Lay Your Difficulties Before the Lord

(Psalms 59:3-4) For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see!

(1 Peter 5:7-11) casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 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.

There are varieties of difficulties in the life of a believer; many or few, severe or minor. You may have experienced many or you may have experienced few. You may have experienced severe difficulties or you may have experienced minor ones. The most difficult might be behind you or might lay ahead of you. Your difficulties might be deeper, longer, and more challenging than the believers around you are experiencing or, in comparison, yours might not feel like difficulties at all. Only the Lord knows what difficulties He has called you to endure and what the outcome will be. What you know for sure is what the Lord has revealed in His Word. That is, that you will endure hardships and difficulties for His namesake, that these difficulties will sanctify you, bring glory to His name, and that He has empowered you to respond to these difficulties appropriately and endure them.

Your blessed assurance is that the Lord will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you either in this life or in heaven. You do not know when or how, but you know it will be done and that is the rock solid hope that you have to endure and enjoy your life as a believer.

Resist the temptations the enemy uses to trip you, stand firm in your faith, and know that other believers around you are experiencing the same types of difficulties. Know that God alone holds dominion over everything.

Questions For Discussion

Why are the difficulties of some believers more severe than others?

What are some of the difficulties that you face as a believer?

What is the hope that you have to endure difficulties throughout your life?

Build Your Character Through Adversity

(Psalms 59:1-2) To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men.

(2 Timothy 4:17-18) But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

There is much said in God's Word about enemies seeking to harm and destroy God's people either en masse or individually. This is because as a member of God's kingdom and God's family, you have an enemy who is always seeking to harm and destroy you. He never rests and he never sleeps. He is always looking for a weakness, an opportunity, a time when your guard is down. He attacks you blatantly and he attacks you subtly; he attacks you directly and he attacks you indirectly but he especially attacks you when you are least expecting it.

Ultimately, the enemy can not harm you because God has assured your salvation by accomplishing it once-and-for-all on the cross. The enemy can however, affect your sanctification and your effectiveness in sharing the gospel or good news of Jesus Christ. To be able to thwart attempts at sharing the gospel is an area of particular delight for the enemy. Your only safe and sure defense against the enemy's attacks is the power of the Holy Spirit within you.

Be on your guard today especially at times when you least expect the enemy to attack and at times when the Lord gives you opportunity to share His good news of salvation. Ask the Lord at the beginning of each day and at the moments of attack, to strengthen you with His strength which is the power of His Holy Spirit.

Questions For Discussion

Why does the enemy attack you when he knows that he has already been defeated on the cross?

When do you need to be most on your guard against the enemy?

What is your defense against the enemy?

Know That The Lord Will Avenge

(Psalms 55:15) Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

(Matthew 26:24) The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

God is a caring and loving father, wants the best for His children, and is always watching over and protecting them. Why then does He allow those He loves so dearly to be hurt by others, especially other believers? There are certainly specific reasons God has as He works in each individual's life, but overall God's purpose is to bring unbelievers to repentance and believers into deeper levels of sanctification.

From your perspective, when you are wronged you have the opportunity to rely on God's grace (to forgive the one who wronged you), God's mercy (to comfort you), and to be drawn into deeper relationship and reliance upon Him; in a word, sanctification. For the unbeliever who wrongs you know this: his action will either be the cause of his condemnation and eternal punishment (which should lead any true believer to a point of compassion) or the conduit through which the Lord brings him to repentance and salvation (which should lead any true believer to rejoice). For the believer who wrongs you, know that your response has a direct effect on his sanctification; either your forgiveness will display Christ's love and draw him closer to the image of Christ, or your unforgiveness will lead him to further hurtful actions toward you or others.

Today, know that the Lord takes proper and adequate vengeance on all wrongs committed. Your wrongs and the wrongs of other believers have been paid for by the blood of Christ on the cross. The wrongs of unbelievers will be paid for through eternity in a way that you deserve but will never experience.

Questions For Discussion

Why does God allow His children to be hurt by others?

How does being hurt by others end up a benefit to you?

How does the Lord work through you to benefit those who hurt you?

Trust That the Lord Will Always Be Faithful

(Psalms 55:12-14) For it is not an enemy who taunts me-- then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me-- then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng.

(Luke 22:47-48) While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?"

The psalmist recognizes that his counselor is a false friend. Someone that he trusted and who knew him well. Someone whom he had been close to and who knew his strengths and weaknesses. Someone in whom he had confided, shared intimate thoughts with, and whom he trusted. The Lord Jesus experienced betrayal at the hand of a close friend. Judas walked with Jesus, was taught by Jesus, and was intimately aware of Jesus' innermost thoughts. In each of these examples, the closeness of the friendship is what made the betrayal possible.

