DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS THAT SEEM OVERWHELMING?

SCRIPTURE:
I called on your name, LORD, from the depths of the pit. 
(Lamentations 3:55)
 
MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought to yourself, 
“Why should I read books in the Old Testament?”
You may have concluded that it is full of “thee’s” “thou’s” and “begat’s”,
and none of that type of information is beneficial to you.

Nothing could be further from the truth.
The entire Bible is “God-breathed”, 
and is beneficial to those who read ‘all’ of it.

As an example, have you ever felt like you were sinking into a pit 
and there was no one who could help, 
because no one could understand what you are going through?
You may have been so distraught 
that you couldn’t articulate your distress to others.
If you can’t explain the magnitude of your suffering, 
then they have no idea of how they can assist you in your time of need.

Adding to your pain, you discover that 
even if you could explain your problems, 
others aren’t interested in listening to you 
as you pour your heart out to them.

However, we discover in Lamentations that God hears us and knows exactly how 
to calm us down, so that we no longer feel trapped with the walls closing in.
You heard my plea: 
“Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” (Lamentations 3:56)
You came near when I called you, 
and you said, “Do not fear.” (Lamentations 3:57)

The author of Lamentations (possibly Jeremiah) cried out to God, 
“Do not close your ears to my cry of relief”.
We don’t know if he cried out to others as well, 
but we do know that he cried out to God, and God heard him.

Not only did God hear his plea, 
but when he called out to Him, God came near to him.
And lastly, 
God gave him the words he needed to hear at the time, “Do not fear”.
God could have given him a plan of action or any other advice, 
but He knew what was needed at that moment.

Before the man could move in a positive direction, 
he needed to get over his fear of what could happen.
Fear can do that to us, can’t it?
When we are fearful, 
we become preoccupied with all kinds of negative possibilities.
But once fear has been put behind us, we can think more clearly, and more 
importantly, we remember that God is the source of our help in time of need.

ACTION:
If you are going through a difficult time, then remember 
how God responded to the one who sought His help in the ‘Old Testament’.
We could cite many other examples of the benefits 
of reading the Old Testament, but suffice it to say 
that the entire Bible has been created for the welfare of mankind.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for a book that contains Your communications 
with mankind. Help me to develop a habit of reading the Bible frequently, so 
I will understand the benefits of spending time in Your Word. Teach me how 
to not only read the words, but also how to meditate on them, so that You 
can speak directly to me.”