Lessons from the Ants

“Oh no, the Ants are back again,” I sighed as I took the ant spray and began to fight back against the Ants in our kitchen. It seems we have a never ending war against the Ants in our kitchen and definitely we don’t find them welcome there!

Today I want to share with you some fascinating facts about ants and we will also learn some lessons from them for us as soul winners too.

Did you know that there are an estimated 1-10 quadrillion ants in our world today? Now that number is not even comprehendable! The total mass of all the Ants in the entire world is equal to the entire human race!

Did you know that there are ants in every part of the world except Antarctica and a few islands like Iceland and Greenland?

Did you know that there are 22,000 species of ants in the world and 2,500 of them are in africa? Africa has the most numbers of species of ants in the whole world!

Did you know the largest ant was 6 cm long? That’s a big ant! However most ants are from .75 mm to 52 mm.

What color are most ants? Red or black but a few are green!

How long do ants live? That depends on whether it is a queen or a worker ant. Queen ants can live up to 30 years and worker ants live only 1-3 years. You can see who does most of the work!

Ants are very useful creatures in many ways – just not in the kitchen or hospital! But wait in some places in Africa, they use army ants for surgery! They pull the wound together tightly and apply army ants to it and the ant grabs one piece of each side of the wound and clamps it shut with its mighty jaws. Then they cut the Ants body off and the head and jaw keep the wound shut until it heals! Not exactly the surgery I would wish for!

The Bible talks about the ant in Proverbs. Proverbs 6:6-8 – “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”

So the Bible tells us to consider the ant and see what lessons we can learn from it! Today we want to look at 7 lessons we can learn from the ants.

     1. Ants are diligent hardworkers.

Have you ever seen a lazy ant? I don’t think so! Anytime you see an ant, they are always busy doing something, whether that’s looking for food or carrying food or whatever. The Bible reminds the sluggard (the lazy man) to consider the ways of the ant and learn to be diligent and hardworking.

Are you a diligent hardworking soul winner? Do others know you as a relaxed lazy person or as a diligent hard worker? Are you careful to use even your little moments here and there to be diligent?

“Only let the moments be treasured.... The time spent in traveling; ... the moments of waiting for meals, waiting for those who are tardy in keeping an appointment,—if a book were kept at hand, and these fragments of time were improved in study, reading, or careful thought, what might not be accomplished!” —Christ’s Object Lessons, 343, 344.

Let’s be like the diligent ant! Let’s not be like the lazy grasshopper in the story Aesop tells. The lazy grasshopper came and asked the busy ants for food when it was almost winter. They were busy storing the last food they had gathered for winter. They asked him what he was doing in the summer while they were working and he said, making music and they said sorry – none of our food is for you and left him to starve. Truly it pays to be diligent! Are you diligent in doing God’s work? Let’s learn the second lesson from the ants.

     2. Ants need no boss for they know exactly what to do.

Do the ants have a boss (or teacher) standing over them, guiding them what to do and telling them step by step the instructions? No!! They know just want to do themselves and jump into it! Are you a person who can see what needs to be done and does it without being told? Or are you someone who needs to be told step by step what to do? Remember Eccl. 9:10?

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might…”

“God has no use for lazy men in His cause; He wants thoughtful, kind, affectionate, earnest workers.”—Testimonies for the Church 4:411.

Lazy men don’t like to work. They can never see what should be done and only do it if someone tells them. Friends, let’s do our work cheerfully and diligently without being told! Now let’s learn our next lesson from the ants.

     3. Ants are not afraid to carry heavy loads.

They don’t look at a huge crumb and say – it can’t be done, it can’t be done! No!! They try to carry it if they can, and if it’s too big for them, then they call some other ants to come and help them! I have seen ants carrying food much bigger than themselves! Do you think that is easy? No! And many times they carry the food through difficult places, like up a steep wall or through tiny crevasses. They are not afraid of doing hard things.

How about us? Do we look at a task and say – oh that’s too hard! It can’t be done, it can’t be done? Or do we say – this is the work before me; I will do my best to do it the best I can? As a soul winner we may look at various areas of the world and say – oh the gospel can never go there. Or I could never go there as a missionary. But if God sends you there, then don’t look at the Giants in the land as the 10 spies did! Be a Caleb or Joshua today that will get up and do great things for God! Yes the territory may be hard, yes the people aren’t receptive, yes the people reject you, but determine I shall conquer this field for the Lord!

“In the name of the Lord, with the untiring perseverance and unflagging zeal that Christ brought into His labors, we are to carry forward the work of the Lord.”—Testimonies for the Church 9:25.

Are you willing to do hard and great things for God? Let’s be like the tiny ants! Our next lesson is this one.

    4. Ants don’t give up easily

As the saying goes, if you don’t succeed at first, try, try again! Isn’t that what the ants do? If they have found food, they persist on making sure they find a way to carry it away and take it home with them. I watched ants one time trying to carry a big dead spider and it was so big and heavy for them, but they kept pulling and pushing and finally after much effort and determination, they got the spider to their home. How about us? Do we give up easily when the going gets tough? Oh, this work is not for me….. people don’t like the bible studies I’m offering. ….. it’s so hot out here…… this area is too hard….

“Courage, energy, and perseverance they must possess. Though apparent impossibilities obstruct their way, by His grace they are to go forward. Instead of deploring difficulties, they are called upon to surmount them. They are to despair of nothing, and to hope for everything. With the golden chain of His matchless love, Christ had bound them to the throne of God. It is His purpose that the highest influence in the universe, emanating from the Source of all power, shall be theirs. They are to have power to resist evil, power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master, power that will enable them to overcome as Christ overcame.” —Gospel Workers, 39.

