Relax And Let God Restore Your Faith

A man was taking a tour of the Holy Land in Israel and inadvertently fell into the Dead Sea. He began kicking and yelling, trying to keep himself above water, but the more he kicked, the deeper he sank. The tour guide yelled over to him, “Stop fighting and relax......the wat … More

Relax

The same is true of our rough times, when we fight against them we sink, when we relax in faith, the influence of God’s presence lifts us up. When the world seems out of control and times get rough, where can we find shelter, peace and refuge?  “Times of Refreshing” are found in the presence of the Lord. A personal plan for turning rough times into refreshing times, come from one of the most comforting Psalms ever written. According to this psalm the first principle for turning rough times into refreshing times is......

  1. Run to God (v. 1-4). “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God; in Him will I trust” (v. 2). Rough times become refreshing times when we first run to God, then we must ......
  2. Relax in Faith (v. 5-10). “Thou hast made the Lord......thy habitation” (v. 9). We experience refreshment when we run to God, relax in faith, then we must........
  3. Rely on His Resources (vv. 11-13).  You might say, “how can I relax in faith when I’’ve got unmet needs?"  Rough times are transformed into refreshing times when we run to God, relax in faith, rely on His resources, then we must.......
  4. Recommit to Him (vv. 14-16).  Only those who know and love God are assured of His protection!

One of the most interesting things about this psalm is that Satan knew it, memorized it and used it in a distorted and devious way as he tried to tempt our Lord from the path of obedience to His Father. When he quoted from Psalm 91 in the temptation of our Lord he showed how good a student he is of the Bible. However the Lord Jesus countered Satan’s quotation with another and disarmed him.

Application

One of the most difficult things in this pressure cooker society in which we live may be to relax. That is why it is so important that I have set times each day to relax and spend time with Him.

Psalms 91:1-16 (English Standard Version)


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View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »