Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 42:6-11
Ps 42:6-11
6 O my God my soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me--a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
James 1:2-5
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
The apostle Paul said that the worst of our suffering in this life does not even begin to compare with the glory that is waiting for us in eternity. And this was after he was caught up into the third heaven and saw things inexpressible that he was not allowed to tell. It was because of this experience that he received the “thorn in the flesh” from Satan to keep him from becoming conceited.
Even when Satan is working against us and we have to suffer because of it (as did Paul and Job and many others), God can and does still use it for our good. Trials help us to grow and become mature in our faith and in our wisdom. With each hardship comes an opportunity to become more like our Lord who endured more suffering than we will ever know. Each victory over sin brings us closer to God.
But beware, just when we think we have overcome and are standing tall before God, we fall on our face. The more we face in life, the more we must depend on God for our strength. All things come from him, whether it is our intellect, our physical and material blessings or our opportunities to serve others.