We need to press forward, doing Gods work no matter how big the challenges are and not give up easily or get discouraged. God will surely help us! When the ants know there is food in a certain area, they will keep on coming back, no matter how hard you try to stop them! They know they will get something there if they are persistent.

How about us? When we think an area is unfruitful and we get little results, do we give up and quit? Or do we know that God has put us there for a reason and he will surely give us souls to win for Him? Let’s be like the tiny ant! Or next lesson is:

     5. Ants are patient

They don’t mind waiting for the food. They wait until they think you’re not around and out they come! They will be as patient as it takes to find the food they need. Are you a patient person? Patient with your interests? Patient with the mistakes or slowness of your partner? God wants us to be patient soul winners for Him!

“Work disinterestedly, lovingly, patiently, for all with whom you are brought into contact. Show no impatience. Utter not one unkind word. Let the love of Christ be in your hearts, the law of kindness on your lips.”—Testimonies for the Church 9:41.

Let’s be patient like the ants! Our next lesson is:

     6. Ants share to others the good news they find.

When one ant finds food, he doesn’t keep the good news to himself. He either carries some of it back with him to show what he found, or he hurried back to the home to tell the others the good news that food has been found! Is that what we do?

God has been so good to us in giving us the knowledge of the gospel and his truths but do we keep all this good news to ourselves? We must take it and share with others! It’s like the story of the 4 starving lepers outside the gate of Samaria who found food in the Syrian camp and enjoyed their fill of goodies and then realized they needed to go and tell others the good news! May we have the same zeal to go and tell others what Jesus has done for us and how He has helped us!

“The Lord demands that in His servants shall be found a spirit that is quick to feel the value of souls, quick to discern the duties to be done, quick to respond to the obligations that the Lord lays upon them.”—Testimonies for the Church 9:123

Let’s be like the busy ant and share to others the good news God has blessed us with! Our last lesson from the ants is:

     7. Ants work together with others well.

They don’t fight and argue over who found the food and this is my area and don’t touch it! They don’t have an independent spirit. Once they find something good, they tell it to others and encourage them to come and help them! And when they get together to move a big piece of food, there is no fighting amongst themselves for how it ought to be done – his way or my way. They all get together peacefully and work in unity to get the job done.

How about us? Do we pick and fight with our partner or people around us? Do we want to keep all the blessings and benefits to ourselves? We must be willing to share and help others and work well with others. If we can never get along with anyone and always fight and argue with them, how can god use us effectively?

“As a people we lose much by lack of sympathy and sociability with one another. He who talks of independence and shuts himself up to himself, is not filling the position that God designed he should. We are children of God, mutually dependent upon one another for happiness. The claims of God and of humanity are upon us. We must all act our part in this life. It is the proper cultivation of the social elements of our nature that brings us into sympathy with our brethren, and affords us happiness in our efforts to bless others.”—Testimonies 4:71, 72.

Let’s be like the little ant and work in unity with those around us!

So there we have the 7 lessons from the ants! May God help us to be diligent, hardworking soul winners for Him!

Birthday blessings...

Do you look forward to your birthday? Or the birthday of some dear loved one? Birthdays usually are happy occasions to celebrate another year of life that God has given someone! 

But do we remember to thank God on our birthdays? Do we forget that He is the one who even keeps us alive, plus gives us everything else in our lives?

Psalms 67:19 says, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." 

I was reading more about this concept of birthdays in context of this verse and came upon something interesting. Sons and Daughters of God, page 152 comments on this idea of birthdays.

"Under the Jewish economy, on the birth of children an offering was made to God, by His own appointment. Now we see parents taking special pains to present gifts to their children upon their birthdays; they make this an occasion of honoring the child, as though honor were due to the human being....For life, health, food, and clothing, no less than for the hope of eternal life, we are indebted to the Giver of all mercies; and it is due to God to recognize His gifts, and to present our offerings of gratitude to our greatest benefactor. These birthday gifts are recognized in heaven."

Yes that's what we do today don't we? We give gifts and praise to that person having the birthday as if they are truly the one to celebrate about. But we must remember all gratitude and praise goes to God - not to anyone else.

What if we used our birthdays to give back some amount of offering to God in gratitude for all He's done for us? What a blessing that would be to us and to God's work also!

"If Christian parents had accustomed their children to present offerings to God in acknowledgment of His great gift of salvation to men, how different would be the character of the young. Their minds would have been called away from themselves to the blessed Saviour. They would have been taught to feel that He loved them, and that He is the source of all blessing; that He is their hope of happiness and eternal life."

I heard of one young boy who did this. When his birthday came, he decided that instead of having a big part and lots of presents for himself, he would have a simple meal and tell people to bring money instead of a gift and he would give that money to a mission project. That young boy raised almost $500! What a blessing to the mission work!

"If this kind of education had been given to our children, we should today see far less selfishness, far less envy and jealousy; we should have more manly young men and womanly young women. We should see the youth coming up with moral strength, with pure principles, with well-balanced minds and lovely characters, because the Model would be ever before them; they would be impressed with the importance of copying the excellence of Jesus, the Pattern.... God wants the youth and those of mature age to look to Him, to believe in Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and to have Him abiding in the heart; then a new life will quicken every faculty of the being. The divine Comforter will be with them, to strengthen them in their weakness, and guide them in their perplexity.... It will make plain to them the path of life."

