YOUR SORROW HAS A PURPOSE

ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST

READ PSALM 42

Psalm 42:1-4

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food

day and night,

while they say to me all the day long,

“Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember,

as I pour out my soul:

how I would go with the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with glad shouts and songs of praise,

a multitude keeping festival.

What a wonderful gift it is, when God places us in a condition of needing Him more than anything else! We are so easily distracted by the cares of our lives. Robert Robinson, the hymnist, penned this thought so well: “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take and seal it; Seal it for thy courts above”.

While the psalmist faced his difficulties, tears were his companion day and night. The temptation, was to question the presence of God, as he listened to those around him.

Even the revelation of our own reactions is a gift of God. We easily state that we live in dependence on God and that we are satisfied with His sovereign hand, but it’s only during a crisis that it becomes evident what the desires of our hearts really are.

Do we desire God’s modeling work in our lives, or are we looking for His blessing, presuming that we have complete choice in defining what God’s blessing should look like?

The image in Psalm 42 is vivid: as the deer, driven by her thirst, is panting for water, nothing else takes precedence. The need must be met and satisfaction will come only when streams of water are found.

We should always thirst for the living God. He is the Creator, sustainer of all. There is none other who can be compared to Him. Spiritual thirst is real and there is only One who can satisfy. It is truly a gift, when we are driven to God’s feet.

We tend to look at our hardships as a curse, but in reality they are a blessing. God’s Word and His meticulous care are available to us constantly. Life distracts us, but our jealous God will do all it takes to arouse our thirst so that by it, we are driven to Him. And then, He finds pleasure in satisfying our need.

The woman at the well had tried to satisfy her thirst with multiple husbands, she was even aware of the religious beliefs of that time, but she found out that only Christ could give her water that would truly satisfy her.

John 4:13-14

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 

I remember the many times when I have tried to find satisfaction with human resources, and God has lovingly driven me to Him, instead. In fact, the temptation was not only to look for different solutions, but also to question God, while doing that.

The writer could not forget how he had found his joy and satisfaction in God: with the multitude he had gone to the house of God, as he praised Him.

Are you going through a hard time? Does your difficulty seem to have no end in sight? Do you feel like tears are your only relief? Are you assailed by doubts about God? You are certainly not the first one to go through this, for many have preceded you. For some, their sorrows have driven them away from God, exposing their lack of real relationship with Him; others have been driven to God, the only fount of true and eternal satisfaction.

My friend, your sorrow has only one purpose, to drive you to God. “All I have is Christ” is not the cry of a desperate person - it is the victorious hymn of those who are being drawn toward eternal satisfaction!

There is a beautiful song that reminds us of this. LISTEN TO IT

Verse 1
I once was lost in darkest night,
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will,
And if You had not loved me first,
I would refuse You still.

Verse 2
But as I ran my hell-bound race,
Indifferent to the cost,
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God’s love displayed:
You suffered in my place;
You bore the wrath reserved for me;
Now all I know is grace.

Chorus
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ!
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life!

Verse 3
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone,
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
O Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose,
And let my song forever be -
My only boast is You! 

THERE IS A GODLY WAY TO REACT WHEN MISTREATED!

WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS DURING DIFFICULTY?

Psalm 41
1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;

2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;

he is called blessed in the land;

you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.

3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;

in his illness you restore him to full health.

4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;

heal me, for I have sinned against you!”

5 My enemies say of me in malice,

“When will he die, and his name perish?”

6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,

while his heart gathers iniquity;

when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

7 All who hate me whisper together about me;

they imagine the worst for me.

8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;

he will not rise again from where he lies.”

9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,

and raise me up, that I may repay them!

11 By this I know that you delight in me:

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.

12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,

and set me in your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting!

Amen and Amen. 

David is living the reality of being surrounded by enemies. He is ill. His enemies desire his demise. They not only speak evil, but they also suspect and invent evil; they look upon his situation with contempt.

Have you ever been in that situation? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by treatment from others that you felt was unwarranted and undeserved? If so, we have likely felt that even those we had served have turned against us.

Often our reaction is to lash back, wanting to defend ourselves, and in one way or the other, be vindicated. When this kind of situation is prolonged, we can become bitter and angry.

David was living this situation, but he directs our thoughts, under the inspiration of God, in a very different direction.

We must be encouragers. He begins by reminding us that God looks with favor upon those who care for the poor, for those who go through difficult times. God desires that those who follow Him would not become part of the scoffers, but part of the encouragers.

We must be part of the solution. We must ask ourselves if we ever allow others to suck us into their complaints and criticism of others. Are we easily attracted by information about the difficulties or sin of others, with no intention of being part of the solution, but only part of unloving group? We might not be the ones who spread the information, but are we giving a willing ear to those that do? God is displeased with both!

