ready ... set:

In Psalm 16, David says that he “continually sets the LORD before Him” and then he says, “because He is my right hand, I will not be shaken.”  I have wondered how David did this - to set the Lord before Him, continually.  

David digested and viewed his life’s circumstances through the nature and character of the Lord.  He did not continually set his troubles and problems before Him, rather He viewed his problems and troubles through the lens of the Lord.

Here are three attributes of the Lord that I consciously set before me.  First, the Sovereignty of God.  Jeremiah declares, Ah Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You. (Jeremiah 32:17) And God told Jeremiah, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything to difficult for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)  Instead of viewing the giants before me, I view them through the greatness of God and then these “giants” become more like grasshoppers.  

God is Sovereign.  It does not solely depend upon you.  He is able to help you

Second attribute I reflect on is the Goodness of God.  God is not only able but He is Good.  As Mr and Mrs. Beaver tell Lucy about Aslan in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, “safe, who said anything about safe? Of course He isn’t safe, but He is Good.”  And in His goodness, God wants to help you.  

God is Good.  It does not solely depend upon you.  He wants to help you.

The third attribute I focus on is the Faithfulness of God. God has made many promises and He fulfills every single one of them.  He never makes a promise or covenant that He will not complete and fulfill.  God is faithful to forgive.  For example: 1 John 1:9; He is faithful to Protect, 2 Thessalonians 3:3; He is faithful to purify you, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, He is faithful to preserve you, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9.  These are just a few of the faithful things God will do in you and for you.  

God is Faithful.  It does not depend solely on you.  He will help you.

Exercise:  Take your left hand and let it represent all of the troubles and issues you are facing. Take your right hand and let it represent the attributes of God (the Sovereignty of God, The Goodness of God, The Faithfulness of God . . .).  Put your left hand in front of your face and your right and behind your left hand.  Is this the way you are dealing with your troubles.  You see God through your troubles. Your troubles look huge and God seems small and you have little hope.

Now, switch your hand positions. Put your right hand before your face and place your left hand way behind your right.  What do you see?  You are now looking at your troubles through the lens of God’s attributes.  God is Great and your troubles are re-sized, more like grasshoppers (Read Numbers 13-14:9).

David continually set the LORD before Him.  How about you?