IN THE DAYS OF ADVERSITY, FAITHFULNESS WILL SEE YOU THROUGH

 

"That You may give him rest from the days of adversity.  Until the pit is dug for the wicked."  Psalm 94:13

 

 

How you view adversity will determine your outcome.  Do you see it through the veil of unbelief and doubt, or through the eye of faith, even when you do not understand?  When believers go through test and trials, it is rare to hear someone say, “My faith has gotten me the victory.”  Usually what we hear about is the difficulty and at the end at phrase is stuck onto the sentence that says something like, “Thank God He brought me through.”  The attitude is almost in reluctance that a way of escape was made by God in His great mercy and compassion for the individual.

 

However this was not the case with Ruth. The book of Ruth records the story of a young woman from Moab who chose by faith to follow the God of her mother-in-law, Naomi, instead of the gods of her ancestors.  To me, the most striking life lesson that we can learn from Ruth is her faithfulness to her mother-in-law and the God that she had chosen to serve.  She had given up her ancestral gods to serve the one true living God. 

 

Although Ruth was from Moab, she became an ancestor of David and Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5- 16) through her willing obedience.  Ruth’s husband, Mahlon, was the son of a Hebrew, Naomi and Elimelech.  Naomi and her family came to the land of Moab to escape the famine in Judah.  After the deads of Mahlon, his brother, Chilion, and their father, Elimelech, Namoi and her daughter-in-laws lived in the land of the Moabbities.  However, their came a day when she woke up from her situation and decided to move back where she had come from.  She wanted to send her daughter-in-laws back to their families, but Ruth was the only one who would not go, in fact she said this to her mother-in-law, Namoi, “…Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God” (Ruth 1:6).  When Ruth said this she was demonstrating her faithfulness to God, in times of adversity—even when she did not understand. 

 

Faith stands and faith talks.  All through the book of Ruth and during, very tumulus times, we see the faithfulness of this young woman demonstrated in acts of service and loving kindness.  She demonstrated faith in God and not in her circumstances.  When was the last time you shared with someone, on told them how God has delivered You.” 

 

Ruth’s faith was in God, not in herself or her circumstances.  She was young, innocent, and weak.  Her faith demanded obedience.  She followed God to Judah, and to the field of Boaz.  Her life of faith is an example to all believers, faith must be lived in our actions, not just spoken with our lips.

 

Prayer—Father I thank you for bringing  your people into this city of refuge, where you are as close as mention that name.  Let your people never forget your faithfulness and willingness to turn hopeless situations around, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

MAINTAIN YOUR FOCUS

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”—Isaiah 26:3

 

In the midst of difficult times and adversity, it is easy for our trust to flounder and for our eyes to drift from Jesus to the problem.  Once our focus shifts away from God, the problem becomes magnified.  Negative thinking can overwhelm faith and extinguish courage.  It is during this time that we may be tempted to quit.  This is what happened to Peter the night that Jesus was arrested.

 

Before Jesus was betrayed and arrested, He told His disciples that they would come upon difficult times, and that they would all “stumble.”  He assured them that He would meet them again in Galilee; however, at the time the disciples did not grasp that He was talking about His death and resurrection.  In fact, Peter boldly declared that he would not “stumble;” but Jesus told him that he would deny Him that night three times before the rooster crowed.  Not long after Jesus told His disciples this would happen, Judas betrayed Him and Jesus was arrested.  During all of the dangerous turmoil surrounding Jesus’ arrest and being brought before the high priest, Peter mingled with the crowd pretending to be one of them.  However, a servant girl thought that she recognized Peter as one of Jesus’ followers and accused him.  Peter denied the accusation by saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” A short time later another girl accused him and this time he said with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”   Then the third time he was accused by several other people of being with Jesus and he responded with cursing and swearing and denials of knowing Jesus.  “Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26).

 

Peter’s experience paints a clear picture for us today.  Although Jesus had forewarned the disciples what was about to happen, Peter still tried to work things out in his own strength which was a dismal failure.  Too often, we tend to see the adversity or difficulty in terms of our own strength and resources rather than God’s.  However, when our focus shifts to a godly perspective the doom and gloom of failure, turns to gladness and we experience joy.  The Lord has told us that we would experience adversity and difficulties in life, but that we are to have peace and to be happy because He has already won the victory for us (John 16:33).  We can be like the Apostle Paul, by keeping our focus on the Lord, and saying with him, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  When we say what God’s Word says, our faith is encouraged and our focus is maintained. 

 

Prayer—Father I purpose in my heart to keep my eyes and heart focused upon You at all times.  With Your help, I will never falter nor fail, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.