We will have victory if we are not deceived by problems
Psalm 23:1~6 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. (1)
Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #419 Under His Wings I Am Safely Abiding (#478 in previous version)
We have received salvation and are the ones chosen by God. God knows everything about us and has prepared the past, present and future for us. However, without enjoying this fact, we fall into despair and are troubled when we face problems and hardships. What must we do so that we are not deceived by the problems that come to us every day?
1. We must not be deceived by the problems that come to us daily
We often fall into unbelief even with trifling problems. However, if such trifle grumbling and complaints pile up, our nature changes to that of unbelief. Let us confirm our spiritual identity in the midst of everyday meetings with people, events, problems and difficulties. If we remember that God has prepared everything for His children who have received salvation, we will restore thanksgiving and peace just as David professed. When we profess thanksgiving to God daily and do our best even in the smallest things, God will add to us the blessings that He gave to David.
2. We must not be deceived by crises
Even though he defeated Goliath and freed the Israelites from slavery, David suffered hardships in the face of crises that came after his success. When King Saul was in pursuit to kill David, David fled to Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1~9). Even during the period when he was on the run from the threat of King Saul and was suffering, David did not resent God. Rather, he praised God and professed that he would not be in want solely because of God (Psalm 23:1~6). A great testament that would be recorded in history came to David who grabbed onto God’s Word instead of falling into despair in the face of crises.
3. We must stand before God when we make mistakes
There were times when even the 7 Remnants in the Bible made mistakes. However, what we do after making mistakes is important. We will only fail if we blame ourselves or give up on account of having made mistakes, but if we profess our weaknesses to God and repent, it will be a chance to gain new strength spiritually. Regarding his mistakes David professed that God knew everything and would show mercy. When we view mistakes with spiritual eyes, mistakes are not a failure but a chance to stand before God.
- The only one who can help us in the face of problems and difficulties is God alone. Let us pray to God for wisdom even in the smallest things so that we can see the world with spiritual eyes as we stand before God. Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 2nd Service / 2012.2.26