We must remember the character of God. The writer goes on to remind us of God’s actions during these difficult moments: God protects, sustains, shows grace, forgives, heals, find pleasure in His own, upholds, and is close. Yes, there are enemies, and yes, they desire evil, but God is working for our good.

We must focus on the love of God. David knows that even close friends whom we have cared for can turn against us. Dear friends, the question is this: where will you and I focus our attention during those times? Are we going to focus on the offending enemy, or upon our loving God? Are we going to react to the accusing people, or to the gracious and forgiving Lord? In the worst of our situations, God never stops being our loving Father. In fact, during those times He is actively loving us and shaping us into the image of His eternally beloved Son! God does not desire evil for us; He loves us.

We must pay attention to God’s eternal purposes. Too often, my total attention is taken by the actions of man, rather than the eternal purposes of God. The kinds of reactions and attitudes I have expose where my focus is. Have you become bitter or disillusioned? Do you feel like you need to defend yourself, and from victim become vindictive?

David does not forget that he is a sinner saved by grace. He knows that God has shown mercy to him and is blessed to have a relationship with the Eternal Holy God.

It is so easy to become self-focused during our difficult times, when God is pleased if we focus on caring for others, instead.

God’s awareness is complete, His attention is undivided, His care is meticulous, His purposes are eternal, His love is unfading, His grace is astounding, His protection is unmatched, and His faithfulness is eternal.

Dear friend, David ends this psalm with a heart-felt exclamation of praise! Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!

How will you start your day? Will you choose to focus on people, or on God? Will your attention be given to yourself, or to your Lord? How quickly will you allow men to rob you of enjoying your wonderful Savior?

May the Lord bless you today and may you, in turn, be a blessing to others! 

DO YOU LOVE YOUR SALVATION?

READ PSALM 40 

IS YOUR LIFE PORTRAYING AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORK IN YOU?

Psalm 40:16-17

But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

17 As for me, I am poor and needy,

but the Lord takes thought for me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

do not delay, O my God! 

Those who seek God will be glad, and will know the joy of being loved by God. They will realize the privilege of having received His mercy and grace.

Isaiah 55:6-7

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

Have you perhaps lost sight of the amazing gift that our salvation is? Have you been distracted by the difficulties of life and forgotten the immense privilege we have in knowing that God has forgiven us and continues to forgive us?

Do we return to God continually for forgiveness, forgetting our total unworthiness? Are we taking this most precious gift of redemption for granted?

God’s forgiveness is complete, eternal; it’s based only on the Lord’s infinite grace.

Our only appropriate reaction is to exclaim how great the Lord is. All else should pale in comparison to God’s grace to us. Every problem should become smaller, when we remember how great our salvation is!

Have you stopped to think about what it means to love your salvation?

Loving our salvation must include loving the God who planned it, and realizing that before the foundation of the world, before we were even born, God had chosen to provide for us the only means to escape eternal punishment.

Loving our salvation must also include loving our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself to die on the cross so that we could experience eternal life.

Loving our salvation must also include remembering that the Holy Spirit draws us, teaches us, convicts us unto repentance, and seals us for eternity.

We could not have planned, provided, or preserved our salvation. It is the wonderful gift of God!

I realize that often the cares of the world obscure these wonderful truths. So often, my carnal desires relegate this immense privilege to second place.

I realize that I am using many superlatives, but even the most eloquent words could not describe the profundity of this gift.

Those who know and remember these truths will rejoice and exclaim the greatness of God.

How sad it is, when our attitudes and reactions minimize the beauty of our Savior and of our salvation.

We are poor, we are needy, as David says in the conclusion of this psalm, but God does not forget or forsake us. Lest we forget that we can never approach God with any demands or expectations, the psalmist reminds us that we are small.

The Apostle Paul, after he described the wonder of our salvation in Ephesians 1, prayed that God would seal it in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:15-21

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,  I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 

May our God open our eyes, and may our response be eternal gratitude and praise! 

DON’T WAIT FOR OTHERS TO CHANGE, ASK GOD TO CHANGE YOU!

READ PSALM 40

DOES YOUR LIFE POINT PEOPLE TO CHRIST?

Psalm 40:13-15

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!

O Lord, make haste to help me!

14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether

who seek to snatch away my life;

let those be turned back and brought to dishonor

who delight in my hurt!

15 Let those be appalled because of their shame

who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

David has reminded us in this psalm about the importance of trusting God. He has taken the time to remember the character of God and how He has given him a sure place to stand on. God has transformed his life and given him a new song of praise. His deliverance has been timely, and David’s praise has been clear. David has not forgotten his own sinfulness, nor the mercy and forgiveness he has found in the Lord.

