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 Tuesday, January thirty, twenty twenty four. Hello, my name is
El 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 lesson study series through the Book of Psalms,
and our caption for today is where is God? Where Is God? We'll
get into that in just a moment, but first I'd like to say welcome
and happy happy Tuesday to everyone joining us for the very first time, and
I'm asking you to please go over to your Daily Portion dot com, join
our online community, and pick up the Your Daily Portion book at your Daily
Portion dot com. And also there is a Your Daily Portion coaching program on
the horizon. You need to sign up for that so we can get some
real practical steps in spiritual development. Okay, at your Daily Portion dot com.
Let's go ahead and pray, and then we will get underway. Father
and Heaven, thank you for giving us the privilege of coming into your presence
with thanksgiving and into your courts with praise. Father, I ask you now
to please help us to see you, even in the difficult situation, see
you in the great situations. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen and
Amen again. Likely I neglected to give our caption for today. Where is
God? Where is God? Ask that question again? Where is God?
And then I'll answer it Where he's always been. Heaven is his throne and
earth is his footstool. Like he is our God that inhabiteth eternity. He's
the God that does not sleep, He does not slumber. He is always
present. He's our ever present help in trouble. Where is God? He
is there, and he is available to everyone who submits our will to him.
We'll get into that detail in just a moment. In just a moment.
The lesson writer asks an important question, what can we learn from the
Psalmist's responses to God's apparent and I really need to put that in a big
underscored bolded air quotes apparent absence? How do you respond to times when God
does not going? God seems silent? What sustained your faith? You got
that? How do you respond in times when God seems to be silent?
What sustains your faith? And I always make allusion to this psalm because it
represents this discussion well in the Book of Psalms, Chapter forty two and verse
and verse one. As a heart or as a deer panteth after the water
brooks, So panteth my soul after thee Oh God, my soul thirsteth for
God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
The Psalmist is having some challenges right now in his life. Ah,
He's a hunted, fugitive pa trying to find refuge in a cave and rocks
of the wilderness, exiled from the House of God, where he had found
his joy in participating in Sabbath services. But now he is crying out to
God, saying, where where are you? Like? Where is it?
When shall I appear before God. My tears have been my meat day and
night, while they continually say, unto me, where is thy God?
Where is thy God? Can you hear him crying out to God? Can
you hear him crying out to God? People are saying, you're not here
from me God. I have cancer. People are saying that you're not here
with me. God. I've lost my job. People are saying that my
God is not here with me. God. I lost my child in child
birth, and I saw my wife having such challenges and then the child is
gone. Where is your God? People are saying, you get held up
by gunmen and robbed and worse. Where is your God? Was he there?
Of course the answer is absolutely he was there. And of course David
said, my tears have been my meet day and night, while they continually
say, unto me, where is your God? When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul in me. You see he didn't turn away
from God. He turned toward God. Huh, For I had gone with
the multitude. I went with them to the House of God. See,
he's remembering those good days. He's remembering the times when he could see and
experience the mercy of God. Even in his emotions. Yes, with the
voice of joy and praise and multitude that kept Holy Day. And so he
asks himself a question. Now we see it is under inspiration of the Holy
Ghost. Why art thou cast down, O, my soul? And why
art thou disquieted within me? And then he begins to encourage himself. I
think there is a song that says that I encourage myself to have faith in
the Lord. He said, I hope thou in God, or I shall
yet praise Him or the help of his countenance. Oh, my God,
my soulace casts down within me. He's being honest. He hasn't. He
hasn't acted like everything is peachy keen, because he has faith in God,
because he has hope in God. He didn't act like things suddenly were feeling
better to him. He said, you know what, my solace casts down
within me. Therefore I will remember thee from the land of Jordan. I
will remember what you've done, God, I will remember what you have done
in the past, and of the Hermonites. And from the hill Mizar deep
coleth unto deep, and at the noise of thy waterspouts at the at thy
waves, and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command
his loving kindness in the daytime. I think somebody said that that that that
that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
He said, Ah, Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the
daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me and my prayer
unto God, the God of my life. I will say, unto God,
my Rock, why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because
of the oppression of the enemy, as with a sword in my bones mine
enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me? Where is Thy God,
Oh God? Why art thou cast down all my soul? Why art thou
disquieted within me? If you have ever felt this way, go ahead and
type of one in the chat. If you've ever felt like you want to
know where is God in this certain situation. I'm not asking about you losing
faith. I'm saying in the moments that your faith is still strong, but
your courage is weak. You're wondering, God, when will you come through
from me? Go ahead and type of one in the chat. Hmm.
And then he said, hope thou in God he's encouraging himself or I shall
yet praise him. You to get this now, brothers and sisters. When
he is in that worst state, that difficulty, he says, I'm going
to praise him. Praise him for a mighty acts, Praise him for his
excellent greatness. Praise him. In the difficult times. You realize that God
inhabited the praises of his people. When you're seeking his face, when you
have surrendered your will to him and you are wondering in those moments of despair,
Hi, in those moments when you feel like giving up, you ask,
where is my God? I want you to hope in God and then
praise him. You want the presence of God in your life. Praise Him,
who is the health of my countenance and my God. You see,
we named Simona and I we named our son after God. A few to
multiple times. When I say that, I mean his name is Josiah,
which means yahweh, heals, yahweh, heals. His middle name is Adam,
that was the first man created. Jesus calls himself the second atom.
And then of course you know his surname is Harris, so yah heals.
Josiah, the first man Adam, who Jesus said of himself that he's the
second atom, and then Harris, and so that means that his initials are
Jah. I understand the whole Hebrew about no Jay, but we understand that
Jah is a name that we attribute to God. So when I am wondering
where is God, I look into my family unit and I see my son,
and I say, God, You've been good to me, and my
hope is in you, and be wonderful. 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
L. David Harris. Make it a great day. Yeah,