TRUST DEPENDENCE

We might be tempted to think that the path of truth and the path of righteousness

should be smooth and easy, without troubles. But I believe our life experiences and scriptures will testify otherwise, wouldn't they? And then we might be led to think that because our life is not so smooth, then maybe we are not working enough by faith and righteousness and maybe God is trying to teach us to improve, not knowing that our righteousness came from God in the first place and not our performance. We forget
that we live in a foreign world with the consequences of sin and actions and when we forget, the devil has a fill-day, with our conscience and with our lives. The Lord promised us a safe landing, not smooth sailing. Life is not normally easy and comfortable, is it? There are times where we are in distress, not just because of exams, though those come and go and we get the result; there are times of distress within families because they are hurting, and comfort is not often a reality, there are times we might be lonely, afflicted and battles of the conscience; but in all these, we are more than conquerors and the lord is there to guide and instructs us (psalm 23:3). But if we look at verse 4, we realize that the power of righteousness is not always smooth and easy, it may even lead us into the valley of the shadow of death, but we are taken through that valley without the need to fear evil. 

David, despite the fact that he was a man after God's own heart, was distressed and lonely, he was like a tree planted by the streams of water, but it was like he was the only tree planted there and everyone was against him and so he prays. He does not go to look for IT specialist to help him sort it out, he goes to God because he knew that God is Sovereign, He is faithful to his covenant promises and he alone is mighty to save. It is not wrong to go to people for help, but don’t by-pass God on your way there.

 We should be confident and have courage to pray in times of need and afflictions because we too have received the blessing David had. A man lacking nothing, he was a leader of God's people in any best possible way a leader can be but yet he knew that the source of his strength and victory in the midst of his afflictions and trials, was from God; and so, he prays without presumptions. He teaches others the things of God, the very things he needs to hear himself.  Preachers are also blessed by the same very words they minister to the people. One of the hardest nuts to crack in class room is the proud and arrogant ones because they think they know it all, so they will not listen to advice or instruction; they will not watch when they are being thought how to do something. There has to be humility and willingness to learn for you to be thought.  The great high priest has made the ultimate sacrifice once and for all, for our sins of the past, present and future.  And so, together with David, we have the courage to come before the Lord, together in prayer.