Crushed But Not Destroyed

 

(photo by John Towner)

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.

(Psalm 34:18, Berean Standard Bible)

This psalm of David shows us, the readers, his praise of and thanksgiving to God for rescuing him from his enemies. The story behind this psalm tells of why David has joy and thanks; God freed him from his enemies. David feigned insanity in front of Ahimelech, the king of the Philistines in Gath. Gath’s hero had been Goliath, the giant who David slew with his sling and stones. David realized the Philistines’ anger might have continued to boil because he defeated their champion. He decided his best way to escape the clutches of the Philistines in Gath was to act insane. If David seemed insane, Gath's king and people would not view him as a threat. They released David because they believed he was an insignificant threat, since he was insane. David praised and thanked God in Psalm 34 as he recalled his experience.

David often praised God in his psalms. He shared his inmost feelings with God and people who would listen his psalms. Christians and Jews often quote Psalm 34 in sermons, meditations, and songs. This psalm encourages people to hope and wait, for God's faithfulness. God is faithful and almighty.

This devotional does not walk readers through this psalm verse by verse. To help individuals focus on God, this study examines the last six verses, disregarding the problem. Circumstances do not dictate who God is; God dictates the circumstances. God uses circumstances to show Himself.

Verses seventeen through twenty-two highlight the why and who that David wrote about in the psalm. In verse seventeen, David wrote, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.” In this verse, he reiterated God’s actions in verses four and seven. He exalted God because God hears and delivers the righteous. God answers their cries for help.

I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor man called out, and the Lord heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and He delivers them. (Psalm 34:4-7, BSB)

Notice in verse seventeen, God hears and answers the righteous. These righteous are those who “look to” God and “fear” Him, the ones who follow and revere God (vs. five and seven). The righteous whom God answers follow and obey Him out of reverence. They relate to God as His children and choose to be His people. These people, the righteous about whom David wrote, are the ones from whom God hears their cries and delivers. God does this because He counts them as righteous—dedicated—unto Him.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.

(Psalm 34:18, BSB)

In verse eighteen, David further emphasized how God answered when He heard his cries for help. He wrote that God was near him when he felt brokenhearted and crushed with fear because of his enemies. The fear David expressed is the kind that comes from deep within a person. That fear makes a person depressed and despair. Depression and despair weigh heavily on a person so that he or she can barely move his or her feet and arms. The person can become immobilized with the weight of it. This can lead to a lack of desire for basic activities such as eating, bathing, and talking.

Brokenheartedness weighs a ton, like a boulder sitting on a person’s chest. It occurs when a person carries the weight of their circumstances within him or herself. It can break the spirit of the person and crush him or her, leaving no hope of which to hold. Yet even having felt this and because of it, David exclaimed and praised God. He praised God because He is mightier and delivers (vs. 17). David proclaimed about and praised God because He is near and saves people crushed by their circumstances (vs. 18).

David knew God hears the righteous because God is faithful to be near and save them. David praised God because God heard and delivered him from Ahimelech, the Philistines, and his earlier enemies. He knew from other times in his life that God provided and protected Him. David, having a history with God, knew Him to be deserving of proclamation and praise. He praised God because he himself followed and revered God.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all. (Psalm 34:19, BSB)

Again, in verse nineteen, David wrote God delivers (saves). In verse seventeen, he said God delivers from troubles. Verse eighteen expanded to include the effect within a person of those troubles—crushing weight, causing a heavy heart and downcast spirit. In verse nineteen, David said the troubles he faced caused him to have afflictions. The troubles in which David found himself caused him mental anguish. They came from persistent evil. Yet, David learned to revere the Lord more than fear the troubles. He knew, because of his relationship with God, that God is mightier than the evil that beset his physical body, heart, and mind. David recalled God’s faithful nearness to him and His might, then resolved to continue to follow and revere the Lord. God delivered David from his enemies in the past and would continue to deliver him because His God was almighty and faithful Yahweh. God dictates the circumstances; circumstances do not dictate who God is.

He (God) protects all his (the righteous person) bones; not one of them will be broken. (Psalm 34:20, BSB)

David continued in verse twenty by using a metaphor. He wrote, “He protects all his bones: not one of them will be broken.” Verse twenty does not mean the righteous will not have broken bones. David meant no part of God’s child shall be utterly destroyed—annihilated like Sodom and Gomorrah. In the end, God preserves and delivers His child. God assures him or her of his or her place in His kingdom for eternity. Evil does not defeat God and His child. God is near, protects, delivers, and saves His people. God dictates circumstances; circumstances do not dictate who God is.

Satan cannot destroy righteous people—those who follow and revere God. Paul taught people this basic tenet in 2 Corinthians 4:17. He wrote, “For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison” (BSB). Peter contributed his thoughts about this in 1 Peter.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you to test you, as though something strange was happening to you. But rejoice, you share the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed (rejoice) at the revelation of His glory. (1 Peter 4:12-13, BSB).

Expect to suffer evil in this world; it is not abnormal. As a person is afflicted, brokenhearted, downcast, and suffering, remembering who God is, what He has done, and what He promised will help that person stand strong in his or her faith. That will help him or her to endure whatever physical, mental, and emotional pain he or she experiences. God protects the person whom Jesus saved by belief in Him as Lord and Savior. This person made righteous by Jesus follows and reveres God. God calls them His own children and protects them.

Evil will slay the wicked and the haters of the righteous will be condemned. (Psalm 34:21, BSB)

Satan cannot grasp and utterly destroy the child of God. God allows the evil to slay the wicked. The wickedness they do catches them in their own web from which they cannot extricate themselves. Only Jesus can remove them by their belief in Him. The time a person has on earth is their chance to believe in Jesus. Later, he or she will be judged for their wicked actions. That judgment will be punishment, a condemning to hell. Hell is a place of perpetual and inescapable torment. The wicked will slay themselves, wrote David. He meant they will cause their own eternal death because of the evil they did in life.

