Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24
Insight: As we continue our look into the lessons of King David, and why he was the only person ever called “a man after God’s own heart,” in Acts 13:22, we need to consider why God said that about him. We have considered many aspects of David’s life and found he was both authentic and steadfast in his relationship with God. One area we can consider today is his ability to always be growing through his self-awareness. David shows us what it means to consider yourself. What can you be getting better at as you honestly evaluate your life through a godly lens. As he waits, David reflects and examines the state of his heart and life. “Lord, if You kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But You offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear You” (Psalm 130:3-4). While we wait, we can search our own hearts to confess any sin that may hinder an answer to our prayer. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24). During the difficult and long periods of our lives, when all hope seems lost, we are really only left with two choices; We can run to God or we can run from God. In all of our flesh, we may want to blame God for making us suffer or become anxious because the answers we’ve sought haven’t come just yet.I have experienced this level of anxiety before, and it’s not pleasant. But sometimes God can use our hopelessness as a way to humble us and draw us closer to Him. So, before we choose to flee from God, we should instead pray for more strength to endure the waiting, and to draw closer to Him, realizing that if we run out in our own strength and with our limited knowledge and wisdom, we most likely will make decisions that aren’t very wise. We are usually closer than we think to the answer being provided if we can just hang in there a bit longer.
One thing I can say for certain, is that during the waiting periods of my life, I have pleaded with God to provide an answer and to change my circumstances, but often I have come to realize that He is using this period to change me! To grow me and strengthen my faith. This is the lesson that we can also glean from reading about King David during his waiting periods. He eventually surrendered to God and tried his best to seek Him more intimately, even while screaming in his flesh for a resolution to come forth. When tough times came, he looked inward at his own soul, instead of turning outward. David learned to be grateful that God hadn’t destroyed him for his past sins during these difficult periods, and turned his attention away from his own desires to an honest repentance. David developed a grateful heart that his sins hadn’t been dealt with in a way that they deserved, which often sustained him. It turned his attention off of his problems and onto God’s goodness and faithfulness, and that proved to be a cathartic tonic for David’s heart. In my own life, I can honestly say that when I look at myself and my problems, I become anxious and depressed, but when I focus on the goodness of God, I become peaceful and blessed. This battle is ongoing, and it is sometimes a thought to thought and a moment by moment spiritual battle. As CS Lewis said, “every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by satan.” The spiritual battle we are all facing is that real and that intense. Ephesians 6:12 confirms that the battles we are in are real as believers and our way above our pay grade when it says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” One thing King David knew and I have also learned through experience is that we cannot win the battle if we don’t understand the battle. While Jesus won the war at the Cross of Calvary, the battles are still raging and many will be casualties because they don’t understand the ferocity of the enemy and the fight we are engaged in. David understood this very well, and so he trained himself to always turn to God, even if he didn’t understand His ways, and even when he disapproved of His methods. He was being human when he complained to God, or complained about God, but he always came back to respecting the fact that God’s ways were ultimately the best ways, and that David’s own pride needed to be broken, and so he ultimately surrendered to God’s ways. His introspection led him to humility. This is a great mindset for us to have when we are encountering the storms of life and the trials that accompany our waiting periods.
Prayer- Father God, help us to always be growing in our faith as we honestly examine our own hearts and admit how lucky we are that our sins haven’t been dealt with the way they deserve. You showed us how much worth we have when you created us and Jesus died for us. With humble hearts, we say thank you! Amen!
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