This is the kind of children we want to raise! This is the kind of young person we want to be! Let's seek in all we do to bring all the praise and gratitude back to God even in our birthdays!

What to do with depression....

Did you know what 300 million people around the world suffer with depression? That's a lot! It is estimated that 15% of all adults will experience depression at some point in their lifetime.

So are you depressed? :) I hope not! It is very easy to get depressed, especially when we start looking down at our problems instead of looking to Jesus. Let's learn today some keys for overcoming depression!

Psalms 43:5 says, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God."

Here David is saying, Why are you depressed? Why are you troubled? Then he gives the answer for depression - hope in God. Hope changes everything! Instead of focusing on the negative things of life, hope make us focus on the positive things that can and will come to us as we look to Jesus. That's the First Key - Hope in God.

This Day with God, page 305 says, "In the night season I was conversing with you. I was saying to you, . . . "Do not give way to depression, but let the comforting influence of the Holy Spirit be welcomed into your heart, to give you comfort and peace."

Isn't it so easy to give way to depression? When things start going wrong, how easy it is to give in to depression and feeling sorry for ourselves.... We need to make a positive choice not to give in to depression. That's a choice! God gives us freedom to choose what we think about and what feelings will control us. Depression doesn't have to control us and make us miserable and sad! We can choose not to be depressed!

That's the Second Key - Choose not to yield to depressing feelings.

"I am praying that the Lord will reveal Himself to you as a personal Comforter. The eyes of the soul must be kept open, in order to recognize the great mercies of our heavenly Father. Jesus is a bright and shining light. Let Him reflect His bright beams into the heart and mind. Do not forget thanksgiving. 'Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me' (Ps. 50:23). Look to Him, and lay before Him all your necessities. Is anything too hard for the Lord? He is the Great Physician. He can heal soul and body, and He would have you take hold of Him in faith. He fully understands the needs of your case. He is a very present help in every time of need. And He is pleased when we show our gratitude to Him."

Many times we get depressed because we feel like we need help that we are not getting or God isn't answering our prayers in the time or way we think He should. But God knows what's best for us! We can't see the future and all the things that God sees. Remember what Romans 8:28 says? "All things work together for good to them that love God..." So God knows our needs and He will help us in our need and it might not be the way we expect!

That's the Third Key - Surrender to Jesus and His plan for your life. If we are praying to be more like Jesus, He will place us in circumstances that will test our characters and as long as we look to Him, we will become more like Jesus through that situation. But we must keep our eyes upon Jesus and choose to think and act only in harmony with His will. He doesn't want us to be depressed! And if we focus our eyes upon Him, we will NOT be depressed either!

There's the Fourth Key - Look to Jesus, not yourself. Isaiah 45:22 says, "Look unto Me and be ye saved...." So as we look to Jesus and keep our eyes upon Him, we don't need to fall into depression! That's the good news! :)

"Christ is the light of the world. 'Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings' (Mal. 4:2). Let the light of His peace shine into your soul. He has a tender care for you, and you should praise Him with heart and soul and voice. You can please Him by manifesting a cheerful spirit. Let not one cloud of despondency or dissatisfaction hide from you the sunshine of His presence."

Darkness cannot exist where there is light. Since Jesus is the light and there is no darkness in Him, if I have Jesus in my heart, darkness and depression cannot exist in my heart! That's why we need to let His sunshine into our hearts to chase away the negative, upset, miserable feelings. And one way of keeping away those despondent feelings is to sing! That's the Fifth Key - Sing! If we would remember this more often, it would help us not to be depressed! You can't sing songs of praise to the Lord and be depressed at the same time! It doesn't work that way! :)

"It is in recognizing His light that you will conquer. You may increase in faith, by exercising the voice in speaking forth the praises of God. To the heart that recognizes Him is the promise, 'I am . . . the bright and morning star' (Rev. 22:16).

And another important element of overcoming depression is by encouraging others! Look for someone else who is worse off than yourself and seek to bring sunshine and joy to their life! 

Depression leads us to focus on ourselves and have self-pity for our trials and problems of life. We don't want to think about anyone besides ourselves, but as we look for other people to encourage and make happy, our own depression will vanish! That's our Sixth Key - Encourage someone else!

"If you would obtain precious victories, face the light that emanates from the Sun of Righteousness. Talk hope and faith and thanksgiving to God. Be cheerful, hopeful in Christ. Educate yourself to praise Him. This is a great remedy for diseases of the soul and of the body. 'I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God' (Ps. 42:11; Ps. 43:5).

That's our Seventh Key - Choose to be thankful. Being grateful and happy is not something that comes naturally to us. We must choose to do so! But as we choose to think positive, grateful, happy thoughts, depression ceases to make us troubled anymore. What a simple remedy for depression found in this simple devotional reading!

Let's review:

Key #1 - Hope in God.

Key #2 - Choose not to yield to depressing feelings.

Key #3 - Surrender to Jesus and His plan for your life.

Key #4 - Look to Jesus, not yourself.

Key #5 - Sing!

Key #6 - Encourage someone else!

Key #7 - Choose to be thankful.

We can be happy, grateful, praising Christians! Let's follow these 7 keys and avoid depression as if it's the plague! :)

Are You Praising God?

Are you praising God?

Really? Are you praising God and thanking Him for what He has done for you?

Psalms 67 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to God! Let's examine it and find out more! :)

"God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him."

A simple and profound psalm indeed! "Praise" is mentioned 4 times in this chapter! This means praise is pretty important for us to do!

