Only with great difficulty are we able to try and wrap our minds around this concept of ETERNITY. Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, I will thank you forever, because you have done it. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted . Look at what Paul said about his trials in 2 Corinthians 6:10: Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything (emphasis mine). James says blessed, or happy, is the man who perseveres under trial. I am talking to God, and he is listening. He said, Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven. There is a reward given for suffering. Why is that? We rejoice because trials bring a greater future glory. My morning, my afternoon, my night. Praise God in the storms, through the battles, and when life gets hard. where there is no water. O Lord, my God you are my refuge and my strength. It took me to several chapters of 2 Samuel. Scripture commands us to think on godly things. Listen to what Paul says: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirableif anything is excellent or praiseworthythink about such things. Listen, many of us have lost our joy. How do we bless, or praise God? We see Israel going through trials in the wilderness, and God disciplined them. It proves to us and others that we are part of the kingdom of God (Philip 1:28, 29). (Psalms 113:4, NIV). In fact, God is preserving this inheritance, keeping it from decay or being stolen, even right now. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;even at night my heart instructs me.I keep my eyes always on the Lord. In fact, they have lost their first love like the Ephesians. Pulpit Commentary Verse 7. I'm just an ordinary girl following an extraordinary God, learning to seek God's possible in this world of impossible. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Find, read and study the passages in the Bible where men and women prayed. (Psa. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. God - GOD. BOOK TWO Psalms 42-72 -Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses - To the Chief Musician. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. In the previous verses (1-6), Paul had talked about how he was taken to heaven and saw visions and things he could not speak about. 7. (Isaiah 24:23, NIV). He teaches you how to better hear Gods voice in times of suffering. Many of them just dont have the experience of going through trials with God yet. All this will enable you, in a special way, to be able to minister to others. As he speaks of the futility and darkness and ignorance of idolatry he says they exchanged the glory of God for images made to look like man and animals (Rom. Wow! It happened that, when the ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal Chapter 15 of 2 Samuel reports of the national rebellion of King David headed by his own son. But I will sing of your strength;I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.For you have been to me a fortressand a refuge in the day of my distress.O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,for you, O God, are my fortress,the God who shows me steadfast love. 16: 7-9) "I will give you thanks with all my heart; I will sing your . A good father only allows his child to go through trials if they are necessary. A city missionary, stumbling through the dirt of a dark entry, heard a voice say, "Who's there, Honey?" Striking a match, he caught a vision of earthly want and suffering, of saintly trust and peace, "cut in ebony"calm, appealing . How do we know if we have genuine faith? But the inheritance to which Peter refers can never perish, spoil, or fade and God is protecting it for us. Typically, we honor those who are successful and do great things. Remember that God is surrounding you! For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. it convinces me that I am actually in a real conversation with God himself, my very Creator. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (emphasis mine). Ephesians 1:3 says we have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Psalm 119:49,50 ZAIN. 116 views, 2 likes, 2 loves, 9 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Unity Temple Church of God in Christ: 2nd Sunday Service Thank you for. Jesus said in his high priestly prayer in John 17:22 that the glory he had in heaven has been shared with us. The next reason is because it tests our faith. We will focus on that in the next section, as it is also a secret to having joy in the midst of trials. Its extremely important because it so easy to lose the joy that should be ours. He raises a rhetorical question, Who has known the mind of the Lord? Are you faithfully seeking him in the midst of your trial? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Gold can be passed from generation to generation. For many, when they go through a church split or they were harmed by a church leader, they fall away from the faith and never return. All rights reserved. 1 2 3 4 5 Next Trusting God In A Time Of Trouble Job 13:15 15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: Sometimes a preacher will find one of those sermons that is just absolutely inspirational. 3. I hope we too will have these thoughts about God; and through continued reading, study, prayer and practice -- I trust we will be drawn closer and closer to Him, worshipping Him and obeying Him from the heart. I dont come from a completely reformed background. This is Deut. (Psalms 115:1, NIV). Today, how do Christians do this? Psalm 34 is a typical psalm of praise: I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Romans 11:33-36 is such an excellent statement of God's sovereignty. A good example of this is Peter and Judas. Trials have the same effect on a believers faith. This means that my trial with depression is used to help believers who have experienced trials that are different from mine. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Judas denied Christ and never returned. That means He doesn't have to clear anything with anybody! Is he God your Protector? Let praise bring you up above what you see in the world right now. We see evidence of this with David. They have authority, but not sovereignty! Our fathers trusted in thee: They trusted, and thou didst deliver them. There are some Christians, especially young Christians, who struggle with how to comfort somebody in the midst of a failure, a loss, or some depression. Mechanical instruments are not suited to this. Focus on your faith; trials prove the genuineness of our faith. Its also about the role we will play once we are there. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Through Song. They fell away from God, they complained about God, and they were divided. His law may not seem good or fair to men - - but God is God; He is the Judge of all the earth; His name shall endure forever, and this is about SOVEREIGNTY! Trials can create a tremendous intimacy. How can we develop and sustain an eternal view point? And one way we let that influence work is to praise Him and worship Him and honor Him, because of who He is and what He is about. Those who are faithfulmeaning that they didnt quit, meaning that they continued to trust in God and honor him in the midst of trialswill be richly rewarded. These would make any person proud. In Esther 3, we are introduced to an evil man, Hamanwho is a type of the anti-Christ to come. I will give them a crown. Peter saw this and focused on this in the midst of his trials. When I read something in God's Word, I'm convinced God is right and I have the faith and courage to act on that, I'm praising God - by the obedient attention I'm giving His Word. This is personal now. Feel free to take just a sentence or small portion of the verse to focus on each day. Verse Concepts. In this passage, the writer says to endure hardship as disciplineGod is treating you as sons. Paul said something similar in 2 Corinthians 4:1718: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Though the fig tree does not budand there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop failsand the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the penand no cattle in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord,I will be joyful in God my Savior.The Sovereign Lord is my strength;he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,he enables me to tread on the heights. Praise God in the storms, through the battles, and when life gets hard. They cannot think, honor or edify one another. Focus on Gods sovereignty and purpose in trials. Let me explain through the illustration of Paul and his thorn in the flesh. This life is not just about our future career, marriage, or retirement. David wrote Psalm 18 and sang it to the Lord "in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul" (superscription). But that's not it. His existence is timeless; He had no beginning, He anticipates no end. As I follow the instructions of God and honor the Son, there flows from my life just exactly the kind of influence that will do people good and not evil. They both denied Christ when they were tested through the trial. Read More. Listen, if you are truly born again, you are kept by Gods power until the coming of salvation which will be revealed at the coming of Christ (1 Pet 1:5) and not the power of your faith. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20). In the situation of the Corinthians, this included weakness, sickness, and even death. God will honor those who have been faithful in the way they have persevered through trials. No, this is about being so impressed by the character of God, so influenced by His marvelous attributes, we have to say something; we are compelled by the sheer power and majesty of the Lord to bless Him, or praise His name. What we do today will affect our eternity. I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.". In fact, one of the things that I respect about the reformed tradition (Presbyterians, Reformed Baptist, Reformed Church of America, etc.) Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Paul says the same thing in other texts, look at 1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (emphasis mine). 3:23). One of the things I love about 1 Peter is his focus on the gospel and having joy in our salvation. BUT NOW - at the end of all this analysis and argument and affirmation -- THERE IS ADORATION! Look at what Peter says: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to (emphasis mine) suffer grief in all kinds of trials (1 Pet 1:6). He knows exactly what you need and how much you can handle. Ownership. The trial was not an accident it was necessary for your growth and maturation in Christ. Peter fell away and came back because he had genuine faith. Application Question: What things keep you from developing this eternal view point in the midst of your trials? We can focus on our inheritance and security in heaven. This is really happening. How do you respond to trials? That place is His Word. It was beautiful, but when they put it into fire, they found out it wasnt. If you are the temple of God, that same joy you get when praising God in Church can come while praising God anywhere. Amen. Focus on the benefits of our great salvationour new birth, our inheritance, and our security. Maybe the conversion was based on bad teaching? "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours." David brought his reign to a close talking to God, and talking to His people about God. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. This is the type of view Christians must develop on the earth. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Praise God that He shows us how prevention is always better and less stressful than a curative measure. Oh yes, this is the perspective we must have. This is not true faith. Psalm 23:3,4 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake, Psalm 41:7,8 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt, Psalm 66:10-12 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried, Psalm 71:20,21 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Often, trials are necessary to turn us away from sin and toward obedience. They are not haphazard; they are not by accidentand God has not forgotten about us. Every time I worship God I need to be mindful of His greatness. WE PRAISE GOD THROUGH THE INFLUENCE OF FAITHFUL LIVES "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Trials only last for a little while in comparison to our eternal salvation. They can co-exist in the same way an expectant mother can go through the travail of birth and still have joy in thinking about what is to come. Or who has been his counsellor Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him? Before discipline came, David was living in sin, but after the affliction, he obeyed Gods words. Jesus is a descendant of David. We cannot contain our adoration for Him! Notice - he gives the reason for our dependence on God - for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Christ taught the same thing. The imperishableness of gold is one of the things that make it valuable. - God says in Psalm 50:23. (Acts 13:22) One reason for this was his willingness to praise God even in the darkest of times. 3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me . He has brought us back to the basics. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: They . We are not sure what this thorn in the flesh was. Psalm 138-141King James Version. Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me. (Romans 15:11, NIV). This is a phenomenal concept. Listen to what Christ said to the church of Ephesus in Revelations 2:2-4: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. It relates to my feelings and truths. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Who would honor a person who died in an electric chair? Paul says not only is he in total control, but he is specifically controlling the temperature gauge on every trial. When David was confronted by Nathan about his sin and as repentance worked inside of David and bore fruit, he had these thoughts of God. David writes in Psalm 142:4b-7, no one cares for my soul. I'm glad you're here to journey with me! In what way is this temporary? I pray youll be encouraged and take hope in Gods power, even as the battles seem to close in around you. He never knew them, though they were in the church and served in the church. 1:1-4). 41 Bible Verses about God Saving From Enemies. God knows you need somewhere to go when you feel unsure. To be people of praise, we must come to the end of ourselves. This is something we can rejoice in even in the midst of trials. We praise God in prayer. They will be memorialized even as Job was. PRAISE GOD because He is your God! Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;save me and I will be saved,for you are the one I praise. This was something shameful in that culture. In this epistle, Peter is writing to Christians that are spread throughout Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey. Many of them are in the middle of adversity and calamity. Big Question: What does Peter teach as secrets to joy in the midst of trials? The Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart. You work and sweat and put forth effort; then when you get to the summit, you enjoy the view; you adore this new perspective. 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