Today, be thankful that God has provided us with a plan of what to do when we are facing times of trouble.
You know, here in the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving, and I want to talk about things we can all be thankful for (no matter where you live).
Now it may seem odd, when we are talking about things to be thankful for, that I would start off with the subject of troubled times. But, we all face times of trouble and stress at some point, and the holiday seasons can be especially stressful.
Recently, as I was reading Psalm 27, the Lord said to me, “I’m going to give you a checklist for what to do in time of trouble. It worked for David, and it will work for you.”
This checklist comes right out of the Word of God, and I, know that it will produce results. Follow it closely, study, and meditate the Scripture references and then use it at the very first sign of trouble.
1. Realize that God is your light. Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light…”
God is our wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. (James 1:5). Don’t lean to carnal reasoning.
2. Realize that God is your salvation. Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation…” The word “salvation” implies: safety, health, prosperity, deliverance, and soundness. Salvation comes on the wings of confession (Romans 10:10).
3. Realize that God is your strength. Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation…the Lord is the strength of my life…” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
4. Keep your heart free from fear (Psalm 27:1). Fear activates Satan, just as faith activates God. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
5. Don’t cast away your confidence (Psalm 27:3). Hebrews 10:35-36 says, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Don’t give up, the victory is coming!
6. Resist the temptation to become oppressed (Psalms 27:3,6). Isaiah 54:14 says, “In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.”
7. Offer sacrifices of joy (Psalm 27:6). If Satan can rob you of your joy, he can rob you of your strength also. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
8. Seek God’s face – stay in his presence (Psalm 27:8). Psalm 16:11 says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
9. Faint not, but believe to see His goodness. Psalm 27:13 says, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
10. Wait on the Lord and be of good courage. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
The Bible encourages believers to keep looking up, maintain joy, don’t be distracted or discouraged. God is on our side, and He will see us through to victory! Today, be thankful that God has provided us with a plan of what to do when we are facing times of trouble. It will work. God loves you so much that He has provided everything you need – even in times of trouble.
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Dr. Jerry Savelle was an average, blue-collar man who was struggling and needed God's help. While he considered himself a "nobody," when he became a believer God told him not to worry about it because He was a master at making champions out of nobodies. God has since taken Dr. Savelle from being a constant quitter to a man who knows how to stand on the Word of God until victory is experienced. Because of the life-changing combination of God's faithfulness and Dr. Savelle's "no quit" attitude, his life is totally different than it was thirty-eight years ago.
Since 1969, Dr. Savelle has been traveling the world teaching people how to win in life. Dr. Savelle has ministered in more than three thousand churches and in twenty-six nations, and has overseas offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
God has used Dr. Savelle to impact people who are burned out on religion and who have backslidden in their walk with God, as well as Christians who have a need to hear the Word of God presented in terms applicable to their lives, dreams, and destinies. He is the host of the Jerry Savelle Ministries television broadcast which airs in two hundred countries worldwide.
Dr. Savelle is the author of more than forty books, including his bestsellers, If Satan Can�t Steal Your Joy, He Can't Keep Your Goods and You're Somebody Special to God. He and his wife Carolyn also serve as founding Pastors of Heritage of Faith Christian Center in Crowley, Texas.