In Faithfulness Thou Hast Afflicted Me

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In Faithfulness  Thou Hast Afflicted Me

But,  I don’t want any more troubles!       I’m already so afflicted with problems  from every side,  that I don’t even know where to turn!      I don’t know what to do any more.      Nothing is going right  and I just feel so defeated  and helpless.      I don’t know the right way  to go any more.      I just want to get away from it all.

When we’re greatly afflicted,  we want  to get away from it all,  because we don’t have any answers  to our problems.      We groan in our powerlessness  —  but the psalmist  saw his afflictions  from the right perspective.      Our powerlessness is a good thing  in the end.      In experiencing similar plights,  the psalmist writes  in Psalm 119:73-78,

Thy hands  made me  and fashioned me;
Give me understanding,  that I may learn  Thy commandments.
May those who fear Thee  see me  and be glad,
Because I wait for Thy word.
I know,  O LORD,  that Thy judgments  are righteous,
And that  in faithfulness  Thou hast afflicted me.
O may Thy lovingkindness  comfort me,
According to Thy word  to Thy servant.
May Thy compassion   come to me  that I may live,
For Thy law is my delight.
May the arrogant  be ashamed,  for they subvert me  with a lie;
But  I shall meditate  on Thy precepts.

In our troubles,  we need to remember  that God made us  and has compassionately given us  full salvation  in Jesus Christ  by faith in His grace.      When we remember  our Creator and Redeemer,  looking to Him alone  for the help we need,  He will lead us  to know His word  —  and His commandments.      That’s why  the psalmist said,  “I wait for Thy word.”

When we face troubles,  we need  to go straight to our Savior  and meditate  on His words to us.      Wait for Him to lead,  and He will lead us  in the right way,  at the right time  —  whenever that might be.

As we wait  for our Redeemer’s guidance,  we need to remember  His outpouring of love for us  on the cross  —  and praise Him  for His love.      We are not facing our problems alone.      God is right here  with us,  ready to help  as we grow in faith.      Then  we will see  that it is  “in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me.”      We need to have afflictions  that will lead us  to a strong faith  —  a true faith  —  a faith that is not a sham  or pretense  of any sort.

God has a loving purpose  for every affliction  He allows us to experience.      There is something we need to experience  and learn for ourselves  —  even though we don’t know just what that is.      Just words  don’t help us to learn.      We need  to live through  the loving support  and help  God is able  to strengthen us with  —  all the while continually looking to Him  in praise,  and remembering  all He has done in the past.      Then we will  experience God’s loving faithfulness  and know for a surety  its truthfulness  —  but,  we won’t really have words  that can express  all of the greatness  of God’s love for us.

When Paul felt weak  and prayed for deliverance,  God told him  in 2 Corinthians 12:9,  “My grace is sufficient for you,  for power is perfected  in weakness.”      God is better able  to faithfully show His power  in our lives  when we learn  to lean on Him  for our daily needs.      God is faithful  to our every need  and will cause  all things to work out  for our good in the end.

As we gladly  lean on our Savior’s strength,  we say,  “Hallelujah!      Lord,  You do all things well.      Thank You for working  in our lives  to our eternal good.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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