Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Our Verse of the Day today is one of those verses that has so many powerful promises for us. It's also one of those verses that sometimes we can look at and say, I see what's on the page, but I don't see it translating into the reality of my life.
It comes from 2 Samuel chapter 22, verse 31. "'God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.'"
You may be sitting there saying, okay, His way is perfect. I get it. Mentally, I know that all His promises prove true. I know that He's a shield to those who need Him. I get that. But there are times I just don't see this lived out in my life. Lord, where are You?
That's where I'd love for today to do something a little different. I'm going to share something that David said to put it in context of this verse. Then I just want to share a personal testimony of how God taught me this verse in a very real way in my life.
Looking Back After the Battle
The context: in verse 1 of this chapter, it says, "David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul."
What I love about the practicality of that context is, the song isn't being written and sung when he's in the midst of the battle, when he's in the midst of the struggle. This is David after he was delivered, after he's passed the battles and the struggles. He's looking back and saying, wow. He's able to see it after the fact.
That's why I'd love to share just a personal testimony of this verse, because oftentimes we can give you thoughts and tips and things to think about, but really, the practicality of life, sometimes it's a matter of how does that translate?
A Difficult Season
There was a time quite a few years ago that we were living in Southern California, and we were paying Southern California rent, and we were trying to sell our house in Northern California, and it wasn't selling. We were dealing with these huge expenses. We were watching our savings go to nothing. During that season, work at the time was extremely difficult.
I was watching my family struggle significantly, and I just kept thinking, Lord, where are You? I answered Your call. I thought, where are You in the midst of this?
Well, we ended up finding a solution. We rented out the house because we couldn't afford to keep going the way we were going. We were starting to go into debt, and it just was not healthy. The weight of everything else going on was so difficult.
The Precision of God's Plan
That's why the context of David looking back on the struggle matters. Fast forward a few years later. God called us back to Northern California, and we were able to move back into our same house. When I looked back, and when we were able to look back on everything that happened during that season, it was incredible, with precision, how God worked, whether it's work or my family. My daughter even confessed to us later that during that season, bad things were happening, but that was what God used to turn her life around and to passionately follow Him.
Financially, we were angry at our agent for what they were doing or not doing to sell the house, and we had no idea, looking back, of the precision that God used to orchestrate everything.
When I see this verse, "His way is perfect, all of His promises prove true, He's a shield to protect," I could have never in my wildest dreams been able to orchestrate and plan exactly how strategically everything went, as I look back on all of the pieces that God put into place. All I could see were the human faces behind the things people were doing, what we thought was to us and against us.
God Has a Perfect Plan Through It
I know that some of you can't see past that right now. I know there are some really bad things that people have done to you or are doing to you. God's will is never based on man's sin, but God always, always has a perfect plan through it, and He will lead you through it. His promises are true, and He is a shield to protect you, even when you feel like He didn't protect you from this.
I promise you, He has a plan through it for you, and it's perfect. He is orchestrating something beautiful for you because He loves you and cares about you. I personally have seen that in powerful ways, and I know He's doing that for you. You can trust Him through it, that His way is perfect, His promises will prove true, and He will be a shield to you.
I would just encourage you today, no matter where you're at, to trust Him through it.
