WE ARE NEVER VICTIMS!
Psalm 53:3
They have all fallen away;
together they have become
corrupt;
there is none who does
good,
not even one.
God has made His
evaluation; those who do not recognize Him are fools. God is watching them, completely
aware of all they do. Their thoughts and intents are corrupt, and consequently
their actions are evil. Their lust and desires drive them.
At birth, every human
being falls into this category. Even though all are not equally evil in their
behavior, they are continually sinning by nature.
For anyone to expect
anything different is foolish. For anyone to expect reformation, apart from
heart transformation, is also foolish. As a consequence, living in this world is
arduous for those who seek to please God.
Many believers spend too
much time complaining about this reality and fretting over it. It is easy, as
we deal with the fall out, to forget God’s role in all of this.
Every action of man is
filtered through God’s meticulous and particular sovereignty. We are never
victims of our environment. God is carefully allowing the consequences of man’s
evil in our lives, always with perfect and eternal purposes in them.
1 Peter 5:10-11
And after you have suffered a little while,
the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in
Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish
you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Pain produces repentance
and godliness.
2 Corinthians 7:9-10
As it is, I rejoice, not because you were
grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly
grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a
repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief
produces death.
Through us, His grace and
strength brings glory to His name. Our suffering transforms us into the image
of His beloved Son. Difficulties drive us into His arms, away from the world.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only that, but we rejoice in our
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not
put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Pain and suffering prepare
us to be helpers to other believers and shining lights for the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who
are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted
by God.
Suffering causes us to
desire heaven.
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present
time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to
us.
Our suffering is
understood by Christ. He will never allow us to suffer without giving us the
grace we need to persevere in the trial.
Hebrews 2:18
For because he himself has suffered when
tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ
may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with
weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I
am weak, then I am strong.
Even though the world
seems to be oblivious of the work of God, we must not forget these truths. The
Israelites needed to be reminded, too, and they were able to trust in God’s
final victory.
Psalm 53:6
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion
When God restores the
fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel
I know that many who read
these devotionals are going through very difficult times. May your day be filled
with greater resolve and purpose, as you reflect on God’s eternal work in you,
His final victory, and your eternal destiny.
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