The Lord redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:22, BSB)

With verse twenty-two, David emphasized God’s protection but used a stronger word than in verses seventeen and eighteen, a word not used yet in this psalm. He wrote “God redeems” His righteous child. The connotation of this word goes beyond the words he used earlier in the psalm—delivers, saves, and protects. “Redeems” would have led the Jews to recall the Old Testament understanding of redemption by offering the sacrificial lamb for sins they committed. The lamb paid, with its lifeblood, the judgment for that person’s sins. “Redeems” also reminded the Jews of the redeemer-protector of the family who safeguarded a family’s or person’s future. That redeemer-kinsman redeemed a person by paying the ransom to buy back the family land/home or to pay the debt of the person who sold him or herself into servitude. The redeemer-kinsman is the one who paid the ransom—the cost—for his kinsman to be free from bondage or to have his land/home returned to its God-given owner. The Jews sacrificed the lamb to pay the cost for their sins. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection expanded the Jewish understanding of redemption to include eternal freedom from death and evil. The redemption Jesus gave goes beyond a debt incurred because of financial hardship or to cover sins. Peter and John spoke of the sin-ransom Jesus provided in 1 Peter 1:18-19 and Revelation 5:9.

For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19, BSB)

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased (ransomed) for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9, BSB)

David wrote a psalm to praise God and proclaim about His goodness and rescue of him. He wrote to lead others to know how near God is to His children. His psalm told of God’s faithfulness and might. It declared God hears his children. Through this psalm, David rejoiced in God. He recalled how God had rescued him. David gave metaphors by which to live faithfully following God. He concluded the psalm by giving a final admonition to praise God.

David wrote Psalm 34 to lead readers and hearers to revere God and grow in their faithfulness to Him. He reminded righteous people that they need not fear the wicked. In Psalm 34:21, David stated the wicked will fall by their own evil. The traps of the wicked will catch them. Unrighteous individuals face destruction due to their choices. So, God’s children need not worry about their actions towards you. Instead, faithfully continue to follow and revere God. Verse twenty-one reminds people of what Paul taught in Romans 8:31-39, too.

What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39, BSB)

Fear not the wicked and their deeds. Instead, revere God and what He can do. Who should we praise? We praise God. Why should we praise God? We praise God because He is almighty and omniscient. We should keep our focus on God and not on our circumstances. Why? Circumstances do not dictate who God is; God dictates circumstances.

Be a righteous person by believing in Jesus and He will redeem you from your sins, then follow and worship God. Praise and proclaim about Him. Remember, the “momentary afflictions” you face are nothing compared to the glorious riches God has in store for you in heaven. Be like David and praise God during your troubles. He is still in control.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. (Psalm 34:1, BSB)

Gateway to Strength in Suffering

⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.   ⁵The more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. ⁶ Even when we are weighted down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you.

⁹ But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us. (2 Corinthians 1:4-6, 9b-10 [NLT])

Two gates are available through which you can walk freely.  One gate is partially open, and you can see green grass and flowers, but the sign says no one who has gone through this gate has survived. The second gate is closed. It has a sign on it that says all who go through this gate will live. Your choices cause you to stop and question which gate and road you should use to leave the past. Think on these gates as we study 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 and Romans 10:9-10.

Each of us knows what it feels like to live in troubling times. Some people have experienced religious persecution. Others have lived with insufficient food or a place to live. Still others experienced family and friends mocking them because of believing in a God from the past who seems irrelevant to the current day. Each of these situations are trials. God allowed trials to occur and sometimes ordains them. How we perceive them determines if we grow from them and become stronger believers in God, if we blame God, stop growing in our relationship with Him, or give up on our faith in God altogether. To get through these times, we should recall our time of coming to faith in Jesus Christ as well as recall the life of Paul and other faithful Christians throughout history who remained faithful to God despite trials. Suffering for Christ is what Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. His second letter to the Corinthians will help us grow in our faith like it did for the Corinthian church during the first century.

Paul wrote this sometimes-puzzling statement to the Corinthians in his second letter to them. The Corinthian believers had struggled through divisions and quarrels among themselves and were more unified by the time Paul wrote this letter. This second letter to the Corinthians tells us more of Paul’s life and of God’s plan for His people to help others. Paul explained his calling by Jesus to apostleship because some people considered his meekness as weakness. He wrote to help them understand he was just as important a disciple of Christ as the other disciples. Paul emphasized this point in the second letter so they would not disregard what he taught them about Jesus and living as Christians. In Paul’s clarifying his calling to the Corinthians, he told of his suffering for the cause of Christ so all people would know about the salvation Jesus gives to those who believe in and profess Him as Lord and Savior. As Paul wrote in this letter, he suffered often to share the gospel. Paul stated all who believe in Jesus and seek to live out their faith in word and deed would share in Christ’s sufferings. He taught we experience suffering for our faith for several reasons: 1. To grow our faith in and trust of God, 2. To show others our faith in God so they would believe, and 3. To teach us more about God through suffering so we can offer strength and consolation to others who also suffer for Christ. Let’s understand what Paul meant and how it relates to our salvation.

In Romans 10:9-13, Paul said

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. It is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never disgraced. Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” (NLT)

To receive salvation, we must believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord and declare our faith with our lips. The action of being saved, spoken of here, comes from the Greek word sozo, which also means to be healed, preserved, and rescued. Paul specifically meant in Romans 10 to be saved from eternal death and separation from God because of our sins. In earlier parts of this passage, Paul stated Moses wrote about a righteousness that comes from the law if the Israelites had lived according to God’s laws. Yet, the laws only served to prove humanity’s unrighteousness because they are sinful. People cannot make themselves righteous. Only God’s power and mercy can make people righteous. (Romans 9). So, God made a way for people to be made just or right with Him. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for the penalty of each person’s sins, so they would be made right with Him. People only must believe in their hearts and confess with their mouths Jesus is Lord to be saved.

To take this to 2 Corinthians 1 then, how does this correlate? Consider what Paul said in verse 9-10. He said, “We expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And He did rescue us from mortal danger and will rescue us again.” (NLT) Paul used the word “rescue” in 2 Corinthians 1 like he used the word “save” in Romans 10. God is the only One who can rescue us from sin, trials, temptations, and persecutions. As we are to testify of God’s rescuing us from sin and death by belief in Jesus with our words and actions, so we are to testify of God’s rescuing us from trials, temptations, and persecutions. Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians 1 stated he stopped relying on himself because he had no power to end his suffering. When he realized he was powerless, he said he relied on God who raises the dead. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, Paul stated God could rescue him from danger. Paul gave a verbal testimony to God’s saving him while on earth.

Consider Romans 10 and 2 Corinthians 1 further. Paul told the Romans to do more than trust in a God. He told them to believe in God’s Son for their salvation. This heart action of belief leads to physical action. Believers in Jesus are to profess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord-your Master and the One who rules your life. A Lord tells you where to go, what to do, and what to say. Christians are people who believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and the One whom God resurrected from the dead. They are to confess with their mouths out loud, so all people hear He is the Lord. With 2 Corinthians 1, Paul taught followers of Jesus are to live their lives obeying Him. Being a child of God requires heart and head belief that leads to professing that belief and living out one’s faith. His reliance on God to rescue him from trials and persecution gave him a physical, lived-out testimony of his faith in God to save him.

What are some reasons we are to act out our belief in Jesus Christ? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1? He said in verses six through seven,

 When we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. (NLT)

We act out our belief in Jesus so others will praise God with us. (vs. 11) We act our belief, too, so other people will grow because they saw how God intervened in our lives and how we grew through it.  By acting out our belief in Jesus, people will receive comfort at God’s intervention when they face trials; they will remember God’s faithfulness and stand firm in their own faith. Besides these reasons, living out our faith will give a testimony to unbelievers about Jesus so they might give their lives to Him, too. In essence, God allows trials to grow and comfort us, and, as a domino effect, comfort and strengthen others when they go through them. Additionally, trials could lead people to Christ. Proclaiming God’s provision, saving, comforting, guiding, etc. must occur. One cannot experience these things, recognize God did them, and not proclaim about God. It’s like the Jewish understanding of “to hear”. Once you hear something, it requires an action-to act or not to act. Once God works in our lives, we are impelled to tell what He did.

One other point we must remember; God gives promises to us by which we can stand firm in our faith. We can gain strength as we remember God’s promises to His children and remember how He has helped His children in the past. The hope given because of these verses helps us to stand strong when we face trials. The verses below are a brief list of some of God’s promises.

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 & Hebrews 13:5 “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.”

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.”

Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.”

Isaiah 41:13 “For I hold you by your right hand-I, the LORD your God. And, I say to you, don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.”

Isaiah 43:2 “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppressions, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”

Isaiah 54:17 “But in that coming day, no weapon turned again you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’”

John 16:33 “I (Jesus) have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:17 “And since we are His children, we are heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.

Romans 8:35 & 37 “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?” ^{37 “}No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptations to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

Philippians 4:19 “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:10 “In His kindness, God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So, after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.”

So, what’s the point here? Obviously, the point is we will go through trials to grow us. More still, we will go through trials so other people can hear about and understand how we went through them with God’s leading, comforting, and providing a way and, thereby, grow and receive comfort themselves. Added to this, our trials serve to lead other people to Christ. As we go through these trials, we can know we are not alone, but God is with us. He promises He is with us and will give us the strength needed to get through that time.

At the start of this article, we read about two gates. Now you’ve had time to consider, which gate will you choose to open and enter? Will you open the gate that appears to promise green fields and beautiful flowers, but without assurance of life? Or, will you choose the second gate not knowing exactly where it will lead, but knowing you will live? You now realize God leads the person who enters the second gate and He will protect, provide, and guide that person. Which gate will you choose-assurance of life or seeming beauty in life?

Some people wonder why Christians would choose to follow Jesus because He seems to take the fun away from life by not allowing you to drink, do drugs, gamble, or live your life any way you want. Other people see Christians who professed faith in Jesus, but the activities of their lives haven’t changed. They wonder why they would want to become a Christian if they see no difference between that “Christians” life and their own life. Besides these, people look at obedient Jesus-following Christians who willingly change careers, move to other countries, and/or refuse to keep living their old way. They question why these Christians willingly give up good jobs, family, and fun lives just to follow a person they cannot see. These people, all people, need to see and hear our professions of faith put into action. They need to hear not just our conversion testimony, but our testimonies of how God led us through hard times, comforted us, and grew us. These watchers need to see and understand why you chose Jesus, continue to follow Him, and the results of that. Some people will never trust in Jesus. Yet, other people will after having seen the comfort, guidance, and protection God gives His children. At this point, these people will give their lives to Jesus. They will join others over generations who “give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety,” provision, guidance, encouragement, and growth. (2 Corinthians 1:11 [NLT]) Then these people will come to know God and grow in Him because of our faith in, professing about and obedience to God.

With God, we are assured of life.

Without God, what we see won’t be what we get.

Everybody gets to decide whether they will believe in Jesus, profess He is the Son of God, and obey Him. God loves us and gives us free will. Today, if you are not a professing Christian, you get to choose which gate you will open, the one with green fields and beautiful flowers, but no guidance or assurance, or the one with assurances Almighty God will lead, protect, provide, and comfort. If you have professed faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, but that was the last thing you did in your Christian walk, today God asks you to walk with Him, obey Him, and grow with Him. You will be rewarded in yourself and other people will receive comfort, praise God, and/or come to know Jesus as their Savior, too.

Jesus has overcome the world, so you don’t need to be afraid to live out your testimony. (John 16:33 [NLT])

No matter what we go through on earth, God will glorify His children by faith with Jesus in heaven because we are co-heirs with Him. (Romans 8:17)

In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9 [NLT])

As for me, I choose to rely God who raises the dead.

Who will you choose to walk with through life’s easy and hard times?

Lord, you know me. I get caught up in whatever I am doing, fighting the fight and struggling, then I forget You are there for me. I struggle hard and only when I come to the last of my strength do I remember You are waiting for me to let you fight the battle with me. You are my strength. You are might rock. You said to share the yoke with You, and I forgot. Please forgive me for trying to live in my own strength. Forgive me for forgetting I don’t have to fight my battles alone. Forgive me for forgetting You. You are almighty, gracious, faithful, and loving. Nothing can defeat You. Please help me remember when I get caught up in my life You are always there for me. Thank you for loving me when I forget You or sin against You. Thank you for having a plan for me. In whom will I fear? No one, God. You are greatest of all. Amen.

Peace

Paul wrote this passage in Romans 8 for us and others for such a time as this. Read what he wrote to encourage the Roman believers.

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39 [NLT])

Nothing can ever separate us from the Love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not coronavirus. Not lack of ventilators. Not slowness of a countries' leadership. Not lack of medicine or lack of beds. NOTHING can separate from God those who have been cleansed by Jesus' death, those who have believed He is the Son of God, who came to take away the sins of the world.

What are you letting cause you distress and inner turmoil at this time? That is just Satan trying to make you forget Who is mightier, most faithful, most loving, most merciful, most gracious, ever-present, all-knowing, and almighty. Don't forget about YAHWEH God, the Alpha and Omega, from before time and beyond time. He is greater than anything Satan throws at you. YAHWEH GOD is our KING, LORD, SAVIOR, CREATOR, PROVIDER, HEALER, REDEEMER, FATHER, SHEPHERD, and the ONE AND ONLY GOD! There is no other God!

So, what is bothering you and unsettling your mind today? Pray to God. Ask Him to help you cast Satan away from you. Pray Scripture. Read God's promises. Proclaim them aloud. Listen and sing songs of praise and worship to God. Proclaim Him your GOD! He is with you in every breath your lungs take, in every beat your heart makes, in every breeze that blows across your arms, and in every sight of His creation you glimpse. Praise GOD for even the rocks will cry out, "Hosanna to the King of kings!"

If you are struggling with the overwhelming news from this pandemic and are worried about now and the future, you can message me, and we can chat. If you want to pray with me, we can pray. If you just want to know you are not alone, write to me and we can talk. God is with us, for us, and in us since we are His children by His grace and mercy given to us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

May God bless you today as you

seek Him,

find Him, and

gain His strength to walk through your day.

Jesus told His disciples, "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So, don’t be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27 [NLT])

Accept His peace. It's right there, just accept it.

Perspective and the Donkey

In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us imposters. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. (2 Cor. 6:4-5, 8-10 [NLT])

Do you ever feel like the donkey harnessed to a mill walking in circles all day every day to grind the farmer’s grain? That’s how it can seem when you are working hard, and no one notices. Consider the devotional below to understand what Paul teaches about this.

How is your devotion to God? Did you receive His vision of the task to which He calls you? Did you begin to do it, but after a while decide it was rote and mundane, and then forget to keep your eyes on God? The physical aspect became drudgery and, possibly, you became bitter about why you, you of all people, had to do this work. You then stumbled, found yourself attacked by other people questioning your motives, and really began wondering why you were doing these things.

Paul spoke about this. He wrote about continuing to do what Jesus told him to do, proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. For that, Paul said he suffered. In 2 Corinthians 6:3-10, he listed some things he and his companions endured. By writing of his travails, Paul encouraged other believers to continue keeping their eyes on Christ. These verses told other Christians what happens when they follow Jesus.

Remember, Paul was a persecutor before he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. He actively sought to imprison or kill Jesus-followers so they would not lead the Jews away from the true faith. After Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he became one with other Christ-followers. He suffered torture, imprisonment, attempts to kill him, poverty, hunger, etc. In reading each of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, we realize he never stopped telling people about Jesus Christ. He never declared being poor, touching the sick, or being imprisoned was beneath him, a Jew of Jews trained by Gamaliel. (Acts 22:3, Philippians 3:3-6)

Never once do we read in the Bible that Paul turned his back on Jesus. His hardships, troubles, and calamities did not cause his zeal to disappear, but served as a reminder to him that he was a true Christ-follower. Paul suffered as Jesus suffered. Jesus said His followers would experience what He did and more. (Matthew 24:9, Matthew 10:17, 22, John 15:19, 21, John 16:2) Paul took this to heart as an encouragement. Though he asked God to relieve him of the thorn in his side, he endured in his own weakness because God said His “power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) Paul willingly endured many things for the sake of Christ to reach all people with the gospel so that none would perish.

What are we willing to endure for Christ? Drudgery? Unimportance? Exhaustion? Persecution? Mockery? Poverty? Death? Do we think about these things and become upset by them? Do we consider them undeserved and rail against them? Do we consider it a badge of honor for people to misuse us for the sake of the gospel of Christ?

The donkey at the mill sees the ground, carrot, and grinding stones all day every day. He doesn’t see the final product, the meal. Don’t consider yourself like this donkey who doesn’t have an end-goal perspective. Consider the meal from the mill that will come as you continue to keep your eyes on God and gain His perspective. People will be saved.

Perspective is everything. At whom you look is most important.

Looking at yourself can cause anger and feelings of insignificance.

Looking to God causes you to have His perspective. He desires all people be saved from sin and death.

God is greater than our circumstances.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Keep His perspective; though He was rich, He became poor so all people may be saved.

Keep your eyes on God.

Keep God’s perspective.