David’s problems and difficulties have not disappeared or become easier to deal with. His enemies are always ready to find pleasure in his demise. But his past experiences and what he has learned about his God continue to guide him in his path of trust.

Those who know God have learned the same things that David did, and should never be moved by difficulties and circumstances to take matters in their own hands. They should continue to trust the meticulous sovereignty of God.

I find that all too often, my own thoughts and efforts are spent in thinking about the ways I want circumstances and people to change, instead of asking myself how God wants me to change.

When we find ourselves dealing with difficult situations or people, we become distracted by the external, instead of thinking about what God is purposing in our lives. We concentrate on the actions of people we cannot change, instead of asking God to work in us His perfect will.

David is asking God to intervene; he is not being fatalistic: he is plainly trusting God to do His work. He trusts the hand of God. He has learned to trust His character, His wisdom, His power, and His love.

And he knows that the outcome is really in the hands of the God who has proved Himself continually faithful. As we’ve read this psalm, David has walked us through the wonderful truths about God, the reality of his sinfulness, the assurance of God’s mercy and his dependence on God.

I know that if I took the time to remember these aspects in my life, my impatience and disappointment would fade, giving room to contentment and trust.

I am sure that we all can think of some things that we would love to see happen in our lives. Life can be hard; people are ungodly, and at times those who disappoint us the most are fellow believers, from whom we would expect better behavior. We are constantly faced with choices: trust God, or take things into our own hands, or become bitter and unhappy.

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

We cherish these verses, but too often we stop at the word “good”, filling in our own definition of what we think is good for us. When we have decided in our heart what is “good”, we then become disappointed when the circumstances do not match our definition of “good”.

We forget that the One who decides what is good is the One who has a perfect purpose. The circumstances and people surrounding us are not obstacles to our good, but God’s careful choice of instruments for His spiritual purpose in us. We were not chosen by God to be comfortable in this world, but to be conformed to the image of His Beloved Son.

As we pray to God for His help to navigate in our circumstances and the behavior of people around us, we should always be asking ourselves how God is using them to mold us into the image of Christ. We should ask ourselves if we are resisting His work, or joyfully submitting to His shaping of us. Our reactions will expose what our ultimate goals are -  our own comfort, or our desire to be more like Christ.

David, although we are mindful of his sins and mistakes, has left us a great example of God’s mercy and work in the life of one of His children. Our past sins should remind us of God’s mercy, and our present difficulties should drive us to desire God’s transforming work in our lives.

May our lives bring attention to God and not to ourselves! 

LOVED BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND

READ PSALM 40

THREE APPROPRIATE RESPONSES TO GOD’S LOVE

Psalm 40:11-12

11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain

your mercy from me;

your steadfast love and your faithfulness will

ever preserve me!

12 For evils have encompassed me

beyond number;

my iniquities have overtaken me,

and I cannot see;

they are more than the hairs of my head;

my heart fails me. 

As David goes on in this psalm, he cannot help but remind himself of the grace of God in His life.

Where would we be, if it were not for the grace of God? How could God continue to preserve us, if He is not faithful? How would He continue to love us, if it were not for His steadfast love?

David realizes his utter sinfulness, and his humbly dependent response is the only appropriate one.

We are so blessed; we sin against God, and are permitted to continually to ask His forgiveness, resting in the promise of His faithful mercy toward His own.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We should marvel at this promise, for the God of the universe is ready to repeatedly forgive those who are ready to confess their sins.

We should be ecstatic to know that the eternal God has loved His own from eternity past, and will love us forever.

Ephesians 3:14-19

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” 

Understanding this kind of love is impossible for us, unless God causes us to understand its immensity.

How wonderful it is, to know that although we are so frequently unfaithful, God is always faithful to His promises.

Philippians 1:6

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” 

God is at work in us and will continue to preserve us, even though we will fail Him.

As David looked at his life, aware of the many sins he had committed, he could only be overwhelmed by the wonderful privilege he had in his relationship with his God.

Are we appropriately overwhelmed by these realities? Have we let the cares of this world overshadow these truths? Have we believed the lie that God cannot forgive one or more of our sins? Does the thought creep in our minds that, as believers, we must earn God’s love and forgiveness?

Our relationship with God began because of His grace and faithfulness, continues only on that basis, and is preserved for the same reasons. God wants us to be completely dependent on Him.

Knowing these truths should produce appropriate responses.

1 - We should forgive because we have been forgiven.

Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” 

2 - We should be faithful in serving God.

1 Peter 4:11

“…whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

3 - We should love one another fervently.

1 Peter 1:22-23

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;”

May we live our lives with appropriate gratitude to God and a godly response toward others!