September, 2024 - Trials & Fires

Overcome Trials with Love: Your Path to Glory Part 3

trialsandfires.com Blog, Home Page 09/21/202408/23/2024 0 Comment

Wow! We are now at part three of this series. How are you doing? Is this helping you at all? Please leave a comment and let me know! Let’s finish our tour of Psalm 37.

Verses twenty through twenty-five states: 20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. 21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. 22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

Someone probably borrowed from you, whether it was monetary, an item or even your trust. But now, they have every excuse not to give it back. They stole from you. Just know that God will repay you.

Show them mercy. Why? You are already blessed. You will receive what was stolen from you from God. He will deal with the thief.

In these trials, watch your actions. God orders everything good. He is elated when we follow Him and accept the path he has provided. However, we are only human. We make mistakes.

But God has not forsaken us. We will make mistakes in these trials. Just look to God, repent, and He will take you down the right path. As we go through life, just know God is blessing us. He is merciful.

I had a dream, years ago, that lines up with verse twenty-four: Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. It also lines up with Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

The dream occurred just after my husband sobered up, but the loss of family disowning us was still fresh, since it occurred about a month or two earlier. One daughter stopped speaking to me completely and the other was angry, but cordial. Here is the dream:

I am entering a pathway from darkness. It is outside, sunny. The path is muddy and narrow (in fact, so narrow, I was walking with one foot in front of the other, like a tight rope). Both sides of the path are black, dirty, murky waters, with crocodiles on either side. There is a man, looks like Crocodile Dundee (those of you who knows 80s movies will know the reference). I realized he was Jesus. He stated, ‘hold onto me.’

‘Even if you slip, you won’t fall in, as long as you are holding Me, I will keep you safe.’ I held His hand, other times it was the back of His shirt, and even rode on his back on other occasions. I saw my youngest daughter (the one who was still speaking to me). She was with friends at the other side of the water’s edge, at a black tree with no leaves. She was following what her friends said and she fell in the water. The crocodiles attacked and killed her. I started to go toward her, but Jesus said, ‘Stop. There is nothing you can do for her.’

‘She followed their example, and this is what happens when you don’t follow me’. In utter despair, I continued down the path, slipping a lot. It was strange, because even though my feet touched the water when I slipped, the crocodiles could not hurt me, because I was holding onto Jesus. They tried biting and attacking, but nothing happened. We continued on the path, and it continued to become more and more slippery. We rounded a corner at a thick bush…then I woke up.

When trials happen, it’s easy to just give up, and cave. We may find ourselves slipping into old habits and desires. It may be easier to lash out and come out swinging.

That is falling. Backsliding. But you know what? It happens. Don’t beat yourself up. Repent. See Proverbs 24:16.

Psalm 37:26-32 says: 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. 27 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. 28 For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. 32 The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him.

Mistakes happen. We are not perfect. And we are not expected to be, especially in our tribulations. But God expects us to repent and continue to move forward. He loves us. God will deal with the evildoers anyways. Even when you have fallen, he won’t leave you behind. He will still bless you.

Verses thirty to thirty-one states: The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.

Wisdom. When you’re in the midst of your anguish, is wisdom utilized? Or do you react to emotion? I will raise my hand here.

I have reacted so many times on emotion, it’s ridiculous…too many times to count. That’s part of the reason my husband gave up on me. It is hard to NOT speak in emotion, and even harder to speak with wisdom in the moment. But we, as righteous people, are called to speak with wisdom. This takes thought and preparation. Too many times though, we don’t have time for that, or do we?

There is an old saying that says we should think before we speak or act. When we react to emotion, it becomes a weapon and slays everything around us, doing more harm than intended. When you pause and think, your words will have thought and meaning, which will produce wisdom and just words. This is a form of love, because you are intentional on bringing the correct words to the person and this shows that you have written God’s law in heart. You won’t make mistakes in your words and slide down the wrong path if you think before you speak.