Lord, I have done it again. I came to You and gave myself to You for Your service, heard Your call and began doing what You said. Next thing I knew, I felt unrecognized and taken for granted. I felt people taking advantage of me. Now I realize I took my eyes off You and had a worldly perspective. Please forgive me for not seeking You each moment of the days. Forgive me for walking in my own strength and getting upset because of what other people said or did or didn’t say or do. This work is not about me, but about You. I can do nothing to save people, nor can I do anything in my own strength. I need You, Lord. I need You to guide me, give me Your strength and peace, and make me able to do the work You called me to do. Lord, clothe me fully with Yourself and remove the tatters of the old nature from me. I surrender myself fully to You right now. Guard me against my right to myself and help me to be humble. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Doing the Impossible

³⁵ Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me: what have You done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” (John 18:35-36 [NASB])

¹⁵ And I (Saul) said, “Who are you, Lord?” And the Lord, said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; ¹⁷ rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:15-18 [NASB])

As Christians, we know without doubt where we will go when we no longer live on this earth. We don’t fear eternity. Yet, many of us fear what will happen to us on earth; what humankind will do to us if we say or do what Jesus' Spirit tells us to say or do. We fear of being ostracized. We fear of being rejected by people we think we want to impress or to have as friends. We fear physical persecution.

In the earthly realm, these fears seem normal and appropriate. Yet, if we truly are followers of Christ and, as such, are the children of God, these fears should not affect how we live. Remember, fear is not of God. Instead, we must submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and let Him clothe us with the new nature that comes from Jesus. By this, we will become more like Christ every day. We are to submit ourselves, so the fears of the world do not enter our thinking. If we fear, we are letting the old nature block our acceptance and keep us from living in the new nature.

In John 18:36, Jesus implied because His servants, His followers, were not fighting to get Him released from custody, Pilate could know they truly were His followers, Christians. They sought to do the Father's will. Jesus' followers understood, because He told them His arrest and crucifixion would happen and was part of God's plan for the salvation of humanity. Jesus told His followers they would face persecution, too, and stand strong by His Spirit’s empowering of them. Because He stood strong, they could know they could stand strong in the face of persecution.

When Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus, Jesus told Saul He would rescue him from the Jewish people and the Gentiles (Acts 26:17). He made sure Saul knew being a follower of Jesus would mean being, doing, and saying things contrary to what the world wants to hear, see, and be. So, knowing Jesus will rescue him and will send His Spirit to empower and embolden him to endure ostracism and physical persecution, encouraged and gave His later followers the ability to stand strong by the new nature He put within them when they received salvation.

Fear should not affect our following Jesus. We can do or say what the Spirit leads us to do or say in this world. Jesus went before us as the Son of God who lived as a man and became the model for us of how we should live, act, speak, and think. He told us persecution would happen. Jesus told us He would rescue us, too. He might not rescue us immediately, but in the eternal time frame, He has already rescued us and we can go forward with hope and assurance in faith because of Jesus.

Today, some of us are facing battles and persecution. It would be so much easier to give in and give up the fight rather than stand strong against those things. Remember, Jesus has overcome Satan, sin, death, and the world. There is nothing to fear. Live with the new nature Jesus gave you, not the old, mortal, fearful nature. Watch what God is doing and is about to do because of your faithfulness to Him.

God is able and is faithful to do the impossible using the finite for His eternal good.

While I (Jesus) was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which you have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. (John 17:22 [NASB])

Lord, I want to live and be Your disciple, Your child, here on earth the way You lead me, but at times I allow my old nature and fear to lead me. I say, “I am just an introvert” or “I have small children to protect.” I allow my old nature, my human reasoning to lead me instead of You. I’m sorry, Lord. You are God and can do anything. You are faithful and love me and will do what is best. I can trust in You. Please forgive me to live based on my reasoning and my comfort zone. Help me step out and live in faith where You lead me so other people may hear about, come to know You, and be saved. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Jolted or Joyful

“Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” John 16:20 [NIV]

Consider your planning for a great trip. You’ve mapped out your route. You’ve saved enough money to pay for it. You’ve even found a wonderful house sitter or dog sitter. After your first day of driving to reach this grand place of which you’ve dreamed, your car has a flat tire. When you go to change the tire, the engine hisses. When you find a mechanic and get to his garage, you learn your car needs a new radiator along with a new tire. One thing after another hits you as you contemplate your plans and what you are going to do. You did not plan on having difficulty and so didn’t save extra money. Now, you must use the rest of the money you saved for your trip to pay for your car repairs. Are your hopes dashed? Do you wonder what you should do, go home or go onward to your destination? How can you ever have joy on this great adventure you planned when it will cost you much more money than you saved? Life is like this. God knew what would happen before you even began your journey. He had a plan for you for that time.

The statement above by Jesus to His disciples in John 16:20 came after He began preparing them for what would happen to them when He fulfilled His purpose on earth. Jesus told them in the first eleven verses of John 16 that people would kill and persecute them thinking they were serving God. He told them these people would do this because they do not know the Father or Him. But, Jesus, because of His love for the disciples and their devotion to Him, warned them about these future dire circumstances to prepare them. After He told them He would go to the One who sent Him, He told them He recognized their grief because of these things He said. Because the disciples believed in Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, He said He would send an Advocate, His Holy Spirit. Jesus sends this Advocate to each person who believes in Him.

Jesus recognized His disciples could not bear anymore teaching about His last days on earth (His departure from them) and about their future persecution and death by people who don’t believe in Him. He told them the Spirit of truth would guide them in all truth. Jesus would not leave them without a guide and teacher, One who teaches what He hears from the Father and who will glorify Christ. This Spirit will tell the disciples what Jesus wants them to know.

Jesus began teaching in John 16 by preparing the disciples. He told them He would depart from them and return to the Father, and people would persecute and kill them because they were His disciples. Yet, Jesus would send an Advocate to teach them, the Spirit of truth Who comes from Him to guide them in all truth. He returned to telling the disciples, they would not see Him and then they would. The disciples questioned what Jesus meant. How can a person be seen then not seen, except by death? Even their understanding of death meant they would not see a person after he or she died. The disciples were confused. Jesus recognized their confusion and sought to give them clarity.

The death Jesus spoke of was His own. At His death, the non-believers would rejoice, while His disciples would mourn. Yet, from the day Jesus rose from the grave, the disciples would rejoice, and the people of the world would be confused. Some people would be angry and consult others in an attempt to understand how this could happen. Jesus told the disciples they would mourn for a little while then rejoice. They would understand that earthly mourning was just for a season, but joy lasts forever because Jesus lives for eternity. He conquered sin and death forever. Mourning and grief are a momentary part of time while joy is eternal for the people who are Jesus’ followers.

For the disciples to understand this better, Jesus used the analogy of a pregnant woman in labor. While the woman labored, her pain was great, and she found it hard to experience joy because of the depth of the pain. Yet, when she held the child in her arms, the joy of his/her birth would overshadow the anguish and pain of labor. Just so, Jesus said, their mourning of His death would be overshadowed by His resurrection, His victory over death forever. Because Jesus conquered sin and death, the disciples could know joy exists forever even when pain, anguish, and trials existed. Those times of pain, anguish, and trial would last for a moment, but the joy of victory over sin and death and the eternal hope it brings would last for eternity.

While the world rejoices at your difficulties and points their fingers at how they bested the one who follows Jesus, you can know your grief for the moment will turn to joy. You can have joy despite and in the midst of whatever your circumstances may be. Though people may persecute you and kill you, Christian, you have a joy that outlasts what humans can do to you.

Let’s take that thought one step further. To love Jesus means absolute (total) devotion to Him and His will. As we pray each day in our time with Him, we ask Him to use us and to make us like Himself. Often this thought comes habitually without really thinking about what the consequences might mean. If we do not truly mean these things and do not seek Him and desire to be completely devoted to Him, circumstances will surprise us. They never surprise God. He knows our heart, our inmost being. (Psalm 139) When we pray this prayer from habit, without depth of heart, we try to make ourselves like Jesus as if Jesus is the pattern or example of supreme goodness. What we need to realize is that we cannot make ourselves like Jesus. True followers of Jesus, believers in Jesus as the Messiah, recognize He makes us into His image through His power and by the guiding and teaching of the Holy Spirit. When we truly mean what we pray, “Make me like You, into Your image for Your service,” we understand Jesus is the One who makes us like Himself. Only when our prayer to be made like Him comes from the depth of our devotion and faithfulness to Him can we preparedly and joyfully face persecution trials, and death.

We cannot make ourselves like Jesus by our power.

Only Jesus can make us like Him by His power.

God is not surprised by the depth of humanity’s sinfulness and rebellion against Him. He is not surprised people will persecute His followers and kill them. Jesus told His disciples this in John 16. He told His disciples and tells us today through the Bible and His Holy Spirit that we can have joy during life’s hard times. Why? Because Jesus overwhelmingly conquered sin and death. He lives forevermore. Humanity threw its best to defeat Him; they crucified Jesus. Yet, God’s best is greater than humanity’s best. He has power over all things, life and death. Because Jesus is victorious, we can be victorious and have joy while walking with Jesus through difficult times. Imagine having joy while grieving, and relief while being homeless or jobless. Imagine knowing without doubt something greater exists than this life and nothing in your present moment will have eternal significance. God is powerful, loving, and great. He is not surprised by what happens. He is greater than anything that occurs in your life and in the world. God loves you.

Consider what the psalmist said in Psalm 139 after stating to what depths God knew him. He said in verses seven through twelve,

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You. (Psalm 139:7-12 [NIV])

Whether we try to hide from God or evil tries to hide us from God, God is greater. Even in those supposedly hidden places and in darkness, God’s hand will guide you and support you. Nothing can separate you from God. Paul spoke about this victory from evil for us in Romans 8:36-39. He wrote,

Just as it is written “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [NASB]

Hard times will come. People will hurt us. Some people may kill Christians. We recognize these things are true. They are part of human history, our present time, and humanity’s future, but we don’t have to linger and quiver in our minds and lament. Because Jesus is our Lord and by His power, He changes us and makes us more like Himself daily, we have hope beyond this current difficult time. This moment will not last, but eternal life with God in His kingdom will last forever. We are more than conquerors, more than victors, and nothing can separate us from the love of God. Yes, pain will come and is with us now, but we have an eternal, unquenchable joy found only through Jesus Christ. For now, we may have grief, but we can hold onto the joy Jesus gives to each of His followers. We will see Jesus; we believe right now and at the times we face difficulties, always, He is with us. Nothing and no one can take this joy from us.

Jesus gives us eternal, unquenchable joy.

Consider that great adventure you planned, and the expensive car repairs you didn’t plan for on the way to your destination. Will you allow the difficulty to steal your joy about the adventure? Will you seek God and His will, walking in the power He will give you for this situation? God has a plan. That plan includes His love for you and your spiritual growth. What will you do, focus on the problem or on God, who knows what is happening and has a plan to walk with you through the difficulty? These problems are fleeting, but God is eternal and your salvation through Him is eternal. Let the joy He gives you be greater than the burden of the problems. One is eternal and the other momentary.

Problems are fleeting, but God and His salvation to you are eternal.

What grief or what difficulty has come upon you and is causing you to lose sight of Jesus. Are you working through your difficulties with just a human perspective? Keep your eyes and heart on Jesus. Keep looking at Him. His joy, the joy He gives to you, is greater and longer lasting than your grief and pain. Let your momentary difficulties bring glory to Jesus Christ. The song writer, Helen Howarth, reminds us of this in her hymn called Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

(https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/645)

Let your momentary difficulties bring glory to Jesus Christ.

Dear Father, so often I get caught up in my troubles and I lose sight of you as I try to figure out why the problem has happened and what I can do to get out of it. Lord, forgive me for living in my own strength. Forgive me for losing perspective and seeing life from an earthly standpoint. Forgive me for not seeking You, looking to You, and allowing You to be the conqueror of my situation. Lord, truly, I am to be made like You by Your power, not my own. I don’t want to make myself in Your pattern, but for You to make me like You. Help me to grow, to be more devoted to You, and to love You with my whole being. Help me to trust You completely and have the joy You give because You are the Conqueror. This current difficulty is a moment in time, but Your power and joy are eternal. Thank you for loving me, for saving me, and for giving me hope and joy amidst pain, trials, and death. Amen.

