Oh, the Rolling of the Proud Waves!

 Times that Try Men's Souls

  This is the hardest point. This is the time when the child died despite our prayers, you gave your last loaf of bread to the prophet instead of your starving son, and the three young men were thrown into the fire for their stand of faith. This is the test. God hasn’t shown up on time, and we have no more hope. What choice do we make? Will we turn our back on God?

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;

  Have you ever experienced this point of emptiness in your life? Please tell me that I’m not alone in this feeling. Have you ever prayed for a small request, but your prayers remained unanswered for so long that only a miracle can help now?

 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

  We pray, “God, why? Don’t you know what the unbelievers are saying? Don’t you know that they are claiming you don’t exist after all?”

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

  

  At this point, we have a choice to deny our Father or keep believing in the impossible. Can miracles really happen? Was it all a dream? Remember, faith is a choice.

Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

  In our desperation, we fall to our knees and cry a broken prayer. “God, I don’t understand. But I love you. I am overwhelmed by the mockery of those who don’t know or love you, but trusting in Your plan. I trust You.”

Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

   

  I think that this is the attitude that God is waiting to see. He wants to see if we will love Him even when the proud waves try to overwhelm us. We have always claimed to love Him; we have a chance to prove our love. Will we love Him when everything goes contrary to our will?

Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

  Do you remember what happened to the child that died, the mother that gave away her last piece of bread, and the three young men in the fire? Do you remember where their stories ended up? Look in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews, chapter 11. Remember that you are not the only Christian tried by the crucible of faith.

This Song is a Cry of Dependence on God. 

I thought it was appropriate for our topic tonight.

Our Soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 

  Father—our crystal balls are dark, we have stopped pretending to be divine, and we have stopped trying to see our future. We understand that we are only human, and we choose to trust you. We will love you and remember that you will “regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord (Psalm 102:17-18).”

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 

Psalm 124:1-8