Our Distress Signal – He Hears Us – – Purity 557

Our Distress Signal   – He Hears Us   – Purity 557

Purity 557 10/22/2021   Purity 557 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of Friday afternoon’s big blue sky was captured by yours
truly as I was on Waite Road in Greenwich NY just down the road a piece from my
fiancé’s place yesterday when I just had to pull over and try to share this
experience with my friends as a token of my hopes for them to have some moments
of wonder this weekend.  

I think it is our responsibility as humans to enjoy what God has
provided on this earth and to share them with others. Be it material resources,
a stunning view, or God’s wisdom or love, we can appreciate what God has given
us even more by attempting to share the things we “know” with those around
us.  

So as things are a little cramped out here in cow country this morning because
of additional houseguests, one of which is a two month old German shepherd who
is whining from the next room,  this
morning I will keep things brief and just wish all my friend a wonderful
weekend and invite you all to keep walking and talking with God to experience
the magnificence of His creation, the pleasure of His providence, and the amazing
grace of His presence and His love.

Today’s Bible verse
is drawn from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.  

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Psalm 55:17 (NLT2)
¹⁷  Morning, noon, and night I
cry out in my distress, and the LORD
hears my voice.

Today’s verse acknowledges that reality
of the suffering we may experience as Christians, but it also points to the
fact that the Lord is with us.  

While Psalm 55:17 assures us that
the Lord hears our voice when we cry out in our distress no matter what time of
day it is, which is a tremendous comfort, it is also a subtle encouragement to
prayer.   

If we know the Lord can hear us in our
distress throughout the day, we should reach out to communicate to the Lord at
all times.   God’s presence and care are available for us to
enjoy and whether we are in deep distress or just having a normal day we should
reach out to Him with our spirit and experience the benefits of knowing Him
more through our communications with Him morning, noon, and night.  

As
always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from
prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with
their walk. 

Today we continue sharing from June Hunt’s Dating:
Secrets to Great Relating When Dating  

As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work. If you need this title you can find it online at several
sites for less than $5.00:

C. What Keeps People in Unhealthy Dating Relationships?

Brad’s vision blurs as he wipes away a tear and stares absently at his
phone. Clearly he’s done something wrong—again. But what? He’s already
done everything he can to rearrange his life to make her happy. He doesn’t
spend time with old friends…she doesn’t like them. He doesn’t see his parents
much…they don’t like her.

Every spare moment he keeps open to be available for her. They go out when
she wants, where she wants. She sets his schedule according to her
timetable. He’s changed his job, his address, his wardrobe, even the kind of
music he listens to—all for her. Brad doesn’t want to lose her, but what more
can he do? The Word of God warns…

“I find more bitter than death the woman [or person] who is a snare,
whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains.” (Ecclesiastes 7:26)

Sadly for some, dating is an end in itself or is used to combat loneliness
rather than to promote healthy interaction and the building of strong
friendships that have the potential of developing into committed marriage
relationships. When a dating relationship becomes stagnant and reaches a
dead-end, it may be time to let it go or re-label it as a friendship
relationship rather than a dating relationship.

Unfortunately, those who opt to hold on to the illusion of a dating
relationship rather than face the truth and move on in their search for a
suitable spouse, offer a long list of justifications for such action. They
say…

• “It
  is better to have someone than no one.”
• —But
  the Bible says we are never without someone because we always have the
  Lord….
  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
  afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord
  your God will be with you wherever you go….I will never leave you nor
  forsake you” (Joshua 1:9,
  5).
• “We
  feel comfortable and safe in our relationship.”
• —But
  the Bible says our one truly safe relationship is with the Lord, and it
  can never be taken away from us….
  “One thing I ask from the Lord,
  this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
  to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
  and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep
  me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred
  tent and set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:4-5).
  
• “There
  is genuine love and appreciation between us.”
• —But
  the Bible says unfailing love is to be found in the Lord, who alone gives
  us light and life, and is our eternal refuge….
  “Your love, Lord,
  reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies….How priceless
  is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your
  wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink
  from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in
  your light we see light” (Psalm 36:5, 7-9).
• “Our
  relationship has become physically intimate.”
• —But
  the Bible says we are to run from physical intimacy outside of
  marriage….
  “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are
  outside the body, but whoever sins sexually sins against their own
  body” (1 Corinthians
  6:18).
• “I am
  just biding my time until the right person comes along.”
• —But
  the Bible says we are to have honest, open relationships and not deceive
  one another….
  “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak
  truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body”
  (Ephesians
  4:25).
• “Things
  will be a lot better between us after we get married.”
• —But
  the Bible says we will face all kinds of trials in our lives…which
  includes trials in our marriages….
  “Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief
  in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:6).
  
• “This
  is the best relationship I can hope for and is actually more than I
  deserve.”
• —But
  the Bible says that God will withhold no good thing from you if you will
  only live according to His will for you….
  “For the Lord God
  is a sun and shield; the Lord
  bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those
  whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).
  
• “Going
  places and doing things alone is too uncomfortable—I have to have
  someone.”
• —But
  the Bible says you are never alone because God is always wherever you
  are….
  “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your
  presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in
  the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I
  settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,
  your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm
  139:7-10).
• “Another
  chance may not come along and then I would be alone for the rest of my
  life.”
• —But
  the Bible says God controls your number of “chances,” and He
  will not fail to carry out His plan for your life….
  ‘”For I know the plans I have for you, ‘ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and
  not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
  

Biblical Counseling Keys:
Dating: Secrets to Great Relating When Dating.

—————————more
tomorrow————————

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