Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I was talking to a lady this week who said, "Pastor, I'm afraid that I'm going to lose my faith. I'm actually also afraid that God will leave me." Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like God's going to leave you or abandon you? Our Verse of the Day addresses these very questions.
It's Psalm chapter 9, verse 10. It says, "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for You."
Understanding God's Character
The Psalms are all about the character of God. Psalms is a personal response to the character of God, and really is a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Jesus Himself. As we look at this, David anchors his hope in the covenant-keeping character of Almighty God.
Very simply, in Psalm chapter 9, verse 10, David shows the value of God's presence and knowledge in two ways.
God's Knowledge Breeds Trust
Number one, God's knowledge breeds trust. It says in the verse again, "Those who know Your name trust in You." This is right where we fail. Those who know Your name. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't know as much as we should know about God. That's where we fail, because you cannot trust somebody or something that you don't know. Here the Bible says, "Those who know Your name trust in You."
You know what it means knowing God's name? It's about understanding the character and the nature of God. That's what you and I need. We need the knowledge of God in our life. Somebody once said, "The knowledge of God will suppress a thousand lesser evils."
God's Presence Banishes Our Fears
As we look at this, God's knowledge breeds trust. Secondly, God's presence banishes our fears. This is so encouraging. The verse says, "For you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for You." A mind full of God's truth, a mind that loves Jesus Christ, will experience the presence of God. That is an actual experiential feeling and truth that we can have.
I love Hebrews chapter 13, verse 5, a well-known verse: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."
What Do We Do with This Passage?
What do we do with this passage? What do we do with this application in our own personal life? I find these next three comments very encouraging.
Number One: Bring Your Vulnerability to God
Number one, bring your vulnerability to God. Are you ever vulnerable with God? Lord, I'm scared. I'm anxious. I'm stressed. Lord, I don't know what to do. God can handle your questions. By the way, He already knows you're vulnerable. Tell Him anyway, because He knows everything about you. The hairs on your head are numbered.
Bring your vulnerability to God. I remember one pastor once saying this: "Everybody's insecure. We're all insecure. It's okay. You can be insecure with God." Here's what you don't want to do. You don't have to try to show God how brave you are. God understands that we're fragile, delicate people, and He wants to come to your aid.
When you do show God how vulnerable you are and acknowledge how weak you are, He comes to your aid. Because when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He is there to help you. So don't try to impress Him. He loves you the way you are. Show your vulnerability so that you have further and further intimacy in your walk with God.
Number Two: Build Your View of God
Number two, build your view of God. Read God's Word. Your life will take off spiritually if you have a steady diet of the Word of God. Read devotionals, memorize Scripture, think about the things of God. Go to church, hear good preaching, good sermons, whatever it might be. Read good theology. Build your view of God so that you have more of the Scriptures and more of the truth to pull from so that as you go throughout your life, you can learn how to walk with God.
As the old hymn used to say, "Just a closer walk with Thee." Well, as you know God's Word and God's truth and love Jesus, He walks with you and you feel and sense more of His presence.
Number Three: Behold the Cross
Finally, behold the cross. Look to Christ on the cross. Why? Because Jesus Himself experienced the agonizing abandonment by the Father so that you never have to. He's the one who was abandoned. For a moment, He was forgotten and abandoned by God the Father momentarily, so that you and I don't have to experience that. It's tremendous love for you and me.
Because Jesus Christ showed you and I this amazing love and promises that those who search for Him will never be abandoned, let's love Jesus Christ. What grace.