I heard this story once of two angels who each had a basket. One angel was assigned to carry all the prayer requests and needs of God's people to heaven so God could answer them. The other angel was assigned to carry all the thanksgiving and praises to heaven. The first angel was very busy! Back and forth, back and forth all throughout the day, he filled and emptied his basket. The other angel had very few things in his basket and it filled up so slowly. Finally at the end of the day, his basket was full and he flew back to heaven, having made only one trip there.

So sad, right? Yes, there's nothing wrong with praying for our needs and asking God to bless and help us, but we must remember that praise is just as important as praying for our needs. In fact, it is almost more important! Because it shows God how grateful we are for what He has done for us.

In Heavenly Places, page 94 comments on this chapter from Psalms and says this, "As Christians we ought to praise God more than we do. We ought to bring more of the brightness of His love into our lives. As by faith we look to Jesus His joy and peace are reflected from the countenances. How earnestly we should seek so to relate ourselves to God that our faces may reflect the sunshine of His love! When our own souls are vivified by the Holy Spirit, we shall exert an uplifting influence upon others who know not the joy of Christ's presence."

Do we really praise God enough? Obviously not! We need to make it a habit to praise God more than we do!

"The Lord is not pleased to have His people a band of mourners. He wants them to repent of their sins, that they may enjoy the liberty of the sons of God. Then they will be filled with the praises of God, and will be a blessing to others."

When we complain and always plead with God for our troubles, it's like we are in a funeral procession - a band of mourners! Nothing to be happy about, nothing to smile about! Oh, no!!! We don't want to be thought of as that for being a Christian!

But suppose I find myself having more grumbling or prayer requests going up to God than praise! What can I do?

Isaiah 61:1-3 offers an answer, "to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified."

We need God to replace our spirit of heaviness to garments of praise! :) When He does this, we will be happy and full of praise for what God has done for us!

"'That he,' Christ Jesus, 'might be glorified.' O that this might be the purpose of our lives! Then we should have regard even to the expression of our countenance, to our words, and even to the tone of our voice when we speak."

People need to know that we are a happy, cheerful people! We wouldn't want to turn someone away from Christianity because of our gloomy, miserable faces! People watch our faces and what we look like! Oh, may we be good witnesses for Jesus!

"The melody of praise is the atmosphere of heaven; and when heaven comes in touch with the earth, there is music and song-- 'thanksgiving, and the voice of melody' (Isa. 51:3). . . . Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy."

Sometimes we find our homes filled with censure and angry words.... This is not how it should be! If only we would sing more in our homes, there would be less complaining and anger and selfishness!

"As our Redeemer leads us to the threshold of the Infinite, flushed with the glory of God, we may catch the themes of praise and thanksgiving from the heavenly choir round about the throne; and as the echo of the angel's song is awakened in our earthly homes, hearts will be drawn closer to the heavenly singers. Heaven's communion begins on earth. We learn here its keynote."

In heaven, all is praise and adoration of God! If we don't learn how to praise and thank God here on this earth, we won't even make it to heaven to praise God there! If we are always complaining and grumbling here on this earth, we would surely find something to complain about up there. And that's not what God wants!

Let's ask God to help us to praise and thank Him all day long! :)

"Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee."

Keep Rising Higher

I'm sure we have all sung the famous song - "I'm pressing on the upward way, new heights I'm gaining every day....." This song reminds us to keep rising higher and higher and to keep our eyes upon Jesus.

As Isaiah 45:22 says, "Look unto Me and be ye saved..." There is a simple illustration relating to this from the example of a hawk trying to catch a little innocent dove.

"Have you ever watched a hawk in pursuit of a timid dove? Instinct has taught the dove that in order for the hawk to seize his prey, he must gain a loftier flight than his victim. So she rises higher and still higher into the blue dome of heaven, ever pursued by the hawk, which is seeking to obtain the advantage. But in vain. The dove is safe as long as she allows nothing to stop her in her flight, or draw her earthward; but let her once falter, and take a lower flight, and her watchful enemy will swoop down upon his victim. Again and again have we watched this scene with almost breathless interest, all our sympathies with the little dove. How sad we should have felt to see it fall a victim to the cruel hawk!" My Life Today, page 105.

What a lesson for us! We are the dove, being relentlessly pursued by the "hawk" - the devil. He is after us day after day after day and so often we find ourselves being "caught" or ensnared by his many temptations. If only we would follow the example of the dove!

As long as she keeps rising higher and higher above the hawk, she will NOT be captured. As long as she keeps rising higher into the sky and keeps her focus upward, she will be safe. But as soon as she begins to look downward or to the earth, that's her mistake and death will surely follow.

Psalms 61:1-3 says, "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

When we feel overwhelmed with the temptations of the enemy, we need to cry to God to help us keep our focus looking up and not down on our trials and problems.

"We have before us a warfare--a lifelong conflict with Satan and his seductive temptations. The enemy will use every argument, every deception, to entangle the soul; and in order to win the crown of life, we must put forth earnest, persevering effort. We must not lay off the armor or leave the battlefield until we have gained the victory, and can triumph in our Redeemer."

We can't slide into heaven no matter how much we would wish to! In order for us to gain the victory and overcome at last, we must keep our eyes focused on Jesus and day by day battle with self and the devil's temptations. But we are not left to strive alone! That's the good news! :)

"As long as we continue to keep our eyes fixed upon the Author and Finisher of our faith we shall be safe. But our affections must be placed upon things above, not on things on the earth. By faith we must rise higher and still higher in the attainments of the graces of Christ. By daily contemplating His matchless charms, we must grow more and more into His glorious image. While we thus live in communion with Heaven, Satan will lay his nets for us in vain." My Life Today, page 105

Just as the dove cannot be captured by the hawk as long as she is higher than him, so as long as we are keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus, we will not be overcome by the devil's temptations.

