A few mornings a week our church in Istanbul had a
devotional time where we studied Psalms. We looked at one Psalm each time, and
while we were there we studied Psalms 20-31. I guess I hadn’t realized before
just how deep one could go with the Psalms; it really helped to have a pastor’s
insight and then we all had the chance to share what God was showing us in the
particular Psalm we were studying.
The other day we were studying Psalm 30, and Pastor Pamir,
visiting from Kyrgyzstan, tied in 1 Peter 5:6-7. I am not sure just exactly the
connection, but these verses seemed to jump out at me in a new way this time as
I was reading them. It may have been because it’s a different translation this
time. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty
hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all our
anxieties on Him, because cares for you”. I think it stood out to me because in
the ESV the verses are connected while in other translations they are written
as two separate sentences. We often quote verse 7 and talk about how we need to
cast all our cares on the Lord, but we forget the beginning of the thought and
that it is only by humbling ourselves before the Lord that we can give Him all
our worries. How often do I try to do things in my own strength just because I
think I can handle it? All the time; and I am sure you do as well.
We so often misquote 1 Corinthians 10:13 which is the verse
that says “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is
faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the
temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to
endure it”. I am guilty of misquoting this as well. I have said, and heard it
said, that God won’t give us anything that we can’t handle in life. I want to
propose though, that this verse means what it says in that we will always be
able to resist temptation, obviously with the help of God; however, God so
often gives us circumstances that we can’t handle so that we are reminded of
just how much we need Him.
How proud would we be if we never needed the Holy Spirit’s
power, or God’s grace, or even the Blood of Christ to save us from the position
in which we find ourselves. Why would we need God at all? This thought is not
original with me; I think I got it from a book by Joni Eareckson Tada that I
read a few years ago, but it is true. God will always provide a
way out of temptation, and even then, it is He who gives
us the power to flee it. God is the one who will see us through
any storm we face, because we can’t do life on our own. God gives
us His power, His grace, and anything
else we need when we humble ourselves before Him, get on our
faces, and beg Him for His mercy to see us through.
He is always faithful; we just need to ask, seek and knock. 
“Humble
yourselves, therefore…casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for
you”
