“1. O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3. And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 4. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. 7. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.”

If you spend much time on social media, you’ve probably observed hunters from time to time trying to sell their equipment due to some difficult circumstances. Sometimes even a monster buck mount that has been so memorable to them. The first question you have to raise is, “Does God really want them to do that?” The answer could be yes, due to whatever reasons God sets forth. However, there are many times God may be allowing the trial so you will simply turn to Him and trust Him, rather than figuring it out yourself! There was a time when I(DB) made a few purchases I shouldn’t have. I came across a deal on a heavy duty high dollar hunting blind along with a nice still camera for capturing those great memories in the field. I didn’t have much peace about the purchase, but I chose not to seek God about it and just go ahead and get what I want. That’s how we all function sometimes, right? As the months began to pass by, some unexpected car expenses popped up with not just my vehicle, but also my wife’s. Seven hundred dollars was the expense for the car. We had it! No big deal, but then seven more hundred was needed for my truck. When the seven hundred came up for the truck it was also time for the monthly rent payment of seven hundred dollars. We have no more money and no way to pay both bills. Oh, by the way, the camera I purchased was four hundred dollars and the blind was just shy of three hundred. What do you do? I need my truck to get to work, but I also need to make the rent payment. I began to seek God about my decisions that I made for material gain. I told the LORD I would sell both items and take it as a lesson learned. God wouldn’t allow me to sell either item. I got the truck fixed and spent the next 10 days praying for God to provide the money needed for rent. The day the rent was due we still had one hundred dollars left over. God miraculously provided! I still don’t remember where it all came from, but God made a way. Just a couple months later God also answered another prayer, He provided thousands of dollars for us to put our son through private school and we were able to pay it up front. Should I have sold my equipment? That’s what I would have done, because I put myself in that situation. Look at Psalm 107:1 again, “O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Are you in distress today? Could God want you to sell valuables to relieve financial struggles? He might say yes, but more than anything, He wants you to seek Him first. There is a great focus that we can look to in Psalm 107. It was first mentioned in verse 6, “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of all their distresses.” But wait, lets keep reading! Verse 13, “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.” Verse 19, “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. Verse 20, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.” Verse 28, “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.” Verse 29-30 “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” It might be that the distress your in today is nothing you brought upon yourself, but before you make a bad decision, Cry unto the LORD! We serve a loving, long-suffering, life giving God! Praise the LORD for the Psalm 107!

Memory Verse Week 2/21/21

Psalm 107:6

“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.”