But so often we find ourselves just like Peter and we start out looking unto Jesus but then we take our eyes off of Jesus and what is the result? Yes, sinking beneath the devil's temptations.

I love the way Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..." That's the only key to overcoming! Keeping our eyes upon Jesus! As the famous song says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face..."

Today let's ask Jesus to help us keep our eyes fixed upon Him throughout the day and to keep them on Him always!

Thirsty for God

Thirsty for God

Thirsty..... Have you ever been so thirsty you couldn't wait for the water? Thirst tells us that we need to drink! In fact if you are thirsty, that means you are seriously dehydrated!

Did you know that in Nairobi the urban poor pay 10 times more for water than in New York? Water is expensive and a precious commodity! Working among the slums of Nairobi showed me just how valuable water is and how each drop should be used wisely.

Psalms 63 talks about being thirsty for God. Are you thirsty for God?

Verse 1 says, "O God, thou art my God..." This is a personal experience - MY God. Not just the God of others, but MY personal God. Have you had a personal experience with God yourself? Are you sure that God is really your own personal God? We must have a personal relationship with God for ourselves - not depending on the experience of others.

Continuing on: "...early will I seek thee..." When does it say I should seek God? Early! This indicates getting up early to spend time with God and making Him our personal God!

Think about the example of Jesus. "The long, exciting day was past, and Jesus sought rest. But while the city was wrapped in slumber, the Saviour, 'rising up a great while before day,' 'went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.' Mark 1:35."  Ministry of Healing, page 29  So just like Jesus got up early to spent time with His heavenly Father, so we need to follow His example and do the same.

Now for the part about being thirsty.... "...my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." There's the thirsty part! Do our souls thirst for God like what David is describing? Jesus is the only one who can satisfy us! He is the living water, springing up in life everlasting. Psalms 84:2 says, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

Is your soul longing and crying out after God? That should be our heart's desire and cry. "No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul." Mount of Blessing, page 18. If we seek to supply our thirst and hunger with things of the world, or with other people, we will find that we will not be satisfied. God has created each of us with a void in our heart that can only be filled with Him. And yet so often, we try to fill it with everything else except God and soon discover that we are still empty.

"As the weary traveler seeks the spring in the desert and, finding it, quenches his burning thirst, so will the Christian thirst for and obtain the pure water of life, of which Christ is the fountain." Mount of Blessing, page 19. And what is the promise when we seek for the pure fountain of the water of life?

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."  Matthew 5:6 As we seek for God, we will find Him (Jer. 29:13) and we shall be filled. But we will not be filled if we don't seek earnestly for this experience! Too often we are content with just a bit of filling or no filling at all. So we must earnestly seek for complete and full filling of our hearts with Jesus Christ and His living water.

Then David continues on: "To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." The "glory" here is referring to God's character. Where can we see God's glory and His character? Through the sanctuary and through God's law. The more we behold God's character, the more we are changed into His image. "We are to look to Jesus; for 'we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory' (2 Corinthians 3:18). You are to find your completeness by beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Faith and Works, page 108

The more we come close to Jesus, the more sinful we appear in our own eyes and we long to be more like Jesus in our characters and daily life. That's the "thirsting" after God and His righteousness and the promise is that we will be filled. Psalms 27:4 says, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."   

We should long to spend more and more time with God each day! It's not a burden or a drudgery! It's a delight and a blessing to spend time with the King of the Universe! If some great man of this world were to invite us to a royal banquet or appointment, we should find it so important and wouldn't miss it for anything. But so often, we don't value spending quality time with the greatest King of the Universe - Jesus Christ!

Then verse 3 and 4 says, "Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name." When we see how much God has done for us and how great His character is, we will praise Him more! We need to study God's character and learn more about Him each day. How can we really praise God if we don't really know much about Him or who He is? This is another reason why we need to have our devotions every morning! How can we testify like David that God's lovingkindness is better than life, if we haven't discovered that for ourselves?

Then he adds that "while I live, I will bless thee." Certainly we can't praise God when we are dead, so why not focus on praising Him now while we are alive! Without God, we can't even live, so why not spend our life praising and blessing him? Why not seek to bring praise and joy to the heart of the one who has made us and created us to live?

Verse 5 says, "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips." What is this marrow and fatness it is talking about? This is a symbol to denote rich food and the comparison is between the pleasure of serving God and the satisfaction derived from food when we are hungry. That's the same imagery as the first part of the chapter!

Earlier the chapter was talking about being thirsty for God and now it talks about having satisfaction from being fully and completely filled in our souls. Truly God can satisfy our hearts in ways that no one else or anything else can! When we are truly satisfied with God in our lives, we long for nothing else. Nothing else!!! And then we have reason to praise God!

The reason why many times we don't praise God or it seems we can't think of anything to praise God for is because we haven't experienced this blessed peace that comes when we are truly satisfied in God and God alone. But as we have this experience, what a blessed peace comes and we can't help but praise God! :)

Then verse 6 says, "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." What do you think about as you lay awake in bed? What do you think about as you fall asleep? Here David is saying, we should be remembering God upon our beds and thinking of Him even when we can't sleep!

