In our text David relates a time when God’s presence was dim in his life; he was seemingly guiding himself by his own counsel; he was in great sorrow and his enemy had been exalted over him.
David asked God five questions:
1) “How long wilt thou forget me O Lord?
2) “Forever?”
3) “How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”
4) “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?”
5) “How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?”
On that basis David then made this plea: “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death” (verse 3).
There are times in the Christian journey when the day is bright as light with happiness, joy, and great expectation of the future (Ecclesiastes 11:7). Then there are days of darkness, of trial, of tribulation, and of asking where God is in your troubles.
Contrary to our way (James 1:2-4) says, “…count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting…” And verse 3, “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”
Romans 5:3-5 says, “…tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed…”
However, look at the effect in a Christian’s life when he experiences the days of adversity; days of trouble; days of the “Valley of Shadow of Death” (whether it be persecution, sickness, separation in communion from God, or whatever that causes him to be affected in body or spirit); many times the first response is, “Where are You God in all of this? Have You forgotten me? How long do I have to walk alone? Why do You allow my enemy to be exalted over me?” never considering that God has good for you in your troubles.
The problem is not God and His Ways of training, of conforming us to His Will. But the problem is that you know not the benefit of the Potter’s House, where you are to be re-shaped, re-focused, rejuvenated, and made to be conformable to Christ. You can’t see “the forest for the trees.” You have tunnel vision, not spirit vision. You are looking only at the present, and not the future; only at your wants and not God’s Plan or His Glory. This way of thought helps to negate the conforming process in you and retards your spiritual growth in times of adversity.
God’s chastening process, God’s proving process, God’s conforming process is not “joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:11)
Therefore, stand still; wait on God. He is perfecting you. (Exodus 14:12-13; Isaiah 40:31; Deuteronomy 8:1-8; Hebrews 12:5-11)
Child of Grace, when it is the darkest in your life, God is at work changing you; conforming you to His Image; creating in you a desire to put off the ways of the “old man” and to put on the ways of the “new man.” He is causing you to hunger and thirst after righteousness; He is causing you to seek Him and His Fellowship above all things. He is weaning you from the ways and desires of this world to the world above, even heaven. He is revealing your Hope is Christ and Him alone. And He is leading you to see that your power is found in Christ. (Philippians 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Be encouraged, on the other side of darkness is the light. God is with you in the midst of the storm.
(This devotional was previously posted on August 31, 2010. Thank you!)
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