Keep your eye on the Lord and do not be shaken!

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalms 16:8 NIV)

When I was first saved many years ago, I struggled with many doubts. Some of it was due to my own personal struggles and failures and some of it was because I was looking around at others, both friends and church leaders, who were imperfect or worse. Some had failed very seriously and publicly. A pastor friend who I had greatly respected was caught in an affair and dramatically removed from his church.

I was an emotional wreck and it showed

Then one evening I went to a church meeting featuring a woman evangelist. I didn’t know the speaker was a woman until I was seated in the middle of the audience. I have to admit that back then I was very prejudiced against women preachers and I would not have gone to the meeting if I had known. But there I was, and so I just sat and listened to her.

She was delivering her message in a normal speaking voice. Nothing seemed strange or unusual. Then suddenly, without warning, she raised her voice greatly, pointed her finger directly at me and said, “Young man, stand up and listen to me!!!”

I was startled and embarrassed, but I rose slowly to my feet and looked at her.

Then she said loudly and passionately, “Get your eyes off of man and back onto God!” Then she lowered her voice and went instantly back to her message as though there hadn’t been an interruption.

I was greatly moved!

How did she know what I was going through at the moment and the exact words to say to me? It had to be from God! What she said was exactly what I needed to hear! And I took it very seriously and did exactly what she said to do as though it had come from God Himself.

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalms 118:8 NKJV)