I asked the Lord, in light of the economic and Y2K concerns, what should I tell His people to focus on. His reply was immediate. He said: Psalms 32:10 & 11. So, we will address this Psalm and it”s power for us today.

"Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with lovingkindness. V11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart."

Many are the sorrows of the wicked. Losses in family, finances, relationships, personal happiness and contentment are a few of the sorrows that strike the wicked from year to year. In the coming years, the woes will be so great, men will die from fear and pain. God pulls back His hand and allows a man”s sin and the consequences to overtake him in hopes of diverting him from his path of eternal ruin. Still even in this self-chosen path, God graciously showers him with His own intervention and mercy hoping to win him to righteousness.

But with the righteousness, although he may also experience many storms and difficulties in his life, God is there to deliver him from them all. In His tender love, Jesus is ever coming to push back the tide of troubles and plant the feet of His righteous ones on solid ground once again. For this reason, we can rejoice! Many of our troubles are self-inflicted, yet, God is unrelenting in His mercy when we need His helping hand. For this reason, we can shout for joy!

The days ahead are numbered and carefully scrutinized by the Lord. Nothing will happen outside of His careful and charitable will. We can rest assured that although hard times will come, we are His and He will take care of us. We won”t be feasting much at the world”s table of pleasure and costly delights, but we will have a table set before us by our Father. It will be a table of spiritual wonders and heavenly joys for all that will come and dine. We will have open access to our Father and all He has prepared for us in these last days if we so desire. We can walk in constant victory when the storms against the wicked are the most tumultuous if we desire this victory. But, most of all we can bask in the presence and hide under the shadow of the Almighty if we so desire it. So, what do we have to fear? Tough times? I think not. For who or what can be against us, if God is on our side? We will never see the righteous go hungry, or bear a need He will not meet, if we will but trust Him.

Who shall ever separate us from Christ”s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity, and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? No! Amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us. For all these reasons, we can look at the impending future and rejoice. In our constant state of rejoicing we will find that we are drawing ever closer to our Father above, and He to us.

Our focus need not be on the storm, dearly beloved, but on our precious Jesus, for He is watching the storm for us. When a little child is frightened by the terrible thunderstorm, they climb up in daddy”s lap and trust him to protect them from the threat that seems to loom overhead. We must do the same in the coming storms. Keep our eyes on Him and He will keep His eyes on the storm. Further, He will give us provision and wisdom to handle each crisis, so shout for joy and rejoice in the One who is mighty.