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“Remember how short my life is. Have you created everyone for nothing?” Psalm 89:47 (CSB)
“Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.” Psalm 90:15 (NLT)
DURING THE LEAN TIMES, when it appears as if our lives are a wisp of smoke that evaporates and leaves no trail … when misery encompasses us, suffocating us, as we struggle to survive, during those times, it is very easy to wonder if God exists or, if existing, really cares.
The Bible (*see Romans Chapter 1*) clearly states that men everywhere for all time know that God exists, so there is no excuse for not honoring Him. Yet, believer or not, life is a struggle, and many times exist when our faith is tried.
Before I became a Christ follower (November 2010), my life meandered along one rocky path after another, so that, in sober moments, I wondered if there was any point to it.
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AFTER I TURNED to Jesus Christ, He breathed life into my dead soul and showed me a
better way to live. He told me my life and conversion were an illustration of His Truth in John 10:10 (ESV): “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.”
He certainly transformed my life from a wasteland into an oasis. Yes, an oasis of life, water, sunlight, and joy, surrounded by the empty lives of others who still walk in darkness.
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GOD ORDAINED THAT I would read both verses above from the Psalms today, each speaking to me from a different translation. In one Psalm, the author bemoans the futility of his life and wonders if God’s creation amounts to anything. Certainly, I have walked along that road for most of my life.
Yet God, in His boundless mercy, gives us the second verse, where the Psalmist (possibly Moses) prays that God will give us gladness, joy, and life to compensate for the years of suffering.
This Psalm recalls the promise God already made. You can find it in Joel 2:25, 27 (NKJV): “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. … I am the Lord your God and there is no other.”
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CAN THERE BE any response to God’s mercy and love but one: “Yes, Lord, I believe! Thank You, Lord Jesus! You gave me life, and now I can truly live. Lord, save even me.”
From Psalm 89:52 (NASB):
“Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen”
PRAYER
O Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for Your love and mercy. You have promised to
restore the lost years of our lives — those years when we wondered in the wilderness without Your Spirit in our hearts. Now that the Holy Spirit has sealed us for the Day of Redemption, please use us to further Your Kingdom by our actions and our speech. All the praise, honor, and glory are Yours, O Lord. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, AMEN
QUESTIONS:
1. Have you ever felt abandoned by God or that, just maybe, you aren’t good enough for Him to bother with? Can you start to believe that the Holy Bible – the Word of God – says you do matter to Him, that He knows you and cares for you?
2. Could you start to explore His Word on your own, reading 15-30 minutes a day whenever you can to see what message of reassurance, of grace and forgiveness, of unqualified love He has promised just for you?
3. If you don’t think you have the time, could you just ask Him to provide it for you? Let Him show you where you have 15 minutes to spend in His Word.
Would you like us at LoveAndGrace to pray for you? Just send a prayer request via the Comments section.
Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY 