09/08/2022
We want to live easy happy lives, but trouble always seems to find us. In the midst of them we cry out to the Lord for relief, and to have mercy on us, but these are the very times that strengthen us most, and prepare us for what lies ahead in our service to God. David would not have been the king that he was had he not first faced Goliath, been pursued by King Saul, or lusted for Bathsheba, and faced the repercussions of that sin. All of the hard things in our lives temper us, and by going through them we are made stronger. We are not made stronger BY our distress, but IN it.
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.”
Psalm 4:1 KJV
I have a son who likes to play the sport of rugby, and to prepare himself, and to become strong enough to play that sport, he lifts weights several times a week. He doesn’t get stronger by going to the gym… he gets stronger by doing the hard work he does while in there. Over time he has gone from being a thin boy into a strong and robust man who lifts well over 500 pounds. He did this by doing the hard things, lifting the progressively heavier weights, and it is by facing the hard things in our lives that God brings us closer to Him, and strengthens us in our faith. The question is this… do we realize the benefit of our trials by coming closer to the Lord, or do we let our difficulties destroy our relationship with Him, and Jesus Christ?
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
James 1:12 ESV
Moses is another who faced hardship after hardship, and was strengthened by them. He was prepared to face the pharaoh by being set adrift in the reeds by his mother, being ostracized by his fellow Jews, killing an Egyptian man, going into hiding, dealing with a speech impediment, and other day to day difficulties. He did not become the man that God would eventually use to lead His people out of bondage by simply living a privileged life in Pharaoh’s household… no, it was by facing trials, and being strengthened in them. It was being humbled as a man, and coming to know God in these things… and his suffering didn’t end when he reluctantly agreed to serve God; they continued on throughout the 40 years in which he led the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness.
“Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?””
Exodus 3:10-11 ESV
So how are we being prepared for our own calling? When we face traumatic events in our lives do we immediately feel their effects in our faith, or are we led forward, afraid, crying, complaining, and perhaps blaming the Lord as we approach that place where we will eventually serve God? Is what is happening to us our focus, or do we look for God’s plan within those things? Do we confront God by asking “Why did you let this happen to me?”, or do we look at our hardships and ask God to show us what His purpose is our trials? Sometimes we ask Him this using the very same words… “Why did you let this happen to me?”, but with two very different meanings. We take the accusation and turn it into a true desire to understand God’s purpose in our trouble. In this way the heartbreak associated with our suffering takes on a new meaning, and becomes purposeful instead of destructive, or punitive.
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:3-5 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the spiritual awakening that comes in the trials and hardships we face in life. Thank you for taking the common troubles in our lives; the losses, the painful times, the suffering, and using them to bring us closer to you, and to strengthen us in our faith. Help us to resist our temptation to blame you for the terrible things that happen to us, and replace it with a greater dependence on you… newfound strength, and a deeper love. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who takes the bad things in our lives, and uses them for good, and to increase us in righteousness. Praised be your name for showing us your comforting light at the end of every dark tunnel, and for giving us the strength to come to you. Merciful are you who lifts us up out of our suffering once your lesson has been taught, and giving us peace, and joy, in its aftermath. Great are you our God, who takes the world’s difficulties, and brings us closer to you in them. Your grace flows forth, and our paths are straightened as we walk with you through the valleys, and experience you in all your glory. You loved us enough that you sent your Son Jesus to suffer and die for us. In His hardships He came to redeem us from sin, and conquer death through His resurrection, and now He sits at your right hand… the example of how you can turn our troubles into eternal blessings. Wash us in the blood of Jesus, and transform us from our place of weakness into your amazing strength. Teach us in our suffering to lean heavily on you, and perfect the character of Christ in our own lives as we shoulder our crosses and follow Him to Golgotha. Call us worthy in judgement, and seat us before you in eternity.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4 ESV
Rich Forbes