Is Jesus the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning? Is He the last thing you think about before you go to sleep? This should be our goal but the devil comes in and seeks to crowd out our time with God and make us distracted with everything else so that Jesus doesn't come to our thoughts. We need to kick the devil out of our life and focus our thoughts and our life upon Jesus alone. Even during our free time do we think of spending time with God or do we think of pleasing ourselves?

We should always be turning our thoughts to God. Then verses 7 and 8 give us 2 reasons to praise and think always upon God.

"Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me."

1. Because God is our help.

If only we remembered what God has done for us in the past, we wouldn't have reason to worry or be stressed about the future. "We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history." Counsels for the Church, page 359

2. God sustains / upholds us.

Without God, we could not even breathe! He is our sustainer and upholds us with His righteous right hand (Isa. 41:10).

So this chapter has taught us many lessons about being thirsty for God! Let's ask God each day to help us be hungry and thirsty for Him each day and to fill our lives with Him.

Trusting in man....

Trusting in man....

Isn't that what we usually like to do? We don't think of it sometimes, but usually we end up turning to men and seeking their advice and counsel when we're in trouble. Let's see what the Bible says about trusting in man.

Psalms 60:11 says, "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man." Here David is crying to God in his trouble because he realizes that the help of man is vain or useless. Do we realize the same thing as David? David was being hunted from King Saul for his life and he knew he could depend on no one for help in his trouble, except God. Maybe God allows us to go through deep trials or problems to help us realize that trusting in man is in vain too. And sometimes we have to learn the hard way, too! "Some, erelong, will know by experience how vain is the help of man..." Testimonies, Vol. 5, page 487.

Psalms 146:3 says, "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Putting trust in princes? Doesn't this sound like trusting in someone that is higher than you or in authority? How easy it is for us to trust someone like this! But David tells us that we should not trust even in princes. What is this "son of man"? Isn't that Jesus? In this case, it is not referring to Jesus because for sure, there is full and complete help in Jesus! This is referring to any human man or woman.

This Day with God, page 82 says, "In all your temporal concerns, in all your cares and anxieties, wait upon the Lord. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of man because they may be in positions of trust. The Lord has united your heart with Him. If you love Him, and are accepted in His service, bring all your burdens, both public and private, to the Lord and wait upon Him." Instead of turning to the "princes" or those in authority we think can understand and help us, let us remember to turn to God instead.

Psalms 118:8, 9 says, "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes." Here David repeats himself twice for more effective emphasis. He is saying that it is far better to trust lightly in the Lord, than to put the strongest confidence in other human beings. We must take our confidence away from our fellow humans and place it fully and wholly upon God. Because in reality, how much can our fellow humans do for us? Not a whole lot! They can listen to us and sympathize with us and sometimes give us advice, but God is the only one who can really help us and guide us in our troubles.

Psalms 40:4 says, "Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." Blessed or happy is the man that trusts in the Lord - not in man. We will be happy and blessed when we choose to trust in something lasting rather than in man.

Psalms 52:8 says, "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever." What should we trust in from this verse? God's mercy! What a great comforting thing to trust in!

So when we are tempted to trust in our fellow human beings, let's remember that trusting in the Lord is a much safer option! :)

Prophets and Kings, page 202 says "God was the strength of Judah in this crisis, and He is the strength of His people today. We are not to trust in princes, or to set men in the place of God. We are to remember that human beings are fallible and erring, and that He who has all power is our strong tower of defense. In every emergency we are to feel that the battle is His. His resources are limitless, and apparent impossibilities will make the victory all the greater."

God is the best one we can turn to in our troubles! Let's not turn from Him, the source of all strength and power and go for our fellow human beings. Put your trust in the Lord!

Trust in times of affliction

Times of affliction.... What a difficult time that is! Can we truly learn how to trust in times of affliction?

EGW was no stranger to suffering and affliction. She wrote the following during a long period of illness and suffering when she was in Australia.

"Many hours I have passed in wakefulness and pain, but I have had the precious promises of God brought so fresh and with reviving power to my mind. The dear Saviour has been very near to me, and I love to meditate upon the love of Jesus. His tender compassion and the lessons which He gave to His disciples become clear and so full of meaning that they are the feeding of the soul upon heavenly manna. . . . When the Lord sees fit to say, 'Lie there patiently, and reflect'; and when the Holy Spirit brings many things to my memory, precious beyond expression, I do not know what reason I have to complain. . . . I call to mind the verses which have been a comfort to me many times in my affliction:

'I see not a step before me as I tread on another year;

But the past is in God's keeping, the future His mercy shall clear,

And what looks dark in the distance may brighten as I draw near.

'O restful, blissful ignorance; 'tis blessed not to know;

It stills me in those mighty arms, which will not let me go,

And hushes my sad soul to rest on the bosom which loves me so.

'So I go on, not knowing, I would not if I might.

I would rather walk in the dark with God, than go alone in the light.

I would rather walk with Him by faith, than walk alone by sight.

'My heart shrinks back from trial which the future may disclose,

Yet I never have a sorrow but what the dear Lord chose.

So I send the coming teardrops back with the whispered word,

'He knows,' " In Heavenly Places, page 121

What a beautiful poem! Yes, passing through affliction and suffering is not something we wish to do and would rather go without that, but God has a purpose for allowing us to go through these experiences.

Oh may we learn to trust Him more and not complain when we go through affliction! As the psalmist says, "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." Psalms 63:5-6

Lessons from Psalms 56

Psalms 56

Psalms 56 is such a wonderful chapter in Psalms! From my research and study of when this chapter was written, it seems to me to have been written during an event in David’s life that was very difficult. A time when it seemed that the world was falling apart around him. David had made his temporary home in Ziklag, a city in the Philistines. When he returned home one day after being gone for awhile, he found the city had been burned to the ground and his family had been taken captive. How sad! How would you feel if something like that happened to you?

