Jim Peters

God Just Won't Listen!

Posted on 25. Oct, 2009 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Psalm 13

Written by King David – For the Music Director

 

¹ Lord, how long[1]?  Don’t forget me forever!  How long[2] will you hide your face from me?

² How long[3] will I make myself my own counsellor and be sad[4] (all) day?

How long[5] will my enemy beat me[6]?

³ Pay attention and answer me, Lord my God.  Give light to my eyes or I will sleep in death ⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have defeated[7] him.”

My enemies will be happy when I am overthrown. ⁵ I have trusted in your kindness and my inner being is delighted with your rescue.

⁶ I will sing to the Lord because he has repaid me (for living his way).

 

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[1] “where/when/how long as far as” [2] “where/when/how long as far as” [3] “where/when/how long as far as” [4] “sorrow/grief inner man” [5] “where/when/how long as far as” [6] “be exulted over me” [7] “overcome/succeeded”

Application

Sometimes it seems that God is a long way away from me.  It seems that he is just not listening and that the best advice I can get is from myself.  It can seem like I am being beaten on every side.

The first thing that I need to realise is that God is there and that he hasn’t left me.

The second thing is that I do have an enemy that wants to rob from me, kill me and destroy me.  It’s not good to be blaming God for something that his enemy is doing to me.

Thirdly, the enemy can only attack me when I give him a foothold through sin.  I can let offence, anger, disappointment, etc, come in and open the way for the enemy to come in too.

I need to keep short accounts with God – ie confess sin and repent of it.  It is stupid to keep offences because they only open the door for the enemy to come.

Ultimately, I need to trust God and wait for his deliverance.  His free gift is salvation through Jesus and after I know Jesus, he will always repay me for living his way.  I will always have great reason to praise him when I recognise his rescue package.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for wrong attitudes towards people and money.  Forgive me for holding offence and I choose now to forgive every person who has caused any offence in my life.

I need your Spirit, your presence and your deliverance.  I call on you to change my heart, guide my way and save me from all my enemies.

Please help me to love other people and treat them in the way you would have me treat them.

Lord, I trust in you and in your kindness.  My hope is in the gift of your Son, Jesus.  I thank you and sing with joy because of all you’ve done for me through him.

IJN Amen 

 

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