July 8, 2022In recent editions of this blog, I wrote that the word “torch” can be represented as an acrostic and we looked at the first three letters of the word. Today, we`ll look at the fourth letter.
T – Trust in the Lord with all your heart – Proverbs 3:5
O – Open your heart to the Lord and to each other.
R – Rest in the Lord and rely on each other – Psalm 37:7
C – Commit your way to the Lord and commit to each other – Psalm 37:5. The apostle Peter wrote to believers facing persecution: “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). There will be times when you won’t know which way to turn or what to do. Ask the Lord to guide you and believe the best about each other.
In “The New Women’s Devotional Bible” there is a commentary on Psalm 37:1-11, which includes the following: “Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced a situation where they found themselves saying, ‘That’s not fair!’ The psalmist faced such a situation when he saw his enemies prosper while he suffered. David, however, turned his focus to God; he found hope in knowing that God would set things right. What was the path David took to finding peace in the midst of injustice?
♦ ‘Trust in the Lord.’ Every event in our lives – good and bad – is filtered through God’s sovereign hands. We can trust God to use for our good anything that others intend as evil.
♦ ‘Do good.’ Whatever happens, despite the injustices that we suffer, we are to choose the higher path that demonstrates God’s Spirit within us.
♦ ‘Dwell in the land.’ Though we may feel like running away from conflict or trying to hide from challenges, doing so robs us of experiencing how God can provide a place of rest and safety. ‘I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.’’ (Psalm 4:8).
♦ ‘Delight yourself in the Lord.’ Rather than getting depressed about our tough situation, turning our thoughts to God’s presence and singing His praise songs will lift our spirits.
♦ ‘Commit your way to the Lord.’ We can decide to follow God, regardless of what others do or say.
♦ ‘Be still before the Lord.’ We can afford a lifetime of patience, for we know that God will make things right. He is a just God who will one day rule and reign with complete fairness and impartiality.”
Thought for the weekend: “The desire to turn from our sin is the heart of repentance. This desire was the difference between Saul and David. Both sinned. Both confessed. But the similarity ends there. Saul confessed his sin, hoping to retain a position of prominence. David lamented his sin because it was an offense to God. Hypocrisy devastates our spiritual lives, so periodically we need to examine our lives to see if they match our spiritual talk.” – Jean Fleming in “Spiritual Zest: Finding It & Keeping It” published by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, Kansas City, Mo.