Ellen White says, “David seemed to be cut off from every human support. All that he held dear on earth had been swept from him. Saul had driven him from his country; the Philistines had driven him from the camp; the Amalekites had plundered his city; his wives and children had been made prisoners; and his own familiar friends had banded against him, and threatened him even with death.”

What a situation! These would have been circumstances that are very easily calculated to make someone discouraged.  And it seems that during this time, David wrote Psalm 56. So turn with me in your Bibles to Psalms 56 and we’ll read verse 1 and 2:

“Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.” (Problem)

Here we see the problem or persecution that David was facing and what he feared. He had trials and problems. Do you ever have problems in your life? Problems that seem overwhelming? Homework that never seems to end? Work beyond your capability to keep up with? Difficulties that seem too great to pass through?  David understands what you might be feeling. But instead of yielding to the discouraging circumstances, let’s take a look at what David did from the next verse. This is the most common verse from this chapter.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. “ (Promise)

Isn’t that a great verse? A great promise? “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” When we are fearful of the future and of what will happen to us, let’s remember this promise! Today we’re going to be looking at 8 key points that start with “P” (I tried to make it 7, but there was one too many) and these will help us know what we can do when we have problems or persecution. And we just looked at the first one – the Promise. The first “P” is the Promise.

Is this the only promise God has given us when we have problems or trials? Oh, no! The Bible is full of promises. 2 Peter 1:4 says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

There is no lack in the Bible for promises. If you don’t know very many or hardly any, I would encourage you to read the Bible, to study to find those promises. Memorize them and put them in your mind. So read the Bible and look for the promises that you can use when you run into problems and trials. So the first key point, the first “P” we learned is what? The Promise – claim the promises. 

Now let’s move on to verse 4 and discover 2 more key points from that verse.

“In God I will praise his word (Praise), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” (Peace)

Did you see the next two “P’s” from that verse? “In God I will… praise His Word…” I will praise God. When we are going through difficult times, what do we generally feel like doing? Praising God? We should, but unfortunately, many times, we find ourselves complaining or grumbling about our circumstances, which we find ourselves in.

So how do I praise God when I’m going through difficult times?  Look for the blessings that God has given to you. Ellen White says, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” We don’t have to fear the future, because we can look back and see how God has been with us.

For the second “P”, we’ll put down Praise or in other words, singing. Sing when you’re having a bad day! They may be the last time you want to do at the moment, but it’s the right thing to do!  Have you noticed when you sing that it generally lifts your spirits and makes you happy? Sing cheerful, happy songs like “Let our hearts be always cheerful” or “Tis love that makes us happy” or something like that, just to give you an example.

Ellen White says, “Song is a weapon you can always use against discouragement.” So when in difficulty and trials, sing and you will be encouraged and inspired to press onward and keep going!

Well, that was the second “P”. What is the third “P” from also that verse? “…in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” If I do not fear what flesh (man) can do to me, what is that called? It is another way of saying I have peace, right? So the 3^rd “P” is Peace.

Hebrews 13:6 says, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Paul is probably echoing the psalmist when he wrote these words.  Can you have peace in your heart, even when the world is falling apart around you? One of my favorite verses is from Isaiah 26:3 which says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee.”  “Whatever burdens lay heavily, cast them on the Lord. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Repose in God. He is kept in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on God.   The unfailing promises of God will keep your heart in perfect peace.” 

So, my friends, even if the world is seemingly falling apart around you and the difficulties and trials are more than you can bear, remember that God can keep you in perfect peace. Surrendering 100% to Christ is what brings perfect peace. Let’s go on in the chapter to verses 5-7: “Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.”

Here David is describing more problems and persecutions. He’s distressed with what the wicked have done to him.

Verse 8 is well-known and it says, “Thou tellest my wanderings (Providence): put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Perfect care) Here we find 2 more “P’s” from this passage that can help us with our problems and perplexities.  “Thou tallest all my wanderings…” What’s that? 

That’s providence. That’s the 4^th “P” – Providence or God’s guidance.  Psalms 32:8 says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go, I will guide thee with mine eye.” Ellen White says, “In everything we need to move along the line of God's providence” and in another place, “God's providence is the school in which we are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus. The Lord is ever setting before us, not the way we would choose, which seems easier and pleasanter to us, but the true aims of life. It rests with us to co-operate with the agencies which Heaven employs, in the work of conforming our characters to the divine model.” So follow God’s providence (His guidance) and remember that “all things work together for good to them that love God.”

The 5^th “P” is from the last part of the verse – “Put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” This one is Perfect Care.  Ellen White says, “In the book of God's providence, the volume of life, we are each given a page. That page contains every particular of our history; even the hairs of the head are numbered. God's children are never absent from His mind.” In your difficult moments or when you have problems and perplexities, remember God’s perfect care. You are valuable to God! He loves you with an everlasting love and He cares for you! Christ would have come to our earth just to save one of you. That’s how much He values you! Remember that when it seems that your problems are bigger than your God. God is bigger than the biggest problems you face, my friends!