This type of deception comes in many forms. Certainly, as was the case with Judas, it comes in the form of out-and-out betrayal of a friend but it also comes in far more subtle forms. Sometimes when a friend is in the midst of a difficulty or pattern of sin, he may desire to pull you into it as a means of justification or to have company in his misery. Other times a friend may give bad counsel with good intentions; as when he tells you whatever it takes to comfort you even if what he tells you or the way he counsels you leads you away from where the Lord is directing you.

First and foremost, your truest and most loyal friend—and your most trusted counselor—is the Lord Jesus Himself but that does not mean you should not trust or be vulnerable to others. The key is to always weigh what others tell you against God's Word, and to go to those who will give you good and wise counsel, not those who will tell you what you want to hear.

Trust your friends and at the same time trust that the Lord will always be faithful even when those closest to you are not.

Questions For Discussion

Why would trusted close friends ever betray you, lead you astray, or give you bad counsel?

Is deception or betrayal from friends ever your own fault (or at least partially your own fault)?

What should you do in light of the possibility of being betrayed or deceived by someone you trust?

Flee from Unrighteousness

(Psalms 55:8-11) I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest." Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it; ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace.

(Matthew 7:24-27) "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

When you find yourself in the midst of unrighteousness, whether it has been inflicted upon you or by your own doing, the answer and only appropriate response is to flee. David says that he hurried to find shelter, meaning that he did not stroll away from danger. He did not waste a moment or linger around to bid his friends and acquaintances farewell; he fled and he fled quickly!

Paul warns the Corinthian church that bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). He did not mean that we should never associate with individuals who are unrighteous, but that we should not participate—in any way and on any level—in their unrighteous deeds. The Lord's intention is for the righteous to bring the unrighteous into their righteousness, not for the righteous to immerse themselves in unrighteousness in order to influence the unrighteous.

When you find yourself in the midst of unrighteousness, whether it be in the privacy of your own thoughts or in the company of others—even believers—flee and flee quickly lest you be influenced by the unrighteousness

Questions For Discussion

How are unrighteous situations inflicted upon you?

What are some ways the enemy entices you to linger in an unrighteous situation?

How does the Lord intend for you to respond to unrighteousness, even in the midst of believers?

Do Not Envy

(Psalms 49:16-20) Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed --and though you get praise when you do well for yourself-- his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

(1 Peter 2:1-3) So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Envy is one of those very subtle sins that creeps into believers lives slowly, many times unnoticed at first. It is another one of the enemy's favorite tactics. It plants itself and then begins to grow, also very slowly. It begins to bear fruit like discontentment, attitudes of entitlement, and eventually frustration and anger towards man and God. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Church in Rome, groups envy with murder, strife, deceit, and maliciousness.

Envy is the antithesis of longing for the purity of God's Word. As newborn babies cry out for milk, believers long for and desire either what God has for them or what they see that others have and they do not. Remember that what God has in store for you is eternal; meaning that you will have it and it will be part of you forever. That which you seek outside of God's will is temporal and will draw you away from and distract you from your real treasure which is what God's intends for you.

Do not envy others or what they have. Be ever thankful for what God has given you, ever mindful of how blessed you are, and cry for more of God's will in your life.

Questions For Discussion

What is some of the fruit that envy bear?

What is the opposite of envy?

Why is what God has for you always better than what you do not have?

Drink From the River

(Psalms 46:4-7) There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

(Revelation 22:1-3) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

Prior to the time of the industrial revolution, the major consideration in deciding where to settle was proximity to water. This, of course, was due to the fact that water is the sustainer of life. In addition to the sustaining of human life, it is necessary for livestock and farming alike. The preference was always a stream or river of some type because moving water meant a constant supply and a constant replenishment. To settle in a place where there was no water readily available was considered by all to be foolish and almost assured failure.

The Lord describes Himself as the river of the water life. He has used water, especially flowing water, to illustrate Himself, His presence, and His life-giving attributes, throughout scripture. To settle or abide, even for a short period of time anywhere but as close to the Lord as you can possible get, is nothing short of foolishness. Those who dwell or stray away from the Lord, like those who settle far from water, inevitably become thirsty, parched, and will die. Dwelling near the Lord and drinking from His river provides the life sustaining elements to produce the good fruit God intends for your life.

Drinking from the river of the water of life is done through the reading and studying of God's Word, communing with God individually and corporately on a daily basis, and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. Today, stay close to the river and drink deeply of the sparkling water from the Lord God Himself.

Questions For Discussion

Why do you think the Lord uses water to describe Himself?

Why do believers stray away from or settle far from the river?

In what way can you drink from the river of the water of life?

Suffer For His Namesake

(Psalms 44:17-22) All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

(1 Corinthians 15:53-58) For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

In our last devotion we discussed the Lord taking us through or allowing us to experience severe and extreme difficulties as a form of discipline to get us back on the right path. This can be a result of having ignored multiple opportunities to repent or because of the importance of your life assignment. Sometimes the Lord takes you through or allows you to experience these severe and extreme circumstances even when you have not strayed from His path; even when you have remained faithful in your service and worship.

