In his distress, Job spent a lot of time thinking about what was, what might have been and what he must have done wrong to create his problems. Along the way, his friends counseled him, sometime the right way, but mostly improperly. But in everything, Job had his faith in God and regardless of his suffering, he knew one day his faith would reveal its Source.

David was like Job in that he too spent much time thinking about the past while enduring present suffering. One might say that David's trials were many times self-inflicted, but regardless, on more than one occasion, he found relief by trusting God to deliver him, if not immediately, then in the end.

If you need the encouragement of thinking about God's deliverance, Psalm 40 should be earmarked in your Bible. First, David noted that no amount of wishing or working is going to advance God's timing. He knew, as should we, that he must wait for God's timing and try to make God comply with our expectations. And notice what David says God does when we wait.

God hears the prayer of the patient. He not only answers us but, delivers us out of our slimy circumstances and then lifts us up and sets us on solid ground. He places a song in our heart and joy in our step.

Today, you may be concentrating on your circumstances to the degree, you forgot to pray and call out to God for relief. I urge you to take counsel from Job and David. Pray and look to God to answer. While you wait, fill your time with meditation and praise, singing a new song to the Lord. Before you know it, you'll find your circumstances fall behind you like the chains of a prisoner set free.

If you didn't know it, hope has a Name; it's Jesus and no matter where you are, He'll go with you and is able to deliver you if you ask. No matter if you're saved or not, you can count on Jesus!

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Jb. 16:1-19:29 1 Co. 16:1-24 Ps. 40:1-10 Pr. 22:1 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

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