" those times in life.."

I was thinking how there are times in life that human comfort and words just don't comfort adequately. How we need to hear from God alone to strengthen us! Others can sin toward us or hurt us in a way that may not be evident to the person. We may not hear a clear response from God to our pleading but we present our requests and wait patiently. At times we wait and we feel alone and in a silent place and we know it will be God alone that will help us.Other's words do not comfort our souls and we need fresh strength from the Lord.








I am reminded of this verse when I feel that loneliness in prayer or trial and know that I need the comfort of God alone.

"Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David's two wives also had been taken captive..... And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." 1 Samuel 30:5-6

My first response at those times in life is to want to take the situation into my control instead of trusting God in the pain or hardship.

Matthew Henry's commentary says of the verse:
 "Thus apt are we, when we are in trouble, to fly into a rage against those who are in any way the occasion of our trouble, while we overlook the divine providence, and have not that regard to the operations of God’s hand in it which would silence our passions, and make us patient.
and also states-
"David’s pious dependence upon the divine providence and grace in this distress: But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. His men fretted at their loss. The soul of the people was bitter, so the word is. Their own discontent and impatience added wormwood and gall to the affliction and misery, and made their case doubly grievous. But David bore it better, though he had more reason than any of them to lament it; they gave liberty to their passions, but he set his graces on work, and by encouraging himself in God, while they dispirited each other, he kept his spirit calm and sedate."

O how I wish I naturally could be more in a "spirit of calm and sedate" and "set my graces on work." when hard times come my way.

Later in this chapter is recounts :

"David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 

Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,and said, “This is David's spoil.” (1 Sam 30: 18-20)

I read decades ago that God redeems the time and restores. I do believe this. Forgiveness is one good example of God restoring and redeeming our lives. Time passes and we feel loss, but God's speed is not naturally calculated and restoration can come in a blink.

Rescue is needed many times in our lives. We are without strength even to pray or lift our head and the Spirit gives us life. It is a supernaturally infilling that we cannot do on our own, or our friends cannot do with even the best intentions and words of comfort.

I heard a song one day that reminded me how I have been "rescued".
We call. God answers and meets our needs and RESCUES. 

Came to my rescue- Hillsong United

Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek your face
Lord all I am is yours

My whole life
I place in your hands
God of Mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at your throne

I called you answered
And you came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where you are

My whole life
I place in your hands
God of Mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at your throne

I called you answered
And you came to my rescue and
I wanna be where you are

I called and You Rescued Me

God is our redeemer and restores our lives as mentioned in the book of Ruth-
"Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, ..." (Ruth 4: 14-15)

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle

I was thinking about the passage of time one day how 21 years had passed since my father's passing and my youngest daughter was born. Shocking to think that over 2 decades passed by like a blink!

Life has been a blur at times. Things that happened 8 years ago seem vivid like yesterday and then other times seem a blur and so far away.

I was reading a devotional and it had Job 7:6-7 stated:

"My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope. Oh, remember that my life is but wind a puff, a breath, a sob; my eye shall see good no more."

Although life is great, I can get down and feel like i want to slow things down a bit. I can get sentimental and think of the old days and fail to appreciate the present . So I guard my heart as best I can and rejoice in today and value each days journey.

Matthew Henry in his commentary says "Our days are like a weaver’s shuttle, thrown from one side of the web to the other in the twinkling of an eye, and then back again, to and fro, until at length it is quite exhausted of the thread it carried, and then we cut off, like a weaver, our life, Isa. 38:12. Time hastens on apace; the motion of it cannot be stopped, and, when it is past, it cannot be recalled. While we are living, as we are sowing (Gal. 6:8), so we are weaving. Every day, like the shuttle, leaves a thread behind it.

Winds blow and ripples form similar to life and as a leaf would drift down stream so we go forward and move on so quickly that we don't have time to think and appreciate all that we have at times.

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
even those who seem secure." Psalm 39:3-5

l 

So as we continue through life and keep God in the forefront. He never changes and His plan continues in our lives. From the storms in life to the quiet peaceful times we remember Him the author of all time and giver of our days.

"Let us charge ourselves to bind a heavenly forget-me-not about our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and, whatever else we let slip, let us hold fast to Him." (CHS)

Morning April 26

"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" Psalm 90:12