Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Psalms

Finding Hope in Times of Persecution

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During times of trial and persecution, finding hope can be elusive. You trust God and desire to persevere, but discouragement is bound to set in. When these times come, never forget God is able to restore all things. His grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9). Throughout the Word of God, we see the Lord’s care and provision for those who claim Him as their King.

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Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This is the same God, the unchanging God, who is with you no matter what you might be experiencing. He is your strength, and He is your hope.

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Never Alone

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Much of persecution aims to make us feel isolated and alone. God designed us to live in community with Him and one another, so being ostracized can cause great stress for most people. That is why going with the crowd rarely leads to any persecution. So long as you are in the flow, the world will readily accept you and you’ll be relatively safe.

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As soon as you swim against the tide, however, you can easily feel like you are the only person fighting the battle. Isolation is mentally wearing on us, and those who would persecute you will do everything to exploit this. The good news is that in Christ, we are never alone. That’s not some spiritual triteness, it is a Biblical certainty in which we can find comfort, rest, peace, and hope.

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Honoring God

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I woke up at 3:30 in the morning recently. That’s not an hour where I normally have a great deal of clarity. But on that morning, I was immediately hit with the thought that the only important thing is to honor God with all my life. I must make every decision with the aim of honoring God. Every activity I endeavor to engage in, every plan I make, every thought I think, and every word I speak means nothing if they are not honoring to God.

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Who or what else is worthy of my honor? Me? Certainly not! Only the Lord is worthy of honor and praise (Psalm 96:4; Deuteronomy 10:21; Revelation 5:12; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 29:2). In the dark and stillness of the night, it was a clear and simple course of action. Whatever else I would do that day, it would mean nothing if it weren’t for the glory of God.

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The Fear of the Lord

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The fear of the Lord has always been a bit of a conundrum for me. On the one hand, I understand what it means, but in some ways, it is a mystery. We know we should fear the Lord because He is holy and His wrath is terrifying. At the same time, His love and mercy are comforting and we know those who love Him are safe in His arms. The paradox of fearing and loving God has led to a lot of thought, study, and confusion for me.

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Perhaps you are in the same boat. Thankfully, the Lord cleared all this up for me in an instant this week. I was reading in the book of Proverbs, one of my favorite books in the Bible, and one I have read countless times. Yet for the first time, I saw something I’d overlooked before.

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Hope in the Darkness

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I love Psalm 37. It’s like a mini guidebook for how to live. The psalm is full of wisdom and encouragement and worthy of being read daily. Recognizing how relevant God’s Word remains today always makes me smile. We need no other proof of the divine nature of the Bible than to see how prescient and applicable the words written thousands of years ago are today. Right out of the gate, it appears King David, the author of the Psalm, is speaking directly into our world.

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He writes, “Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.” (Psalm 37:1-2). Our world is full of evil people, but it is an encouragement to know their plans will not last forever. God will hold them accountable for what they do. There is hope in the darkness.

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