Hi Mike
Your emails continue to be a scource of great and much needed encouragement.
It reminds me of that verse:

Pro 15:23  A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

… and of course the very next verse is:

Pro 15:24  The path of life is upward to the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol downward.

It certainly is an upward call. I marvel how easily I am discouraged sometimes. Unbelief is like a contagious infection; thank God faith is also contagious.

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Thank God for the Word of life. The nature of “life” is intriguing, even that it is called “life” at all seems a misnomer. What we humans think of as “life” is really not life but darkness out of which God calls the light, a light affliction working a great glory
to know that no matter how hideous and misconceived are the thoughts and acts of me or any other man (sin in the flesh), that in due time God will set things in order before my eyes and the eyes of all is a great comfort…
Until then the just shall live by His faith and thinking on the Lord and “as He is so are we” I keep getting a strong reminder of this verse

Luk 24:26  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

Yes, there is nothing unknown to God and He will set all things in order when and as He sees fit. Will Christ be moved, will He be divided? I think not! All opposition will be ultimately defeated and until then it only accomplishes the will of God.
It’s good to have someone to talk to, Mike, it really helps me get things in perspective a little. I spend so much time amongst the unbelieving that I occasionally forget they are wrong and the unbeliever in me joins in with them. Thank God He works all things; all my recent trials serve to remind me that my most insidious enemy lies within. I will be learning to be more watchful.
Thanks so much for being that friend in my need, Mike, in the loneliest watch, in the most obscure outpost God’s provision is no less present.
F____

Good morning F____,
Your letters are so inspiring, even when, and maybe I should say, especially when you are suffering trials.
I am impressed this morning with the four times in Psa 107 that God tells us what we are, and what we do, and then He says this: “He delivers them out of their distresses… troubles… afflictions.” He even tells us that the waves of the sea that sometimes overwhelm us, are actually the work of His hands, doing in us what He wants done:

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses .

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of Jehovah say so, Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
Psa 107:3  And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.
Psa 107:4  They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; They found no city of habitation.
Psa 107:5  Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them.
Psa 107:6  Then t hey cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he delivered them out of their distresses,

Psa 107:10  Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound in affliction and iron,
Psa 107:11  Because they rebelled against the words of God, And contemned the counsel of the Most High:
Psa 107:12  Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help.
Psa 107:13  Then t hey cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he saved them out of their distresses. 
Psa 107:17  Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Psa 107:18  Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
Psa 107:19  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

When we put this chapter together with this verse in chapter 50, we should begin to get a view of what our Creator is doing with His creatures:

Psa 50:15  And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

As the book of Job demonstrates, God sends Satan to bring us trials from which He delivers us and THEN we cry out to Him and He delivers us and THEN we glorify Him. We may not like the program, but that is the program and as mere vessels of clay, it behooves us to get with the program and quit asking “Why have you made me thus?”
Now notice this little revelation of how God will have us to react to these trials which He sends us to introduce us to who we really are.  After each of the trials ennumerated above, we have the following statements. Notice how God will have us to respond to all of our trials:

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Psa 107:15  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:16  For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:32  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
Our trials are neither ‘stones or serpents’ and yet that is exactly what many of us think of our trials and hardships when they overwhelm us and “bring us to our wits end.”

Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Mat 7:9  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Mat 7:10  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Mat 7:11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

The requests and petitions, the “fervent prayers of all righteous men”, include the words “thy will be done…[ and] according to His will.” Psa 107, Tit 2:11-12, Heb 12:6, and all of God’s Words demonstrate that “the LORD’S goodness, and his wonderful works to the children of men” those trials and tests we read of in Psa 107.
It is only if we see this that we can truly say with the apostle James that we “count it all joy when we are given different trials”

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [ Greek, peirasmos, trials];
Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that t he trying of your faith worketh patience.

Just how important is patience to salvation?

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

How important is faith that has been tried in fire?

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God is not a Father who gives His children what they want. He gives them good things of His goodness. Neither is He a God who rewards those who seek Him, “He rewards them that diligently seek Him.”

Psa 119:2  Blessed [ are] they that keep his testimonies, [ and that] seek him with the whole heart.
Psa 119:10  With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Psa 119:34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Jer 24:7  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [ am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

God will not tolerate anything less than wholeheartedness. He makes this very clear:

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

When we serve God with a whole heart we see “His goodness” as He sees His goodness. We learn in time to rejoice in persecutions and trials, and we see these things for what they really are:

Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

You have mentioned the fact that you have been enduring trials of late. I hope this is of some help. I will close with a verse which seems to be the logical conclusion to what is revealed in Psa 107:

 Php 4:6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. (CEV)

I know I am ‘preaching to the choir’ with you, but I hope you are encouraged, knowing that in your trials God is doing His work within you.
Your brother in the Christ.
Mike
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