I got a wonderful book for my birthday in July, titled Day by Day with the English Puritans.

Since it starts in January 1, I had to wait until 2 weeks ago to start it, and I have already been very blessed by it.  (Incidentally, it is available at one of my favorite websites, monorgism.com.  The book is at this link).

These were men who truly suffered and died for their faith.  These were also men who lived their faith daily.  This was not a convenience faith, but a faith that "had legs".  As best as they humanly could, their thoughts, actions, attitudes, the way they treated their families, the work they did, the way they reared their children, etc., etc., etc was a reflection of thier belief, not what they wanted, or what was convenient.

Anyway, the reading for today pointed out a verse that I know I have read, but missed, and was a great encouragement to me today.  It is Psalm 34:19.  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."  The next verse if the prophecy about non of Christ's bones being broken on the cross.  " He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken." (ESV).  David wrote this Psalm during a low point in his life.  The Psalm opens saying "Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out and he went away."  In the midst of this low point, he knew God Delivers.

David doesn't mince words.  He doesn't say "if" the righteous are afflicted.  He doesn't even say "When".  He says "Many".  The afflictions of the righteous are many.  David lived in a culture that believed in God.  They weren't always faithful, but the Israelites were God's chosen people, and David said the afflictions of the rightous are many.  He also said the Lord delivers him, and he could have stopped here and been fine, and that would have been an awesome promise, but almost as if for emphasis he adds, "out of them all."  We are removed from "ALL" afflictions. 

Talk about dealing with afflictions, these Puritan men sure knew what dealing with afflictions was.  They knew what Many afflictions were, and they looked to God to deliver them.  Forgive me, Lord for even daring to call my problems afflictions.  Then again, David said "many are the afflictions of the righteous"

What afflictions are you facing?  Tough Job?  Kids who are being rebellious?  Sick Kids?  Problems at church?  Financial struggles?  Marriage struggles?  Homeschooling woes?  Not enough time in the day?  Something else?  Are the afflictions Many.  David said they would be.  He also promised deliverance.  He didn't say when, he just promised it.  As dad's, our tendancy is to "fix things".  God has promised to fix the afflictions.  We just have to wait.  It may be now, it may be later, it may be in heaven.  However, they will be fixed.  Your job?  God will deliver!  Your rebellious children?  God will deliver (them and you).  Sick kids?  God will deliver.  On and on it goes. 

Please don't misunderstand.  I am not taking a happy go lucky, name it and claim it kind of stand here.  I am not pasting on a smile and forcing myself to say,  God will deliver me.  RAther, I am taking the position I want my children to take.  "This is big, this is a problem, I am dealing with a lot, but my Father can take care of it.  I will let Him."

Som eof our children have a hard time with this, being adopted.  They have learned not to trust, and we have to build that trust, one brick at a time.  When they can finally lean back, and say I trust you to take care of it Daddy, and let me, I know they trust me.  We also have been adopted, and we also may not how the how, but we can know the fact that God will deliver.

So, Many are the afflictions of Shane (assuming I am a Christian who is righteous through Christ), but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 

AHHHHHHH.  I feel better already.  My Father is in charge