Steadfast

Psalm 57: 1- 11

Steadfast

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. 2 I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. 4 My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. 10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Are you having a hard time? What do you do when life continues to hit you hard every day? What happens to you when it seems like everything around you is causing you problems?

All those around you tell you to take some time off but when you look at your schedule it would be worse for you to take time off then stay steadfast.

Being a Christian, it is hard to face trials and tribulations with a genuine smile on your face and peace in your heart. But, it is possible! Hard, but possible. You can remain steadfast in your faith so that the process you are going through will not blind the promise God has given you.

So, here are a few ways to remain strong in your faith while going through tough times.

You know how you sometimes you want to scream and shout at God? Ask Him why all of this is happening to you? Stomp away from Him crying and saying all this isn't fair? C’mon now, admit it... No shame in saying that you do. I have done this. We all have. I am here to tell you that it's okay to feel that way. It's even better that you express yourself and tell God what is on your mind. It is okay to cry, be frustrated, angry, and sad about what you are going through. God Is a God that cares. He wants you to voice your frustrations, pain, worries, all on Him as taught in the book of 1st Peter 5:7, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

But, the hard part is... Once you have released your feelings, leave them with Him. That is what 1st Peter 5:7 is all about! Casting is something you do when you want to throw something out, especially in a certain direction, and leave it there. Once it has been cast, it is gone forever.

Also all our Holy God wants from you is to talk to you, just like you talk to your friends. Hard to believe? I know, it sounds strange because here is God who made the whole universe and beyond, and we can come to Him any time and He will take the time to fellowship with us.

That's what so amazing about Him! We can come to Him as we are. Better yet, He will meet us where we are. Although God is a pursuer, we must make sure we are open and willing to go to Him as we are instructed in the Gospel of John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

When problems come our way we want to get away from everything. We can avoid even the reading of God’s Holy Word. We need to remember not to flee from reading God’s message but to run to Him. Without the reinforcement of the Word, we can fall into dark areas of life where we do not have to go. Although things could be falling apart all around us, we have the Word to stand on. Hosea 4:6 says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" because they "rejected knowledge". They may not have rejected the Word blatantly, but they forgot the Word and did not use what was in front of them to use! This knowledge was placed in your hands for you to live as God intends for you to live: Free. So, please use it.