Turn to me LORD, for I am lonely and afflicted.

Psalm 34:7

The “angel of the LORD” encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

We are studying Psalms 34 this week and I keep reflecting back on that verse. I love it, I knew it but somehow reading those words today gave me chills. The “angel of the LORD” encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh yes he does.

I wonder what we would do differently if we truly believed that he is surrounding us at all times, that the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. That when the righteous cry out He hears them and delivers them out of all of their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart and he saves them. (taken from Psalm 34:15, 17-18).

Who out there can think of something that they are currently troubled by? What if I told you that there is happiness for those who trust in God through these times, and all other times.

For me there is a “trouble” that reoccurs often in my life. It is a deep sensitive place within me and when it resurfaces I had better be prepared for an all-out war of my mind. I have to stand firm on the true Word of God or before I even know it I will be dealing with a strong nasty affliction in my life. Our mind is a battle field and if we aren’t willing to take ALL our thoughts captive to Christ we are running a high risk for failure and subjection to affliction.

I often record Beth Moore’s lessons on Life Today. I had already been dealing with this “trouble” that had resurfaced but knew this time that it had become much more than a trouble or inconvenience currently in my life. I sat down last Wednesday and turned on her show only to hear her speaking on trouble vs. affliction. It was one of those moments where you go…Did I somehow tell her this??? Of course we know that this is just how God works sometimes. I was dealing with an affliction and God knew I needed to hear a good word on it, and a good word I did receive.

It was one of those lessons that you grab your pen and paper and take note of every verse and application that is offered, a lesson that sticks with you and helps you along the process. I’ve sought Counseling over this affliction, which has been amazing, and tons and tons of prayer but sometimes God just gives you a word straight out of the mouth of someone who has received victory over it to give you the hope you need to stick it out.

As I mentioned before we are studying Psalm 34 in our Bible Study this week and I cannot tell you how often I have said out loud, “I will bless you LORD at all times, your praise shall continually be in my mouth”. For the “angel of the LORD” encamps me for I fear you and you deliver me! (Yes I changed it up a bit and added the exclamation mark but I think you get the picture).

I have to tell you that I am so overwhelmed by looking at this world. The sickness and tragedies within our community alone are too much to process. I usually make it through about 10 minutes of the news in the morning before it ruins my coffee and I grab the remote to turn on one of the kid’s shows. I don’t want to be ignorant with what is going on but I don’t want to be so consumed with it that I see no good, no love and no God.

I am thankful that today I am reminded that He encamps us who fears him and delivers us. He hears our cries and heals the broken hearted…what are we waiting for? What are some of us waiting for in our Spiritual walk with Him? What are we so bound up in that we can’t bend the knee and lay it all down to Him? If we were being honest with ourselves most of us would say that we aren’t doing a really great job of it on our own.

What idols have we placed above him? I am so guilty of this and have to monitor this one all the time. Where does the pride come from that makes us believe we don’t need him? Most of us have been there, some of us stayed there long enough to know that we will never turn back to it.  

Psalm 25 says,

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
³ Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

⁴ Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

⁶ Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses,
For they are from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
⁹ The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
¹¹ For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

¹² Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall He^[a] teach in the way He^[b] chooses.
¹³ He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
¹⁴ The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶ Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
¹⁸ Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
¹⁹ Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred.
²⁰ Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
²¹ Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.

²² Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all their troubles!

This is the passage of Scripture that Beth used in her lesson on trouble vs. affliction. I put it on an index card and have kept it close by for the last 6 days. I pray that if any of this speaks to you that you will do the same.

There is but one way out of the trouble and the afflictions that we will face in this life, and make no mistake you will face them. You can go through this life depending upon yourself as your savior, or you can turn to Jesus and have the troubles of your heart redeemed. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13.