If there has ever been a time in my life when I needed a word of encouragement, it was yesterday morning. God graciously provided just what I needed through my friend, Evangelist Paul Schwanke. We had actually scheduled Brother Schwanke a few years ago to preach at Lancaster Baptist this Sunday—long before I had any idea of the trial our family would be facing at this time. But the Lord knew, and He provided “a word fitly spoken” (Proverbs 25:11).
Brother Schwanke preached from Psalm 11:1-3 on “When the Foundations Fall”—what to do when you feel as if your life is crumbling underneath you. He helped us to answer the question posed in verse 3, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” with the following outline:
- We Can Still Trust Him.
“In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” (Psalms 11:1)Regardless of our circumstances, we can choose to trust the Lord. As verse 4 teachs us, God is still on His throne, and He closely observes our needs.
- We Can Take the Long Look.
“The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalms 11:5-6)Even though David’s situation looked bleak at the time he penned this Psalm, he looked ahead to the day when God would make wrongs right and set everything strait. Whatever our situation may look like today, we can choose to look ahead through the eyes of faith and know that God’s ways lead to a perfect end.
- We Can Do Right.
“For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” (Psalms 11:7)In the midst of overwhelming circumstances, David remembered that God is righteous, He loves righteousness, and He blesses those who do right. When it seemed that David’s life was caving in, he could still choose to remain faithful and do the next right thing.
I’m thankful the Lord sent Brother Schwanke to our church with this message. As Proverbs 15:23 says, “…a word spoken in due season, how good is it!”
Please continue to pray this week for our son Larry as he undergoes further testing and we wait for a further report from the doctors. Pray especially for wisdom as we make decisions and for healing in my son’s life.
