Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

Psalm 71:1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.2 Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. 3 Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 5 For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth.
...7 I have become as a wonder to many, But You are my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
...20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side.

In this Psalm, David pours out his heart in seeking God's deliverance and help. He faced many challenges in his life and some trouble was of his own making.

The best thing you can do is ask God to help you. Sometimes you are not in a good place mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. As the old Andre Crouch song said, "If I never had a problem, I would never know that God could solve them."

God does not bring trouble, but He certainly works with us, trains us, and corrects us, when trouble shows up. Injustice is one of the more troubling problems we face because of the wicked nature of humanity. David offered this prayer, "Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 5 For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth."

David said, "I have become a wonder to many..." The New Living Translation reads, "My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection." He realized that his challenges would serve the purpose of providing encouragement for others. This is something we can all hope for as we move through seasons of difficulty.

Looking ahead at his life, David expressed his concern about becoming older and more frail. "Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails." Older people are concerned about being forgotten and discarded due to diminished capacity. In this, God is also faithful.

In the midst of expressing his concerns to God and asking for help, David also expressed his faith in God's power and provision in Verse 20-21: "You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side."

Reflection Question: What problems and concerns will you express to God? How will you also express your faith and confidence in God?

Today’s action item based on insight:

Psalm 33:16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

There are a lot of things in this world that are considered to be powerful. People pursue politics because of the power it seems to bestow. It has been said, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Many people have been seduced by things that they possess, believing those earthly things provide strength. Decades ago a man named Howard Hughes became one of the most powerful and the richest man in the world. But his wealth was not strong enough to save him from mental illness and debilitating illnesses.

David talked about powerful things in his time which included an army, physical strength, and a horse. In our day, we might talk about such things as networking, big business deals, socio-economic status, and powerful cars. To be sure, these things can transform people into celebrities who appear to have strength because of their wealth. We’ve seen government policies that enrich the wealthy on the backs of the poor and middle-class. The rich getting richer and seemingly stronger.

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Rather than thinking about what people focus on, we should think more about what God is focusing on. David said the Lord's eyes are on those who fear Him and on those who hope in His unfailing love. Every form of strength in which men place their trust fails and comes to an end.

The fear of the Lord is the sense that the last thing you want to do is to displease your God. The fear of the Lord purifies your motive’s and clarifies your purpose. The best part is: When we have the fear of the Lord, He pays attention to us and brings His strength into our lives and circumstances.

Reflection Question: What are some things you thought were strong, only to find that those things failed? How will you trust God today?

Today’s action item based on insight:

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

For many of us it is difficult to wait. When you want something, you don't want to wait for it. Waiting on the Lord is not the same as waiting for things we want. We don't wait on the Lord because he's not ready. We wait because he is at work according to the timing of what we need. If you put cookie dough in the oven before the oven is hot, you’re going to end up with hard, dry cookies. Most things have to be done in the proper sequence.

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God is at work in your circumstances below the surface and behind the scenes. He's dealing with people and circumstances that do not instantly respond to His will. For example, if you ask God to help you with a financial matter, he won't counterfeit money to get it to you. He often works through the natural order of things.

Courage is not the absence of fear or anxiety, it is willingness to endure within a challenging circumstance without giving up. The time between the "Amen" to your prayer and the answer to that prayer requires patience and courage. God offers you strength of heart during your seasons of waiting for his timing.

You may not realize this, but your season of expectation and waiting prepares you to handle the blessing when it comes! If the blessing came before you were ready, you could not contain it.

Reflection Question: What do you need to adjust in your waiting on God?

Today’s action item based on insight:

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

To “delight” is to incline or bend ourselves towards the objects of our desire and sources of our pleasure. Most of our pain or satisfaction in life comes from what we desire and how we are bent. Most importantly, the direction of our bent or delight determines our success in achieving the desires of our hearts.

The key words in this text include:
Trust (in the Lord), Do (good), Dwell (in the land), Feed (on His faithfulness), Delight (yourself in the Lord), Commit (Your way to the Lord), Trust (in Him)

The idea of bending represents a significant change in character. Our training, experiences, and influences all find expression in how we delight. In this we are all unique, but as believers the object of our greatest delight and deepest desire should be the Lord. For example, if you want to become a doctor, you need to have a bent towards science, physiology, and wanting to cure people.

David wrote: "Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass." What is “it" that God brings to pass? It is whatever you need or desire from your heart!

Reflection Question: In what ways are you "bent?" These are the real desires of your heart.

Psalms 20:1, May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; 3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah 4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose.5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright. 9 Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call.

God helps you in ways that no one else can. God can respond and help using an endless variety of ways. There is no end of methods and means that He can use. People who only depend on other people, end up frustrated. As David said, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God."

When you come to an end of yourself, you will begin to see what God can do. The only thing that remains is for you to call on the name of the Lord!

Reflection Question: What has God done for you that you could not imagine Him doing?

Today’s action item based on insight: