WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
APRIL 27, 2021
TOPIC: YOUR TROUBLES TROUBLE THE LORD
BY T. O. BANSOÂ
âIt troubled the Lord to see them in trouble, and his angel saved them. The Lord was truly merciful, so he rescued them in his arms and carried them all those yearsâ (Isaiah 63:9 Contemporary English Version).
Oftentimes, when children of God are facing some lifeâs challenges and deliverance does not seem to be near, there is the temptation to feel that, maybe, God does not care; otherwise, after several sessions of fasting and prayer, He should have intervened! This is an age-long feeling.
When Job experienced silence from God throughout his trials until towards the end, He accused God of persecuting Him (Job 19:22). God only spoke towards the end of his affliction.
Job said, âMy complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his throne and talk with him there. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. Would he merely argue with me in his greatness? No, he would give me a fair hearing. Fair and honest people can reason with him, so I would be acquitted by my Judgeâ (Job 23:2-7 New Living Translation).
Job was a man God testified of as blameless and upright, and one who feared Him and shunned evil. Yet, evil befell this man. He felt betrayed and deserted by God; he had lived his life to please Him. He said, âI go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I turn to the south, but I cannot find him. But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocentâ (Job 23:8-10 New Living Translation).
When Jesus was on the cross, at the night hour, shortly before He died, He cried to God with a loud voice, saying, ââEli, Eli, lama sabachthani?â that is, âMy God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?ââ (Matthew 27:46 New King James Version). Jesus, the Son of God, felt forsaken.
But God neither abandoned Job nor Jesus. He was with them in their affliction. He identified with them in their troubles. Maybe youâre going through some challenges or troubles at the moment, and you feel deserted by God. You could even be wondering if God has started cooperating with the devil against you! No. There is no fellowship between light and darkness. God is good; He has not abandoned you.
The children of Israel were in Egypt for 430 years. They didnât start out as slaves, but a time came when a king came to the throne in Egypt, who did not know Joseph, one of the Israelitesâ ancestors (Exodus1:8). He saw the Israelites as a threat and began to afflict them. They cried to the LORD for deliverance.
The LORD said, âI have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress themâ (Exodus 3:7-9 New King James Version).
God saw their affliction; He identified with them in their suffering. Isaiah 63:9 says, âIt troubled the Lord to see them in trouble, and his angel saved them. The Lord was truly merciful, so he rescued them in his arms and carried them all those yearsâ Â (Contemporary English Version).
The New Century Version says, âWhen they suffered, he suffered also. He sent his own angel to save them. Because of his love and kindness, he saved them. Since long ago he has picked them up and carried themâ
Exodus 23:20; 14:19; 32:34; 33:2, and Numbers 20:16 record that an angel led the Israelites in their journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan. Exodus 14:19-20 says, âAnd the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that nightâ (New King James Version).
Your troubles trouble the Lord. It doesnât mean that He is handicapped or helpless as you may be. It means that whatever youâre going through now, God is concerned, just as He was concerned about the Israelites, His chosen people. He didnât just pity them; He intervened in their condition. He bore them on eagles’ wings and brought them to Himself (Exodus 19:4).
Deuteronomy 1:31 says in the wilderness, the LORD carried the Israelites, as a man carries his son. In your present wilderness journey, He will carry you, too. He brought The Israelites out of Egypt with His Presence and His mighty power (Deuteronomy 4:37). Â He sent an angel before them to keep them in the way and to bring them into the place He had prepared (Exodus 23:20). Heâll do the same for you.
It troubles the Lord to see you in trouble! Your troubles trouble Him. He will intervene on your behalf. âYou can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concernâ (1 Peter 5:7 J.B. Phillips).  You are Godâs personal concern. He is mindful of you. His mind is full of you!
He was with the three Hebrews in the furnace of fire and saved them (Daniel 3:13-30). Â âNebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, âBlessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!’â (Verse 28 New King James Version). Nebuchadnezzar testified that God sent an angel to deliver them. Trust in the Lord as they did. He will save you, too. He also delivered Daniel in the lionâs den (Daniel 6:18-23). He will deliver you.
Paul said he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion and the Lord would deliver him from every evil work and preserve him for His heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:17-18). The Lord shall preserve you, too. âThe righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one. For the LORD protects them from harm â not one of their bones will be broken!â (Psalm 34:19-20 New Living Translation). The Lord sent an angel to rescue Peter from prison (Acts 12:6-19). If there is a need for an angel to deliver you, God will send one. The angels are all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14).
God is concerned about your troubles. Your troubles trouble Him. It wasnât the day the Israelites cried to Him in Egypt that He intervened. Therefore, never give up on God as you trust in Him, pray to Him, and await your deliverance. Just as the Lord did for the Israelites, He will bring you out with a mighty hand, and redeem you from whatever constitutes the house of bondage or the hand of Pharaoh that you may be now.
It troubles the Lord to see you in trouble! The LORD says, âI will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hopeâ (Hosea 2:15 New Living Translation). Youâll experience restoration and transformation. You wonât be submerged by the tide of lifeâs challenges. The Lord will not allow the seas to spread beyond their boundaries (Proverbs 8:29). The Lord shall still the noise of the raging seas; He will silence the noise of their waves (Psalm 65:7). Peace, be still in Jesus’ name!
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Â O Lord, deliver me from my troubles. Let me not be submerged by the tide of lifeâs challenges. Father, I silence the noise of the waves of raging seas in my life in Jesusâ name. The seas shall not spread beyond their boundaries. Father, deliver all your children currently in the furnace of afflictions; let them come out with testimonies in Jesus’ name.
(For about 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
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