Take Courage

"But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28 [NASB]

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples and followers. He had just told them about what would happen before His return to earth. It began with telling them the stones of the temple would be torn down. The things they called beautiful would be no more.

What Jesus told His disciples and followers distressed them and they questioned Him about the signs of when these things would happen. Jesus listed several things that would occur before His return in Luke 21. He said people would come proclaiming they are the Christ. Nations and kingdoms would battle. Great earthquakes, plagues, and famines would rock the people of the earth. Terrors and signs from heaven would happen. People they knew and people they loved would persecute them. Some believers would die because of people who hate Jesus’ name. Armies would surround Jerusalem. The Gentiles would trample Jerusalem under their feet until their “time is fulfilled.”

Each of these horrible things are enough to scare most people. To hear them all put together as a string of things that would happen before Christ returns is horrifying and would have been even more so for the believers of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the city of God, Zion. To fathom the city of God as being laid ruin was hard for them to imagine.

Today, we experience or hear of things hard to fathom. Why would a friend say slanderous things about you at work? Why would a family member betray you and say you mean nothing to them? How can our nation be so much under the influence of Satan? What is happening with the world? So many places are in ruins because of wars and terrorists. Why must I live in fear wondering if a bomb will explode near me or my family while at work, school, worship, or play?

“What is happening to our world?” you may wonder. Jesus explained it in Luke 21. He said,

There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:25-27 [NASB]

Because these things occur, does that mean we should be afraid, run, and hide? That is the natural instinct of at least a third of the people, according to psychologists. They say people either fight, flee, or freeze when confronted with something horrible/scary. Jesus did not tell people to do that. What He said gives us courage and hope. Jesus said, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28) The reaction Jesus told His disciples and followers to have completely contradicts what psychologists consider normal. Straightening up requires having courage in the face of difficulties. Jesus’ followers could have courage because Jesus is the overwhelming conqueror of the world-over Satan, sin, and death. These things Jesus said would happen before His return to earth are what He conquered. Satan causes them and, thus, Jesus is the Conqueror. Believer’s in Jesus Christ can have hope because our redemption is near. As believers, Jesus redeemed us from slavery to sin and death when we confessed Him as our Lord and Savior. He will redeem us when He returns to earth to take us to His heavenly kingdom.

Today we face horrible things. Bombings occur often around the world. Countries antagonize each other and prepare for war. Children rise against parents and parents against children. Friends betray friends to religious activists to save themselves from torture and death. Famines, plagues, floods, and earthquakes happen more than in history. These things make people wonder if the end of the world will happen soon. They cause fear to rise in the hearts and minds of millions of people. As Christians, we can remember Jesus’ words. We can gain courage and hope in Him, and “straighten up and lift up our heads” because He told us these things would happen and that He would come to redeem us. The day of His coming is nearer with each day. Hold on to hope. Keep the faith. Find joy in knowing Jesus knew these things, is Conqueror, and is coming to take you with Him.

Consider what Jesus said as recorded in John 16:33.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulations but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Take courage. Have Hope. Lift up your heads. Jesus is coming.

Lord, forgive me. I get lost in my personal storms and forget to look to You. I allow the trials, setbacks, and disappointments, in my days to distract me and I take my eyes off You. That is when the storms become too violent in my mind and I cannot see where to go or what to do, then I give up. Please help me keep my eyes on You, my Savior, and not on my storms. Help me straighten up and hold my head up because You are my Hope, my Redeemer, and the overwhelming Conqueror of the world. Give me the strength, perseverance, and faith to keep walking with You when I feel blinded by the day’s trials. Guide me through those days, Lord. Help me not to faint and stand back, but to keep holding Your hand and looking at You. Nothing can overwhelm me when I keep my eyes on You. Thank you for being God and being greater than anything that comes against me. Thank you for loving me.

Earthen Vessels...But

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Christ, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So, death works in us, but life in you.  2 Corinthians 4:7-12 [NASB]

Each of us, when we encounter a speed bump or cliff in life, wonder why we must go through it. “Why is this happening to me?” we may ask. “How can I ever get through this trouble?” is another question that often arises. If we are believers, the answer is most obvious when we are sailing on calm seas. We get through it with God’s strength and direction. As we battle through the difficulty, we often forget God is with us and makes His wisdom, knowledge, power, and strength available to us. Yet, when we get through the trial, we realize God was there all the time. Still, we may wonder, “Why did that horrible time happen?”

Have you considered God will orchestrate difficult times? He will do it to help us grow and to bring Himself glory. How we get through the trials determine if we grow and if God gets the glory. Paul spoke in 2 Corinthians 4 about trials. He said, “We are afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” This attitude did not just happen. It came from going through trials and finding God to be faithful when Paul called upon Him. Paul spent this part of his letter to the Corinthians teaching them from his own experiences. He spoke as one who had been through the fires.

When we encounter our own fires, we wonder why we must go through that trial. “What did I do to deserve this?” we may ask. Paul explained two reasons for trials in 2 Corinthians 4:7 & 11. He said we go through difficulties “so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” (2 Cor. 4:7b) People go through trials to show God’s great power as they go through them. In verse 11b, Paul added, we go through these things “so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal (believer) flesh.” Our lives can be a testimony of Jesus’ life in us enabled by His Holy Spirit. This latter cannot happen without growth and growth cannot happen without the believer calling on God for help during difficult times. Difficult times grow a person’s faith in God and make the person more identified with the sufferings of Jesus.