Always be watchful for the enemy though. He is also watching you, to find a way to blame you for anything and everything. When he sees you make a mistake, he will do everything he can to destroy you. But, stayed prayed up, because God will protect and not let you be harmed.

In the midst of the trial, one of the hardest things to do is wait. But that’s what God says.

Verses thirty-three through forty says: 33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. 34 Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 35 I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. 37 Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

Stay in His presence, do good as you are supposed to, and WAIT. When you are obedient in the waiting, He will deliver you out of the enemy hands and bless you. God will show you when the enemy has been destroyed, there won’t be any denying that it was God.

Verses thirty-five to thirty-six says, ‘I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.’

The enemy seems to be all powerful and may even have stuff on you that can destroy everything about you, because he doesn’t let go of the past. He makes himself so familiar in the bad, or your past, you may think that nothing can cut him down. However, with God, all things are possible. God will destroy the enemy. Once God moves that mountain, you won’t be able to find anything from the past that will destroy you, not even a stain.

Pay close attention to the blameless and look carefully at those walking in God’s ways. That person has complete peace, because they stay in God’s presence. But watch for those who do evil will be destroyed and whatever their future will be no more. For verse thirty-seven to thirty-eight says; Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

At the end of this Psalm, it says: But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

In other words, your salvation is from God. He is your strength when times are hard. He will help and deliver you out of chaos and evil. Just Trust God.

Wow! We finally finished Psalm thirty seven. But, it was worth it. There was so much to discover in this scripture. We must remember to show mercy, even to those who are against us. When we make mistakes and slip into old habits, just repent. But, don’t give up in this trial. You will be full of emotion, but wisdom says to careful with your words and actions; think before you speak or act, because your words can be weapons and destroy.

When you think before reacting, you are acting in love. Remember, the enemy is waiting for you to slip up, so stay in God’s presence and wait for God to take care of the situation. With God, all things are possible, even when it seems there is no way out of this. Look for mentors that have complete peace and follow God whole heartedly. They can help you stay strong in this trial. Remember, God is your salvation, strength and deliverer. Trust Him to see you through this.

Keep an eye out for Part Four. Until then, stay blessed and I will see you soon.

Overcome Trials with Love: Your Path to Glory Part 2

trialsandfires.com Blog, Home Page 09/07/202408/23/2024 0 Comment

Welcome back my friends! Last time, we started to study Psalm 37, but left off at verse four. How did your study go? Was it hard to wrap your head around delighting in your trial? I get it. Let’s continue to read more about this.

In John 14:12-18, it says, “12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

This scripture parallels with Psalm 37:4. It’s about believing in Jesus and that His power can do anything. For example, if your heart’s desire is to quit an addiction, like drinking. It doesn’t say He is going to wave a magic wand and *poof* you are clean and sober. Now, the Holy Spirit can overtake you and cleans you immediately. I have seen it happen. But, more often than not, you will have to take steps in your faith and seek help.

But we still must pray and believe God will deliver you. You quitting the alcohol will bring God glory. How? When you are whole and of right mind, you are a living testimony of God’s Wonder and can bring others to Christ for salvation. God wants all of His children to make it to Heaven. Sadly, we know, based on prophecy, that will not happen. But we are all called to bring people to Christ.

Jesus says if we ask ANYTHING in His name, He will do it, so that God can be glorified. I still pray, diligently, for my marriage to be resurrected from the dead. Jesus IS resurrection. My marriage was damaged goods. Very hurtful, damaging events happened that caused strife, hurt, blame and separation of both sides of our families. I have even been disowned, although I was just as much a victim. In the world we live in today, people see one side of a story and believe it to be one hundred present true.

But I digress. I know that my marriage resurrecting from the dead will bring God glory. How so? It is rare for marriages to come back together, especially one like mine. But God HATES divorce, although He gave permission for it, He HATES it. Because it causes division of family and destroys everything that God deems Holy. My resurrected marriage would be a testimony and miracle that can bring people to Christ.

