Run and Hide

When we are afraid, I mean really terrified that something bad is going to happen to us, one of our first tendencies is to run and hide. This is what David had to say when he was overwhelmed with fear in Psalm 55:4-7 (ESV), 

My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling come upon me,

and horror overwhelms me.

And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest;

yes, I would wander far away;

I would lodge in the wilderness;

David isn’t talking about seeing a snake or a spider and suddenly freaking out. No, this is a fear that has settled into his heart. His emotions are not just startled, they are churning, and it gives the impression that this has been going on for some time. His fear has paralyzed him so that he sees no way out.

His desire is to run and hide. How many times does that thought cross our minds when things in life become difficult? Is this the response that leads some people to alcohol or other drugs to keep from facing the realities of life? Is it what leads some people to find solace in an extramarital affair because they just can’t face the problems in their marriage. It is also the concept of thinking that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

Fortunately, David also tells us what he did rather than run and hide. In Psalm 55:16-17, he shows his trust in the Lord.

But I call to God,

and the Lord will save me.

Evening and morning and at noon

I utter my complaint and moan,

and he hears my voice. 

When David calls upon the Lord in prayer, he doesn’t hold back. While he says he utters his complaint, there isn’t a hint that he is complaining about the Lord or that he is angry at God. His complaint should be understood in the same way as when we go to a doctor, and he asks us what is wrong. Then we provide our complaint, the symptoms of our problem.

This is really important because there are too many people who say that it is OK to be mad at God. They say that He is big enough to take it. If we understand the sovereignty of God, then being mad at God (because He is in control of our circumstances), is accusing God of doing wrong, of sinning.

Long before Peter told us to cast all our anxieties on God (1 Peter 5:7), David told us the same thing, a better way than running from our problems and hiding. In Psalm 55:22, he wrote, 

Cast your burden on the Lord,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved. 

Rather than running and hiding, we must run to the Lord in prayer. We must trust Him and believe that His plan for us is to sustain us through our difficulties. If we don’t believe that He works everything for our good (Rom 8:28) then our anxiety and terror that makes us run and hide is a matter of unbelief. That good that He is working in us is so that we won’t be moved by our circumstances. Our faith will be proved genuine by the circumstances (1 Peter 1:6-7).

If you don’t have a personal, saving, relationship with Jesus Christ, then you are not one of the righteous and you can’t rest upon any promise of being sustained through your difficulties. If you want to be one who can trust God in your circumstances, then Watch my video on the Gospel on YouTube or read on this Gospel link.

Peace in a World of Evil

Are you all stressed out about the evils of this world? Are you anxious about where the nation is headed? If so, here is God’s word to you from Psalm 37 verses 7 through 9.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

The only way to handle all the anxiety that comes from watching the daily news is to wait for the Lord. Fretting does absolutely nothing to change the world or to ease your fears.

Trusting in the Lord is the only way to make it through the evils of the world. He will take care of all the evils when He has decided it is time.

The Lord assures us that all the evil people will be taken care of. He will cut them off, get rid of them, so that they will no longer cause any problems.

When that happens, those who are waiting for the Lord will inherit the world. That will happen when Jesus comes back to punish the wicked and give us a new heaven and a new earth without any evils.

But guess what! You must know Jesus if you want part of the new heaven and earth. To know Jesus Christ, watch my video on the Gospel on my profile page or on YouTube.

Sleep Peacefully

Do you have trouble sleeping? Does everything int the world, wars, disaster, diseases, and even people keep you awake at night? Maybe it's your own behavior that keeps you awake. What do you do? Listen to what David said about his sleep in the midst of all the troubles surrounding him.

David wrote in Psalm 3 verses 5 through 6, "I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around."

Like this picture, David simply lay down to sleep and had a good night's sleep because the Lord took care of him. He wasn't afraid of the demons, the warring countries or even the people in his own country that opposed him and wanted to get rid of him. His trust was in the Lord.

Isaiah put it this way in chapter 26 verse 3, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." You see, when we focus our mind on the problems instead of the problem solver, we will be anxious and unable to sleep. Even if we don't have enemies, we can be anxious about just the daily cares of life. What to eat, what to wear, do people like me, am I good enough, am I ugly.

If you want to have the peace of mind that gives you a good night sleep, then you must trust the Lord. You must have your mind focused on him. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will never know that peace because you will not have peace with the Lord. If you want that, watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to turn to Jesus for salvation and rest well in his peace.

May God Bless you!