Psalm 34:19 - The Blessings of Adversity.
Psalm 34:19 (NKJV) Many are the afflictions
of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out
of them all.
Psalm 34:19 (NIV) A righteous man may have
many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from
them all;
Psalm 34:19 (NLT) The righteous person faces
many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue
each time.
INTRODUCTION
Gods presence is often experienced in
difficult times. We often wish we could escape
troubles - the pain of grief, loss, sorrow, and
failure; or even the small daily frustrations that
constantly wear us down. God promises to be close to
those whose hearts are breaking, to be our
source of power, courage, and wisdom, and to help
us through our problems. Sometimes he chooses
to deliver us from those problems. When trouble
strikes, dont get frustrated with God. Instead,
admit that you need Gods help and thank him for
being by your side. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Why These Afflictions?
It is good for me that I have been
afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Psalm
119:71.
We must not think when we are afflicted
that the anger of the Lord is upon us. God brings
us into trials in order that we may be drawn
near to Him. The psalmist says, Many are the
afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth
him out of them all (Psalm 34:19). He does
not desire us to be under a cloud. He does
not desire us to go in anguish of spirit. We are
not to look at the thorns and the thistles in
our experience. We are to go into the garden of
Gods Word and pluck the lilies and roses and the
fragrant pinks of His promises. Those who look upon
the difficulties in their experience will talk
doubt and discouragement, for they do not behold
Jesus, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of
the world.
We should keep our minds upon the love,
the mercy, and the graciousness of our God.
It is no sign that Jesus has ceased to love us
because we experience doubts and discouragements.
Affliction comes to us in the providence of God in
order that we may see that Christ is our helper,
that in Him is love and consolation. We may
receive grace whereby we may be overcomers and
inherit the life that measures with the life of God.
We must have such an experience that when
affliction comes upon us we shall not depart from the
faith.
By the hand of faith grasp the promises
of God and be upon vantage ground. Then you
will be where Satan cannot come near and say,
God cannot help you, because you have sinned and
you cannot claim the promises. The adversary
desires to have us think that the way to life is so
difficult that it will be impossible to reach the
bliss of heaven. But God has placed us in
circumstances where the very best of our natures may be
developed and the highest faculties may be exercised.
If we cultivate the good, the objectionable
tendencies will not gain the supremacy, and at last we
shall be accounted worthy to join the family
above. If we desire to be saints above we must be
saints upon the earth. TMK 278
COMMENTARY
The Winning Side
From the moment we come into this life,
there are all kinds of troubles. Life is filled
with challenges, and it seems as though when you
have one problem finally resolved, three more
take its place.
In fact, the Bible says, People are
born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from
a fire (Job 5:7 NLT).
Some people may say that if you accept
Jesus Christ, then all your troubles will go away.
The implication is that if you become a
Christian, then your problems will be gone. On one hand
thats true, because when you become a true
follower of Jesus, many troubles do go away. The
issues of an ever-present guilt, an emptiness in
your life, and the fear of what happens beyond
the grave are resolved.
But in all fairness, other troubles start
once you give your life to the Lord. The moment
you decide to follow Jesus Christ and seek to do
the right thing, the devil will do everything
that He can to stop you.
But you also need to know that God is far
more powerful than the devil. And God will do
everything He can to strengthen you. You are on the
winning side.
That doesnt mean you arent going to
be tempted. It doesnt mean you arent
going to face hardships or that you wont have
obstacles in your life. But it does mean that you will
ultimately get through these things with the help and
power of God.
When the disciples were afraid, Jesus
gave them some words of assurance to bring calm
to their anxious hearts. He said, Dont
let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and
trust also in me (John 14:1 NLT). We could also
translate this to say, Dont be agitated or
disturbed or thrown into confusion.
Jesus didnt tell the disciples to mull
over their problems. Instead, He told them not to
be troubled. He was saying there are reasons to
be troubled in life, but there is a greater
reason not to be.
Yes, we have all kinds of troubles in our
lives: health troubles, family troubles,
relationship troubles, and financial troubles. Things
dont go the way that we hoped they would go.
And there are times in our lives when
things happen that we just dont understand. Why
did God do a certain thing? Or why did God not
do a certain thing?
When I dont understand something about
God, I try to always fall back on what I do
understand. I understand that God loves me and that
Hes looking out for me with my best interests in
mind. I do understand that no matter what happens,
He will get me through it.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord. There
is no addiction so strong that He cannot free
someone from it. And there is no problem so complex
that He cannot unravel it. There is no hope
without God. But with Him, you have all the hope
that you ever will need. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 34:18-19 - The Blessings of Adversity.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2012/20120220-2245.html
Acts 14:22b - Tribulation for Entrance to
the Kingdom.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210810-1026.html
1 Peter 1:6 - For a Little While.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230724-1026.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
