THE LORD KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER US FROM TRIALS

Today’s Text: The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. (2 Peter 2:9)

Today’s Thoughts: Temptations may refer to the things that entice us to sin, or it can be another word for trials. Any trial ultimately has the potential to cause us to give up and turn away from God and His ways. I definitely do not want to give in to the temptation to quit when I face trials. But we cannot stand firm during tough times on our own, God is the only One who can pull us through. He knows just how to deliver us from our trials, and spare us from walking the wrong way. We may want the trial removed, but God may see it best to simply help us to make it through. He will do what’s best. He can deliver us, and He will. He does not want us to stray and one day reap the consequences – He loves us far too much. But ultimately, the choice is ours. He has offered us all He can.

Today’s Testimony: While sitting in my first exam for this last semester a car alarm started going off. I figured the car probably belonged to someone else in the exam room and therefore wasn’t going to be silenced very soon. An alarm going off in the middle of an exam does not exactly contribute to concentration, so I prayed that the Lord would intervene. The alarm immediately stopped, but then immediately continued going off again. I prayed again and then diverted my attention back to my exam paper. A while later I realized that the car alarm had stopped.
I had prayed for the alarm to stop, but the Lord chose rather to help me to drown out the sound and focus on my exam paper. Then later He intervened and the alarm stopped, but I was totally unaware that it stopped when it did.
We’ve all had problems. We’ve all had troubles that attract out entire attention – trials that we wish would disappear. Sometimes God will intervene and remove our problems, but other times He may choose to help us to rather focus on the things that really matter and stop devoting our attention to our troubles. Stressing about them won’t help. Praying about them will help in one way or another – God knows what is best for each of us in every situation.
God answers prayer. He may not always answer them the way we would have liked, but He always answers. He knows how to deliver us from trials.

Today’s Task: No matter what trials you are facing, know that the Lord knows how to intervene. Trust His wisdom. Trust His love. Remember that God always knows what is best. Resist the temptation to give up and forsake the Lord – He hasn’t forsaken you. God is right there with you in every trial. He will bring you through. Choose to remain in Him. Trust Him.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I praise You that You are good and that You are God. I thank You that You know how to deliver us from temptation and trial, and I thank You that You will if we ask you to and allow You to do so. I thank You that You will always do what’s best for us. Please help us to trust You. I pray that we will stand on Your side one day because we clung to You in the midst of temptation and trial, and not be found on the other side to reap the results of our sin. Please help us to remain faithful to You. I thank You that You care about Your children. Amen.