Verse of the Dayb 8/15

Verse of the Day 8/15

Psalm 55:22

New International Version

22 Cast your cares on the Lord

    and he will sustain you;
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.

I read Psalm 55 in my devotions this morning and had several things going through my mind as I read it, culminating in this verse. In verse 4 David writes, "fear and trembling have beset me, horror has overwhelmed me."  Sometimes our greatest fears come to fruition and shake us to our core and we feel overwhelmed.  What are we to do?  We are to cast our cares on the Lord, trusting that He will sustain us.  Casting is not passive.  It is not sitting back and letting things play out.  It is turning them over casting, throwing them out to the Lord hoping for a lifeline in return.

I also thought about "He will never let the righteous be shaken".  The righteous are those in right standing with God.  Not based on who we are or what we do but in trusting what He has done for us and abiding in Him (John 15).  Yes, we can be shaken but He will revive, refresh, restore and renew us (Psalm 23 among other passages.

Abiding is to remain in Him to keep the faith to keep believing.  This brings me to the old Gaither vocal band song by the same name.

When troubles rise and catch you unaware
The day to day of living seems unfair
And you try again at your dreams and plans
That have ended in defeat
And the fancy frills that once fulfilled
Now leave you incomplete

And you wonder where
Your life's gone wrong
And why you can't find peace
Well, your hope's not gone
It's just been too long
Since you've had to believe

Keep believing in what you know is true
Keep believing
You know the Lord will see you through
When troubles rise in your lifе
And you don't know what to do
You'll be fine if you just keep beliеving

You can take Him at his word
He is faithful kind and true
Not a prayer will go unanswered
In His time, He'll see you through

Read that last line again.  "in His time, He'll see you through."

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Psalm 55

New International Version

Psalm 55[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David.

1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;
2     hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3     because of what my enemy is saying,
    because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
    and assail me in their anger.

4 My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
    horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;[c]
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
    far from the tempest and storm."

9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces are at work in the city;
    threats and lies never leave its streets.

12 If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
    at the house of God,
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;
    let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,
    for evil finds lodging among them.

16 As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
    who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.

20 My companion attacks his friends;
    he violates his covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter,
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
    yet they are drawn swords.

22 Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
    will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you.