Devotions

“Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?’ So King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, ‘Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, “Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house?”’” (2 Samuel 19:9-11).

King David, himself a Christ-type, was sending a message to those with spiritual influence and authority: “Why are you the last to bring back the king?”

That ought to be the cry of all our hearts today as well — “Bring back the King!” Weeping endures for a night, but you and I have the hope that, as was the case with David, our nation will recognize what has been lost and will once again bring back the King! Bring back the King who heals, who delivers, who gives sight. Bring back the King who opens prison doors and puts a new song in every heart. Bring back the King into our streets, our schools and our colleges!

Of course, it begins with you and me — in our personal lives. We must get off our rooftops and get our eyes off things they should not be on. Where we have failed, where we have drifted or lost zeal for the kingdom of God — bring back the King! Where our heart for the lost and poor has grown cold — bring back the King! And I assure you that when the King comes home, there will be joy, dancing, and shouts of victory unlike anything we have ever known! Hallelujah!

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001.

You may say, “I think I’m well prepared for any storm. After all, I’m a faithful witness for the Lord. I’m not ashamed of the gospel and I live a clean, moral life. I tithe, I read my Bible, and I attend church regularly.”

It is possible to be a believer and yet remain distant from the Lord. The fact is, if you don’t spend time with Him — if you don’t draw on His strength — your heart will faint. Your words will have little or no power or results and your testimony will be lifeless. Why? Because you will have drifted away from your source of strength.

Don’t make the mistake of measuring your walk with Christ by your good works or ministry rather than by His presence in your life.

You simply cannot be more pleasing to the Lord — more fulfilled or at the center of His will — than you are through the simple act of drawing near to Him in prayer.

We know this from the apostle Paul’s life. Paul faced many hard, perilous times. This godly man knew what it meant to lose everything: to be hungry and thirsty; to suffer deprivation; to be in poverty; to be abandoned; to lie chained in a dark, damp prison cell, alone and forsaken even by some of his close friends.

But Paul did not faint. In fact, the apostle grew stronger through each trial. How could this be? It happened because he knew this secret to getting and maintaining true strength.

Paul testified: “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me . . . And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever” (2 Timothy 4:16–18, my italics).

The devil greatly fears the Lord’s presence in our lives. He trembles at the very thought of a believer’s nearness to Jesus. So, when his demonic hordes see you breathing out prayers and drawing near to the presence of your heavenly Father, all hell takes note: “The Lord is with this believer. He has obtained the divine presence. What can we do against him now?”

Satan will do everything in his power to rob you of the Lord’s presence. It is why he makes so many attempts to bog down your soul with worries about the future.

Simply put, the enemy of your soul wants you drained of all strength. He will use anything he can, even “good” things, to keep you away from spending time alone with Jesus. He knows your time with Christ enables you to endure fear and anxiety, even in this worrisome time.

The whole world is aware that we are facing very difficult times and as believers, we each are faced with an important question: “How near am I to Jesus in this hour?”

I believe that when things are unsettled, the most powerful testimony for a Christian is to be wholly at peace. While the rest of society is in a panic — fainting, in some cases even dying, from fear — the praying believer will be growing continually stronger. This will be so because that godly servant is receiving more and more encouragement from the Holy Spirit. The Bible speaks of that which can’t be shaken!

If you want to be able to stand steadfast in the storm, Scripture’s counsel is simple: You must have the Lord’s presence in your life daily.

How much quality time do you spend alone with Jesus? Are you growing closer to Him with each passing day? Do you pray without ceasing — silently calling out to Him throughout the day and evening? He promises to hear your cry, even when uttered in weakness.

When the world seems to be shaking, a people will arise who know how to maintain their strength in the midst of it all. These are people who draw near to the Lord in times of crisis.

According to Scripture, it won’t matter to these people if the moon and stars fall from the sky, or if the mountains quake and fall into the sea. They will still have faith in the Lord to save them, and they will not have their faith shaken by anything that comes.

In Psalm 31, David introduces a phrase to God’s people: “The secret of thy presence.” David writes: “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which you have prepared for those who trust in You. Which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:19–20, my italics).

David is saying something very profound here to the Body of Christ, telling us, in essence: “All true strength comes from drawing near to the Lord. Indeed, the measure of our strength is proportionate to our nearness to Him.”

Simply put, the closer we are to Jesus, the stronger we are going to be. In fact, all the strength we are ever going to need will come through our secret life of prayer.

Scripture says if we will simply draw near to Christ, He will draw near to us. And by drawing near to Him, we will be given a fresh supply of strength daily. That is the “secret of His presence” that David refers to in Psalm 31.

When I personally need some measure of hope, I want to speak to someone I know, someone who has experience with enduring tribulation and pain. I don’t want someone who will offer me hollow platitudes, such as, “Just hang in there,” or “Just trust God.” My suffering soul cannot be moved or touched by words of mere human sympathy.

Rather, I would love to talk for half an hour with the believer who emailed me about having to watch his wife slowly die of Lou Gehrig’s disease. As this man described to me the depth of his pain, he said, “God is good. He is seeing me through.”

I would also love to talk with the Christian woman in Indonesia who has suffered physical pain for years, enduring one operation after another. Despite her ongoing trial, she praises God and gives Him glory in all things. Here is someone who has both patience and experience in the suffering that works hope.

My faith and hope are greatly encouraged by friends I know who are veterans of spiritual warfare. I have witnessed the many tribulations of such faithful friends and I know of their present suffering, sorrow and pain. When I call them I ask, “How are you doing?” I know the answer ahead of time, and it brings great hope to me.

They do not fake their responses. They are totally honest when they say, “David, I’m really hurting. Sometimes the pain overwhelms me. At times I hurt so badly it brings me to tears.”

These saints are enduring the fires of affliction. Yet there always comes from them a reassuring word: “God is bringing me through. I know He is faithful. And I trust Him. I know He is with me.”