How To Live In The Presence Of Evil

Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

Yesterday, I saw the video of a woman over 100 years old. The interviewer said that the lady was somewhat senile and couldn't always answer the questions that she was asked coherently, so the relatives of the lady told the interviewer to ask her to recite her favorite verse from the bible. And suddenly, this sweet old lady began to recite the 23rd psalm, every word correctly, in the correct sequence, with her face toward the camera. She had an intense look upon her face as if to say 'yes, I am old, and I don't always know what is going on or what i am doing, but this I know, there is a God in heaven!'.



Unless you have an older relative that you visit or take care of, you could dismiss the elderly as people who are past their prime and are no longer significant, but sometimes the Lord keeps a person on the planet long enough to make a difference in the world, and I believe this was her moment, because the interviewer was moved, and it stirred praise and joy in my heart, and I believe it will stir something in other people's heart as well. I promise you that video will be passed around on the internet, and will start conversations, and some will ask "this lady is over 100 years old, has seen all kinds of things, she's old and senile, so where did she get the strength and the courage to say the 23rd psalm with such passion, why does she still believe in those words after everything she has gone through?" Would you like to know how she was able to believe in something greater than herself, even when she is clearly past the age to care for herself, or do the things we take for granted every single day?

The answer is, GOD. Yes, God makes it possible for any person to live in this world with peace and joy in their hearts. He gives His people strength to deal with all of life's problems, He calms our fears and gives boldness to the weak, He restores our souls, and heals our sicknesses, He brings righteous resolutions to impossible situations, and when the enemy comes into our lives like a storm, He speaks a word and calms that storm till it is no longer there. In one minute, you could have a serious problem and you don't know how you are going to survive, and in the next second when the Lord shows up, it is resolved, you have everything you need, and you are praising the God of Heaven!

You can't go through life without experiencing some tough situations, and every person's life trail is different, because we are all unique and precious in the sight of God. There are times when He will give us the strength to go through the crisis, and there are times when He will show up and solve the crisis, usually in a way that will give Him the Glory. We just need to seek His will in that situation, and to trust Him, no matter what He tell us to do. We all have different needs and talents, and so every person's life choices will be different; how God chooses to help one person will not be the same way He will help you. He knows our hearts and our minds, and He knows what we are capable of doing, and the situations that we can handle. He will never put us in a situation that will overwhelm us.

So, when you have that problem at work, or when you have to interact with people who judge you, embarrass you, or hurt you, or when that person walks out of your life, or when someone you love gets ill and dies, these situations were never meant to make you feel inadequate or unloved; trust in the Providence of God, focus on His love and His will for your life, ask Him what He wants you to do, ask Him for the strength to do His will, praise His Holy Name, as the pressure begins to mount and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight. Why would you do that? Because, He's got you in the palm of His hand, and no one can take you out of His hand. You will not regret it, and you will come out at the other end of that situation, stronger, wiser, and happier than you've ever been! You've just been through hell and you survived it, and there is actually peace and joy in your heart! After that happens, you will know that you know there is a God in Heaven, and no one, no situation or problem will ever be able to shake your faith to its core again!

Just believe in His grace and good favor towards you, His wisdom and power to overcome the situation in a way that will make you the victor, and for you to give Him praise. Open your heart to Him, and let the peace of God saturate your mind, heart and soul. Rest in Him, and give Him control over your situation, your problems, and your life. There is nothing else quite like living in the presence of the Lord.

I speak peace and love to His people, His little ones who love Him and call upon His name. If you have never felt the peace of God and would like to know what is means to have that kind of relationship with him, then please repeat this prayer:

Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).

I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)

I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).

I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).

If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....Amen