Weekend Words

 From Be Still and Know...

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. - Psalm 27:13

God encourages us through His word. In it He gives principles and guide lines for our lives - lives often filled with perplexities, uncertainties, and insecurities.

David experienced many of the same situations we face.  Often he was faint of heart, falling into the depth of despair.  Discouragement and disappointment were very real to him.  He knew what it was to come to the end of himself.  He said, "I had fainted."

But David had discovered a key word that changed his spirit of defeat to victory.  "I had fainted UNLESS."  Unless what?  "I had BELIEVED to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  It is often said, "Seeing is believing."  But David believed God when he couldn't see the outcome.  When he was almost fainting he looked to God, believed Him, trusted Him.

There was a time in my life when I went through deep waters.  My husband was ill for many years and for some time he was depressed.  Because of the strain of encouraging him and the lack of sleep, I became exhausted.  Many times I felt I could not continue another day.  Often it seemed I would faint beneath the load.  I cried to the Lord day after day, telling Him I had reached the end.

I, too, learnt the importance of the word "UNLESS".  I would have fainted UNLESS I had learnt to "believe to see the goodness of the Lord."  I focused my eyes, not on my problem, but on the Lord.  Instead of fainting, I experienced the rest that comes from trusting Him completely.

Are you fainting today beneath the load of your care?  Do you feel you have reached the end?  Instead of fainting, believe God.  As you trust Him, your TROUBLES can become TRIUMPHS.  It has been said, "God doesn't have problems, He has plans; and he will take our problems and convert them into His plans if we will let Him."

In Isaiah 40:29 we find God's remedy, "He giveth POWER to the FAINT; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength."