Psalm 86:4-7

“Bring joy to Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. You are kind and forgiving, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on You. Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of trouble I will call to you, for You will answer me.”

Back in April of 1970, Apollo 13 was one it’s way to the moon. After almost 56 hours into the flight, there was a problem. Commander James Lovell called back to Mission Control; “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here!”

You can imagine the consternation that swept through the hearts of all who were involved. It was an especially stressful time for the families of those three men who struggled to stay alive as Apollo 13 aborted the lunar landing and returned to earth. You may have seen the movie of the incident. Things happen unexpectedly, would you agree?

Each time there is a launch of one of our space shuttles, I go to my friendly NASA website and watch the liftoff and follow the activities during the mission. It is always a relief when the shuttle approaches the designated landing site and flares out for a smooth touch down.

There are so many things that could go wrong that nothing can ever be taken for granted. It is the same with our own personal lives. Frequently unexpected and unpleasant situations arise. We are faced with a choice of wailing and weeping, or praising the Lord and allowing Him to take over.

When we encounter times of trouble in our life, we need to make a call to the “Mission Control” of our lives, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Psalmist was doing just that in the passage I quoted from Psalm 86. He starts with words of praise and glory for the wonderful attributes of God: kind, forgiving and loving. God does not need to be reminded that these are His traits, but He loves to hear it, since it reveals that we know what He is like.

At this very moment you may be going through a troublesome time. If so, just call out; “Lord we’ve got a little trouble here!” Then start praising the Lord for His goodness, grace and power. Recognize that He is the one with the answers. Trust in Him and follow exactly what He instructs you to do. As you do, you will be directed to a safe and secure landing!

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.

- - - Pastor Cecil