Matthew 21:20-22 – 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Mark 11:20-24 – 20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

In both Matthew and Mark, we have the same story, different versions. To give some context, Jesus and his disciples were walking from Bethany to the temple in Jerusalem. On the way, Jesus became hungry, but the fig tree did not have any fruit, so He cursed it so it would die. When they were going back to Bethany and walked past the same fig tree, it had died.

Jesus says to have faith in God. Our faith should be so strong, that we can move any mountain or obstacle out of the way. That is the power of God. Don’t let doubt or fear in your heart. Believe, in your prayers, that you have received your petition. That is the power of faith.

Going back to Psalm 37, verses five and six says: Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

How do you commit your way to God? Pray. Read your bible. Listen to the Holy Spirit to speak. He may speak through other people. Be willing to hear. Be kind and generous.

Again, TRUST God. He will bring the answer to your prayers. It may not happen as you would like. That is okay. Just know that it will happen in His timing. In His way. God will bring justice and bring truth to the light. Always at just the right moment.

While we are praying and meditating, we must also rest. Verses seven through twelve says: 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.

Facing trials is difficult. They take a toll on you. It can be physical, mental, spiritual, etc. This is a battle, and we must rest when we are weary. Take some time, sit down and just be still in God’s presence. Have patience.

It will take some time to get through this. Don’t worry if the person or issue you are fighting against seems to have it all together or everything seems to come against you. The prosperity on that side will end. The wickedness cannot last. Not when God is involved.

When facing this trial, let go of the rage. Let go of the fury. Don’t worry about them, let it go. If you keep dealing with it in anger, it will cause hurt.

Verse eight says: Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. I know this is easier said and done. Trust me, I know. With pain comes anger. And you just want to pay back the person that caused the hurt.

But, in reality, does it really solve anything? Our mightiest, strongest weapon is our prayers, and meditation. Part of our armor is the Sword of the Spirit; it is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). When you meditate on God’s Word and speak it, that is your weapon, fighting against the demons of your trial. Stay in prayer, speak God’s truth, stay in peace, and let it go. Knowing that God is taking care of it, the way it needs to be dealt with.

Evil cannot stay. God will cut them off. Wait on God and you will inherit your blessing. The evil that has been against you cannot stay. Look at verses nine and ten: For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.

I don’t know about you, but that seems incredible to me. As long as we stand firm on God’s word, rest in him, wait patiently, and He will cut off the evil. at the end of the day, God wins. Always. The prayers will be answered. Better than what we could ask for.

Verse eleven goes on to say: But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. We will inherit the earth and evil will pass away. We will celebrate in the overwhelming joy and peace that God brings to us.

But just know that once this trial ends, another will begin. Because Satan is still the ruler of this earth. Just because the last battle was won, does not mean he won’t try again. Look at verses twelve through nineteen: The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the LORD upholds the righteous. The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Satan will try again, and again, and again. But God has humor in this. Because he knows when the end of days is coming, and Satan will be destroyed for good. The demons may have their armor on, the weapons ready, with swords swinging and arrows flying so they can destroy everyone who believes in and walks with God. But God is mightier, and stronger. Those weapons will turn around on them, like a boomerang, and God will cause their weapons to destroy the enemy army. Although the treasures and possessions of the wicked look wonderful, just know that all of it is temporary. God has so much in store for us.

God knows how long we will live, so in those trials, just know that God could very well be the one taking things away, so that you can focus on Him. You are on an assignment. You are in the battle. Stay focused on God, not of the things of this world. There is no disgrace when following God. He will provide you with everything you need. Even when you make mistakes. God will destroy the evil schemes of Satan.

I hope this study is bringing you some comfort. It is amazing to know that whatever we ask in Jesus’ Name, we will receive. We must always stay in prayer, even when it is hard and believe for deliverance at the end of the trial. Remember, we must claim our victory, so believe it is won and you will receive it. Your faith, even as small as a mustard seed, can move that mountain. Commit to serving God and trust Him. Rest in Jesus. Let go of all the negative emotions and lay them at Jesus’ feet. Wait on God, stay focused on Him in prayer and He will provide for you. Stay tuned for part three of this series.