Let’s go on to verse 9: “When I cry unto thee (Prayer), then shall mine enemies turn back (Protection): this I know; for God is for me.” (Promise) Here we find the 6^th and 7^th “P’s.” The verse says, “When I cry unto the…” what’s that? That’s Prayer. So the 6^th “P” is Prayer.  This is one of the best things you can do in your perplexities and troubles and it really fits with the 5^th “P” – Perfect Care, because when we remember that God loves and cares for us, then we will love to tell Him everything that troubles us. Steps to Christ says this, “Through nature and revelation, through His providence, and by the influence of His Spirit, God speaks to us. But these are not enough; we need also to pour out our hearts to Him. In order to have spiritual life and energy, we must have actual intercourse with our heavenly Father.”

My friends, talk to God as you talk to your best friend. He loves you and wants to help you in all your difficulties and loves to hear you call to Him for help and strength! When the problems and difficulties in your life are mounting up and you feel overwhelmed and discouraged, remember this “P” – Prayer. God says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me.” Call to God and He promises to hear you and help you.

Now let’s find the 7^th “P.” Verse 10: “In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.” (Proclaim) The 7^th “P” is Proclaim.  How do I get that? It’s not so obvious! The word “praise” here in the original Hebrew means to shine, to celebrate, to share. What am I proclaiming or sharing? His Word and what His Word has done in my life. This is so important. When we have troubles or perplexities and it seems that everything is going wrong, if we share to others something encouraging or something we’ve found from God’s Word, it will make our problems much smaller! So often people are focused on themselves, but when we are focused on helping others (soul-winning, for example), it helps us take our minds of ourselves and on to something better. Remember that for our own souls to grow, we must share with others what we’ve learned.

And the last 3 verses say, “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” (Peace) That’s peace again. “Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.”  (Praise) And there’s praise again. Last verse – “For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Prayer)

The psalmist ends with a prayer. It’s a prayer of supplication, asking God to deliver him from falling so he can walk before God in the right way. 

My friends, those are the 8 “P’s” from that chapter.

• Promise
• Praise
• Peace
• Providence
• Perfect Care
• Protection
• Prayer
• Proclaim

Remember those “P’s” when you are going through difficult times.  The story is told about a man named Spafford who lived in Chicago. His only son died in 1871 at the age of four and shortly afterward came the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially as he had been a successful lawyer. Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone…" Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.

My friends, I don’t know what difficult you might be going through right now, but God does. He knows every trial you face and how to help you through each one. He doesn’t want us to give in to our doubts or discouragements, but to use these 7 simple keys that David used to rise above our difficulties and trust Him fully. How many of you want to have God’s perfect peace in your heart as you work for Him?

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford

7 Keys for Trouble

Have you ever wondered what to do in trouble? What can we do when we run into problems and trials?

Psalms 54 has 7 keys for what to do in trouble!

Verses 1, 2 say, "Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth."

This is the First Key of what do in trouble - #1 - Cry to God and not to your fellow men. Usually when we're in trouble, the first people we turn to is our family or friends. Yes, God can use them to help us, but we should be turning to God first and foremost. Steps to Christ, page 119 says, "All have trials--griefs hard to bear, temptations hard to resist. Do not tell your troubles to your fellow mortals but carry everything to God in prayer." Here David is not turning to anyone except to God - His only true Helper. What a lesson for us! Let's turn to God when we're in trouble.

The second key for what to do in trouble is from verse 3, which says, "For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them." So Key #2 is Present the problem to God. We must turn to God and present to Him exactly what our troubles are. And He will hear us! Counsels for the Church, page 294 says, "There are few who rightly appreciate or improve the precious privilege of prayer. We should go to Jesus and tell Him all our needs. We may bring Him our little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. When we feel that we need the presence of Christ at every step, Satan will have little opportunity to intrude his temptations. It is his studied effort to keep us away from our best and most sympathizing friend. We can safely commune with Him of all that is in our hearts." So we should run to Jesus and present our problems to Him.

The third key comes from verses 4 and 5 which say, "Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth."  So Key #3 is Claim the Promises of God. Here David is claiming the promise God had made to him before that He would be David's helper. We must claim the promises of God, too! "Jesus lives. Move out by faith, and claim the promises of God." HS 129

Then we find the fourth and fifth keys from verse 6, "I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good." It says that I will freely sacrifice unto the Lord. Sacrifice is giving up something; doesn't that sound like surrender? Does Key #4 is Surrender 100% to God. Adventist Home, page 343 says, "Make a complete surrender to God. Fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and be broken."

The Key #5 is Sing! Evangelism, page 499 says, "If there was much more praising the Lord, and far less doleful recitation of discouragements, many more victories would be achieved. Let praise and thanksgiving be expressed in song. When tempted, instead of giving utterance to our feelings, let us by faith lift up a song of thanksgiving to God. Song is a weapon that we can always use against discouragement. As we thus open the heart to the sunlight of the Saviour's presence, we shall have health and His blessing."  So let's sing when we're in trouble and for sure it will help! :)

And the sixth and seventh keys from the last verse (7): "For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies." Here David is remembering what God did for him in the past in delivering him from trouble and this is Key #6 - Remember what God did in the past. Do you remember all the blessings and providences God did for you in the past? Last Day Events page 72 says, "We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history." If only we would remember the blessings and providences God did for us in the past and we would have no reason to complain or be discouraged for whatever situation we find ourselves in.

And Key #7 is Focus on the positive. Upward Look, page 329 says, "Bear no discouraging testimony, for this pleases the enemy. Talk of the goodness of God. Have we not enough at every step to praise him for?"

Sometimes that is hard to do, but the more we focus on the positive, the more we will see our troubles decreasing as we keep our eyes upon the Lord!

So there are the 7 keys of what to do when we're in trouble! Let's use them when our troubles come and what a blessing we will gain!