Most of us eat every day, some of us too much because yesterday's food
is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do some
of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to keep
us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all
of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to
live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker, Elle David Harris. Good morning, good morning, good morning.
It is Monday, January eighth, twenty twenty three. Hello, I
keep saying twenty three, twenty twenty four. Hello. My name is Elle
David Harris. I am your host, and this is your Daily Portion where
we give you God's word every single day, and today is no exception.
We are continuing in our new Lesson study series through the Book of Psalms,
and our caption for today is trust in Times of Trouble? Can I say
it again, Trust in times of trouble. We're talking about trusting in God
and we're not going to just talk about it. We need to live that
reality where no matter what happens in our lives, we have so positioned the
God into our mindset that we trust him with all our hearts. We don't
lean to our own understanding. In all our ways. We acknowledge him because
we know that he will direct our paths. Yeah, at minimum, he
will direct our pathway. So let's go ahead and pray and then just jump
right in. Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us this new day
and for getting us thus far in this new year. Thank you for loving
us and protecting us even during times of trouble. Least teach us not to
be fair weather friends of God. But literally, in all things we give
thanks because that is your will concerning us. In Jesus name, I pray,
Amen and Amen again. Trust in times of trouble. Really, at
all times, can I just say that I wrote that in my notes so
I wouldn't forget it, Like, at all times, at all times,
we are to trust God. It is our privilege to trust him. Have
you ever been in a situation where you could not see where God was leading?
And then after some time it could be months, it could be weeks,
It could be days, It could be moments. In a moment of
emergency, it could be years. In my case, I've seen several instances
where it took years for me to see some of what God was really doing
in my life when he allowed those troubles to pass through his filter and then
hit my life. Why because he was after something in my character. He
was after something in using my situation to be of assistance to others. And
I am not unique. Everyone under the sound of my voice or those who
are not able to to hear, but you're reading and close caption for the
hearing impaired you too. God is using in order to glorify himself and to
edify you, because why he wants you to be saved. He wants you
to be saved. And so the question that I have for you as we
open up really this morning is when the going gets rough, what do you
do? What do you do? When times are rough, you don't understand
what God is doing, you are under due rest and fully understress negative stress,
that is, what do you do? I remember when I was a
twenty three year old actually was before then, like twenty two year old person
in the psych field, right, it was right before I was promoted.
I was direct care in the psych field in Maryland, right, And I
remember really begging God for more than three years to deliver me, deliver me
from the stress I was under based on things that were happening at work.
And you know, I prayed and prayed and prayed, went to prayer meetings,
different prayer meetings and asked the people to pray as well and put it
up on the prayer list. And people were praying get David out of this
situation. And then I spoke to my friend and mentor, Ralph. Ralph
may be old enough to be my dad, he may be, if so
barely. Anyway, he was my mentor, and I talked to him about
the situation, and he quietly said, now, Dave, be a good
soldier. God is with you. See, he didn't beg God to get
me out of the situation, right. He didn't give me those fanciful words
that say, well God has something better for you, right, that trouble
won't last all ways, and these are all good things sometimes, right.
But what he taught me was something that was even more critical that in the
moment of my stress, negative stress, and I was bound in my mind
to one thing, and that was to get out of it. He wanted
me to know that God is with you. When you pass through the waters,
He's with you. He will not allow those to overflow you. When
you are in the fires, he is with you. He will not allow
them to scorch or to burn you. You will be like those three young
men in those heat in the fiery furnace. The fire did not touch them,
neither was there any smell of smoke on them. And only that which
bound or binded them was burned. And that was those chords, you understand.
And so the question again, what do you do when times get rough?
Now, what I want you to do is read with me from the
Book of Psalms, the Book of Psalms, chapter forty four and verse one.
And I have to be honest, Sister Glenda Molesey system Glenda Moseley comes
to my mind in this situation. I need you to hear this carefully.
We have heard with our ears, Oh God, our fathers have told us
what work thou didst in their days in the times of old. And what
I need you to do, Sister Mosley, I need you to do.
All of our brothers and sisters around the world has reflect on past deliverances.
Has God been good to you? I mean, this is really a rhetorical
question. I need you to type in the chat a great big yes.
Has he be good to Has He been good to you? If your name
was Job? Hmm. If your name was Job, could Job say yes,
God has been good to me? Of course he could say that and
it be true, because when Job was in his darkest day, it was
really that God was really God leading him through the paths of righteousness, you
see, and so reflect on past deliverances. It could be the times that
God delivered you from trials and tribulations, temptations right the threats of disease and
tempests outside where earthquakes and all kinds of other noxtws ntural disasters, or I
should say, unnatural disasters have threatened your life in the past, but you're
still here. So I need you to reflect on the past deliverances. You
are in a trial right now, a crucible in your life. Remember that
God has kept you in the past, and therefore His track record is good
with you, his resume, his curriculum. Vite. If you want to
say is good with you now? I want you to go with me to
verse twenty three of Psalm chapter forty four, and I want you to express
honest emotions in prayer. Do not make up stuff to make yourself feel better.
Do not take that name and enclaimant mentality that so many people have that
they dislike. Don't claim that. Brother. If you are sad, tell
God you're sad. If you're feeling dejected and rejected, tell God that be
honest with him and with you. Yes, and then and then submit all
of that. And the Bible reads, awake, why sleep ast thou,
Oh Lord? Rise? Cast us not off forever? And so the Psalmist
felt like God had forsaken him. And in case you are self righteous and
sanctimonious in nature overly religious, I need you to remember that Jesus, as
he was on the cross, he said, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? So, even Jesus, as he was living
on planet Earth in order to buy us, to purchase our pardon, he
felt in some moments that he had been forsaken. Of course, he was
not forsaken, but that was what he felt, and he was honest with
God, our father. It's important to be honest with God about our feelings,
not because God doesn't know, but because we need to be clear when
we confess. We confess we are really agreeing with what God says. So
if I feel that there is darkness and there is no darkness, then I
confess that God's way is the truth. Ah. When I say God,
you've forsaken me, and God has not forsaken me, I confess that what
he is saying is true and not what my feelings say. And here are
a few other things that we need to be doing. In verse twenty six,
seek God's redemption huh in verse six, cling to faith despite whatever circumstantire
in in verse four, acknowledge God's sovereignty and of course this is from Psalm's
chapter forty four. In Verse twenty two, foster community in lament like there
are people who are going through, but you all together can be delivered.
And then fifty nine and verse eight continual prayer for deliverance. That is key.
We thank God for trust in j thanks for joining us listening to friends.
Always remember we cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God. This has been your daily portion with el
David Harris, make it a great day. Yeah,