salvation” (Ps. 91:16).
Beloved, the Lord has promised that you will behold His mighty salvation. You will see it if you faint not. Oh, how many have missed the salvation of the Lord. There, on the threshold of their miracle, they turn, they give up, they become offended, they become deceived. Oh, the schemes of the enemy. He fights and wears down the saints. This is his purpose. How else would he be able to steal our miracle, or kill our dreams, or destroy our hope?
Yet, Beloved, He has promised that we will live a long life, a satisfied life. He has promised, to everyone who calls upon His name, that we would see the day of salvation. When our hope is in Him, we shall never be ashamed. When we look to Him, our faces will be radiant. Behold the Lamb of God! Behold the face of the Almighty! Enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise. One day in His courts is better than a thousand days in this world. Behold Him! Rejoice!!
August 27
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” (Ps. 27:1).
Beloved, who is your light? Who guides you? Who gives you the light that gives you life?
Beloved, who is your salvation? Who do you look to? Who will save you from the pain you feel, from the despair that overwhelms you, from the future that now looks so bleak? Is it the Lord, the King of the universe? For if it is not, then no doubt you fear. The fear that you experience is because you look to others for your light, for your salvation.
Oh, Beloved, He is all you need! When you take Him as your light then “the Lord is my light” will be the words on your lips and in your heart. Say, “The Lord is my salvation!” Then, and only then, will you be able to proclaim boldly, “Whom shall I fear?” when others speak to you about the doom of your circumstances.
Beloved, who is the one who will defend you? Who are you siding with? Is it a friend? Is it some legal counsel? Is it your parent, or your coworkers? If it is, then you dread.
You dread every morning you awake from a restless night’s sleep. You dread every time the phone rings. You dread every small or large test, trial, or tribulation. For if the Lord had been the defense of your life, now and forever, you would shout, “Of whom shall I dread!” Nothing would cause you distress, fear, or trepidation.
Beloved, say aloud with a clear and resolute voice, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?”
August 28
“When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell” (Ps. 27:2).
Beloved, evildoers are coming upon you to devour you; are you safe from harm? You, child of God—men hate you. They hated the Lord; therefore, He told us they would hate us. So why are you surprised at the fiery trial that is to try you as though some strange and unexpected thing has come upon you? Instead, rejoice! Why? Because the Lord is your fortress and defense. Though evil come against you, He promises that your adversaries and your enemies will stumble and fall.
Beloved, their wicked schemes do not frighten the Lord, for He sits in the heavens and laughs at the vain thing that they are plotting. Why look upon, think upon, or ponder what is coming against you? Instead, turn your eyes on the Lord, for He is your life, your fortress, your deliverer. It is time to rejoice!
August 29
“Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident” (Ps. 27:3).
Beloved, are a host of enemies encamping just outside your door? Is there a war raging against you, your finances, your marriage, your family … against your peace? Oh, Beloved, instead of fear, in spite of all that you see and hear, be confident! It is not confidence in what you can do, what you can figure out, but confidence in the Lord, God almighty. He is the maker of heaven and earth. He can thwart the wicked; He can turn their swords against each other. You will be safe in the shadow of His wings, in His loving arms that surround you.
Beloved, in quietness and peace is your salvation and your strength. Why do you fret, run about, or seek counsel, support, and assurance? Sit quietly with Him. Do not look at the war that rages, do not look outside your window or listen to the reports of the dread they say will befall you. Instead, say, “I shall be confident.”
August 30
“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple” (Ps. 27:4).
Beloved, what is the one thing you seek? What is the one thing you have asked from the Lord? Is it to turn your loved-one’s heart back to you? Then can you say that your heart has been turned back to the Lord? If He is truly first, you are content, peaceful, and not anxious. Is this the state of your heart?
David sought one thing—he sought the Lord.
Are you Martha or Mary? Are you busy doing the things for the Lord, busy doing the things to fix your present situation, but have failed to sit at the Savior’s feet? Have you neglected the best thing?
Beloved, do you yearn to behold the face of the Lord, to see His beauty? Or, have you sought His hand in your circumstances?
Beloved, the reason that the Lord has allowed this trial in your life, and the reason the situation is not yet complete, is simply that the Lord wants you to Himself. It is in His presence that there is fullness of joy. It is in His presence that there is peace. It is in His presence that all things will be made right. Sit in His presence today. Work out your daily routine to spend uninterrupted time sitting in His presence, and be transformed into His image.
August 31
“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” (Ps. 27:5).
Beloved, where are you in the day of trouble? Are you safely concealed in His tabernacle? Are you hidden in the secret place of His tent? Has He lifted you high on a rock, a solid place above your enemies and above the war that rages against you?
Beloved, if you are sitting at the feet of Jesus every morning, every noon, every evening, sitting there beholding His face, your face in His loving hands, then when the day of trouble arrives you are not moved. You do not need to run to His loving arms—you are there! You are at peace even when rumors of doom try to overtake you. You are at peace. Oh, what an existence! Oh, what a joy!
Beloved, this is where you must be for the Lord to restore what has been taken from you. Because once your promise is safely with you, the war does not stop. The enemy will hunt down what he lost and try to come into your home to steal your joy. But you, you who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, will be at perfect peace. Nothing will cause you to run back to Egypt. Nothing will cause your heart to fear. You have been set free. Hallelujah!