Knowing God and His Promises

As I rose one morning, I felt a certain uneasiness- physically (probably due to sleeping wild) and also spiritually. Being a human being, living in a tangible world, I began running down a list of things that would have my mind uneasy as I was sleep. Some matters of the past came to mind as well as new ones. So instead of dwelling on what made or caused the unrest I began searching for peace. The first thing that I did was listen to songs that were sent to me after choir rehearsals by the director. But I felt a conviction coming over me. This feeling was introduced to me by Pastor Bonita Cain who at the time also directed me to Psalms. So as I did then I also did again. I took up my Bible and read as I listen to classical piano selections. I felt that Psalms was a perfect choice seeing as how David, the great king, shepherd, and psalmist found himself in the same distress as myself.
During distress it is important first to keep ones head, so to speak. In all things, good and bad, we must remember that we can go to the Rock. David did so and was not as concerned about what was going on around him as much as God's promises. Because David had already experienced God's wonderful promises, during the times in which there were men seeking to kill him, David was giving God praise. It would have been easy for him to give up and speak anything but praise to God but he knew that if God rescued him from danger, unease, and distress once before, then He would do it again. David knew that God would keep his word. "Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you." Psalms 2:8-9 says, "Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

If we serve the Lord with faith and fear he will not only deliver us from our enemies, problems, and obstacles, but He will give them to us that we may destroy them. The amazing realization in this revelation is that God, He who created all things, hears us! We lowly, who deserve nothing less than the full extent of God's wrath and chastisement, are heard! If we seek Him and turn away from the counsel of the ungodly we will be blessed and heard. If we turn away from the ungodly we are godly. David says in Psalms 4:3, "But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself. The Lord will hear when I call into him." 2 Timothy 2:9 says, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Also we find in John 10:14 and 27 Jesus says,

"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
"My sheep hear my voice,and I know them, and they follow me."
In these verses, these instances show a proof or validation of a relationship. A relationship between a Shepherd and His sheep; the Lord and those that claim the name of Christ; David and God. Simply put, if we turn away from that which is ungodly, that which is not of God, and we claim the name of the Shepherd, claim the name if Jesus Christ, then if we cry out to Him, or we ask of Him, He will hear us!

There is another promise fulfilled also. Verses 14 and 27 speak of the relationship, but verses 15 and 28 speak of what manifests as a result of the relationship. These verses state respectively, "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

In closing, I would like to refer to Isaiah 53:4-6. "Surely He hath bourne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
Him the iniquity of us all."