In these cases you must also realize that God is after your attention. Here it is for the purpose of deeper sanctification and a closer relationship with Him. These types of circumstances in your life as a believer, when you are on the right path, should be viewed as exceedingly honorable. The Lord is counting you worthy to suffer for His namesake. He trusts you to endure these hardships without turning away from Him. He is taking you to a deeper level of spiritual growth and understanding of Him, a greater ability to serve Him, and a deeper intimacy of relationship with Him than most believers are capable.

When you experience severe and extreme difficulties begin with examining yourself. If you are right with God, consider the deeper and more intimate place He is taking you and count it a blessing, honor, and all joy to endure what you endure for Him.

Questions For Discussion

If God loves His people, why would He allow those who are faithful to Him to suffer?

How does experiencing extreme and severe difficulties take you to deeper levels of spiritual growth and understanding of God, greater abilities to serve Him, and deeper relationship with Him?

Who do you know that has suffered in this way?

Consider Where You Are With God

(Psalms 44:9-16) But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

(Romans 11:1-6) I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

God's love and mercy for His people extends far beyond their ability or intentions to honor and obey Him. In order to contend with open rebellion, God will at times—when necessary—take His own to a place where it seems as though He has forsaken them. If you ignore God and continue to disobey or ignore His commands, He will disgrace you, strip you of all you have and care for, allow the natural consequences of your actions to take their toll on you, and humiliate you in front of your enemies and the brethren.

These are extreme measures and are never God's first choice. They are not done in anger or frustration but with a specific purpose in mind: repentance! God will not be mocked nor will He be ignored. God executes this type of discipline for one of two different reasons. Either you have strayed so far from His Word that it is necessary to get your attention and get you back on track, or His assignment for you is so important to the Kingdom that He will not allow you to stray too far or for too long.

If you find yourself in the type of situation described in today's Psalm, stop and consider where you are with God and what His purpose is for your life. Regardless of the circumstances, stop what you are doing and get yourself right with God—regardless of the cost. At the same time, remember that it is all out of the extreme love God has for you and is ultimately to save you from ruin.

Questions For Discussion

Why does God allow His people to go through severe and extreme difficult circumstances?

Does God ever reject or turn away from His people?

What are the two main reasons for God executing extreme discipline?

Leave Vengeance To the Lord

(Psalms 40:14-15) 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! Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"

(Romans 12:17-19) Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

Whether it be people or cosmic power and spiritual forces that seek to harm or destroy you, Jesus has already been victorious over them and vindication is His. Those who come against you, as a child of God, in the end will be put to shame and disappointed in their efforts. The key here is to have an eternal perspective and not to attempt to seek your own vengeance but leave that to the Lord.

Seeking your own vengeance (revenge) or vindication (proving yourself correct) is a tactic the enemy uses to pull you away from the Lord and divert your attention from the Lord to yourself. The Lord desires you to turn away from vengeance and vindication for two main reasons. First, so that those around you (and those from whom you seek vengeance or vindication) will see the love of Christ in you and be drawn to Him. Second, so that your attention will remain on Him and you will not be consumed with selfishness.

Today, leave vengeance where it belongs: with the Lord. Trust that the Lord will punish those who need to be punished and vindicate those who need to be vindicated. Focus your attention on demonstrating the love of Christ to everyone the Lord places on your path, especially those who seek your harm.

Questions For Discussion

How do you (realistically) go through life not focused on vengeance and vindication?

Why does the enemy love you to seek vengeance and vindication?

What is the Lord's purpose in assuring you that vengeance is His?

Seek The Lord For Deliverance

(Psalms 39:7-13) "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!"

(Titus 2:11-15) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

It is a good place to be when you are no longer focused upon your own sorrows but are crying out to God and begging forgiveness for your sins. Compare your sorrows and difficulties with you sin and you find the only room in your prayer is for deliverance from those sins. Humility, submission, and subservience before the Lord result in your greatest desire being to shed the clothes of the old man, to turn away from the sins you practice, and live more like Christ.

What comfort and security there is in knowing that on the cross Jesus Christ has accomplished your redemption and paid the price for your sins. When you seek forgiveness you know it has already been given and when you cry out for deliverance you know the one to whom you cry is ready, willing, and able to deliver you. It is this type of surety that everyone in the world seeks but seeks for in vain; for no investment and no relationship could every provide the type of surety provided by Jesus Christ on the cross.

Forget your hardships today and focus on the ultimate hardship Jesus Christ endured on the cross for you. Cry out to God for deliverance not from your difficulties but from your iniquities.

Questions For Discussion

What happens when you compare your sorrows and difficulties with your sins?

How are humility, submission, and subservience related to turning away from the sins you practice?

Why is seeking anywhere else the type of security God has provided done so in vain?