Let me give an example. We have a prodigal child in our family. Many people have prodigals in their families. Our family prays daily for this adult child, for God to keep speaking to the heart of the person, to break down the walls Satan has erected in the person’s heart, to bring the person to the point of repentance, and bring the person back to living in communion with God and His children, our family included. The last five years have been painful as we watched this child live without God and walk in ways contrary to God’s moral laws. On Mother’s Day Sunday, without my foreknowledge, the pastor called me up to the front of the church. I had no idea what was about to happen. As the pastor talked about the people in our church who may have prodigals in their family, whether child, sibling, or parent, I got nervous. I had been at the point of tears in my pew and knew I could not talk or pray without crying. I called out to God silently in my heart and mind asking Him to make me strong enough to speak without crying. Eventually, the pastor asked me to pray for each person standing who has a prodigal in their family. I prayed without crying as God has led me to pray these last 5 years for my adult child.

Why did I tell you this story? I told you this story because if I had not called upon God for His strength to get through that time of prayer, I would have cried. My prayer would have been babbling. People would not have had prayers lifted for their prodigals and learned how to pray for them. And God would not have been glorified. My prayer that morning was a testimony to God’s greatness, goodness, love, and faithfulness. Nothing in me could have done it without God’s intervention. Other people would not have gained strength and grown in their walk with God about their prodigal.

Paul added two other benefits of going through trials at the end of chapter four. He said,

Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. (1 Corinthians 4:16-17 [NASB])

As we go through trials, God receives glory, Jesus’ life in us manifests itself and receives testimony, God renews our inner person daily, and, our affliction produces an eternal weight of glory.

For today and the next tomorrows, when you go through trials, I encourage you to consider not asking, “Why must I go through this?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” Instead, ask God to give you His strength, wisdom, and power to go through the difficulty so He will receive glory, and your life and voice will bring testimony to the life of Jesus in you. For this, you will grow in your Christlikeness and in relationship with God, and you will get a greater reward in heaven.

Lord, God, I admit, I hate to go through hard times. I hate to struggle and slog through the stormy seas that batter me. Forgive me for attempting to stand on my own and not looking to You, My Lord, for wisdom, strength, and power. Forgive me for walking away from You during those difficult times. Lord, help me remember You are always with me and I only need to call to You for help. Lord be my strength, wisdom, and Protector. Be my guide. Help me grow closer to You even if it means I must go through trials. Help me stand strong with You so You receive glory and my life testifies to the life of Your Son in me. Amen.

Perspective

“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 [NLT]

As believers in Jesus Christ living in a sinful world, we will go through troubling times of persecution, ostracism, torture, and even death. As we go through these difficult times and other times of trial, that upon which we focus determines what we are to become and for what use we are or will be.

If we go through these difficult times kicking and screaming, then our trials and troubles change who we are negatively. We experience no growth because we do not go through them with grace. These trials and troubles make us bitter and angry. We then produce bitter fruit. If we go through troubles and trials with a sweet temperament, we learn and grow from the situation. What is the difference between these two attitudes towards difficulties? The first is self-focused. We might think, “We do not deserve this. We have rights and what you are doing to me is wrong.” These two sentences come from the person who faces difficult times while kicking and screaming. Bitterness, resentment, and anger take root in our hearts, minds, and spirits and we do not reflect the peaceful Spirit of God. If, however, we face difficult times keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, who faced many trials, persecutions, and crucifixion without shouting His rights, we will go through the times with grace, God’s grace, and will seek what God wants us to learn from the situations. The fruit of our lives will be sweet and fragrant, so people will be drawn to us to learn what is different about us as compared to other people. They will seek to understand how we could go through difficult situations without being angry, depressed, and vengeful.

What is the difference between these two ways of going through trials and troubles? The difference is the perspective of the person. For the growing believer, a strong relationship with God, occurring because of daily Bible reading and meditation on it, Bible verse memorization, and prayers of confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and supplication (C.A.T.S.), creates the strength to persevere through difficult times. Recalling Jesus’ life and how He endured His temptations, persecution, and crucifixion because of His grace and love for all people gives us the strength to go through these hard times. Paul pointed out in Philippians 2,  

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled himself to obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

 Philippians 2:5-8 [NLT]

Jesus faced life in human form enduring persecutions, trials, and a crucifixion with a humble attitude. He showed us how to live this kind of life. His example was humility and obedience. These two things emanate from us when we live in God’s grace. What is God’s grace? It is God forgiving us when we don’t deserve it. Grace is God loving us when we are utterly horrible because of our sin. It is His washing us when we are terribly dirty from the world and our interactions in it. Grace is God holding us when we are torn, battered, and bruised and feel unnecessary, unloved, and without a reason to live.

So how do we live in troubling times with grace? We live during those times with perspective. We keep our eyes focused on God knowing He loves us enough to carry us through these times. We understand He will be with us as we persevere in our faith of Him. We realize nothing we have done or will ever do will earn us God’s forgiveness, love, kindness, and peace, but He gives these to us because He is love and His character defines love. Because of this, we can stand firm in our faith in Him. Notice each of these requires keeping our eyes focused on God. When we take our eyes off Him and look at what is happening to us and around us, our human frailties are all we have by which to get us through the bad times. Then Satan stirs up fear, anger, bitterness, and chaos in our hearts, minds, and spirits. As a by-product, when we live by grace through each day, how we live becomes fruit for other people. In other words, we become broken bread from which others can learn, from which they can eat. Our testimony and our teaching about God are wonderful, but when people see the fruit of our lives, they eat of it and learn more about God and His grace because we lived by His grace.

Let’s consider Jesus’ example and keep our eyes focused on God. Let’s keep walking the path He sets before us by following His example, living by grace. Let’s press on, as Paul said.

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:10-14 [NLT]

Lord, I don’t know what will happen today or tomorrow, but I know who You are. I know You love me, and nothing will ever cause Your love to be taken from me. Many times, I have taken my eyes off You and I have walked in my own ways and not Yours. At those times, I faltered in my steps and I led people astray. Please forgive me my self-centeredness. Lead me to persevere by faith with Your grace. Use me for whatever is for Your glory. Let my life be a testimony of Your love and grace so someone else will know You and grow in their relationship with You. Thank You, Father. Amen.