23/04/2013 - IMPORTANT DIRECTIONS

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Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; incline Your ear to me; in the day that I call, answer me speedily.

Psalm 102.2

This verse of the Scriptures has three requests from a person who loves the Lord. And it gives us some important directions. Maybe you are in the midst of a trial or facing temptation in your life. When you realize that the devil is behind all that and confess to the Lord your weaknesses, he will not be ashamed of you; rather, he will deliver you, and truth will shine from his face, rescuing you from the hands of the devil.

Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble ‒ Even if you have not given in to temptation, you will face tribulation, because the attacks of the devil will not stop. First, he will make you feel guilty for being tempted and, if you pay attention to him, he will make you feel like the most miserable and lost person on earth. Do not be deceived by the enemy, because he is a liar (John 8.44c). Even if you have fallen, the Lord will never hide his face from you. Be patient, believe in what he declares and the truth will set you free (John 8.32).

Incline Your ear to me ‒ Since the first time you heard the gospel, the Lord has his ears inclined to you. So never believe in the lies of the evil one, but pray to God, because he hears your prayers. When you call upon him, he will help you out. God’s moving into action is faster than the effect of an antidote against the venom of a snake.

In the day that I call, answer me speedily – It is up to you to call on the Lord. You can do that as soon as you feel the attack of the devil, or you can wait and do like Pharaoh did. He asked Moses to pray only the next day, because he still wanted to spend the night with those disgusting frogs plaguing his house and covering the land of Egypt (Exodus 8.8-10). If you have the power to determine when the Lord will intervene in your life, so why would you wait?

When you come before the Lord, call on him with faith. If you believe, his help will come speedily. The Lord does not delay in his answer, but it depends on your faith to call on him immediately. In the parable of the widow that would come every day before the unjust judge asking for justice, Jesus said that God will avenge those who ask for justice speedily (Luke 18.1-8). May this serve as a lesson to you, so that your blessing is no longer postponed.

The Lord does not hide his face from us, so there is no need for us to remain under the influence of the devil. The light that shines on the face of the Lord delivers us from all evil. It is important to remember that God does not play favorites. All of us are treated equally by him. If the devil is saying to you that things are different in your case, just ignore him. Believe in what you have understood from Psalm 102.2. The Truth always delivers those who know it.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares