GOOD TO SUFFER

 

GOOD TO SUFFER

Ps. 119:71 The suffering you sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your principles. NLT

Okay, admit it. You don't especially like suffering, do you? When was the last time you welcomed suffering into your life with open arms? It simply is not something we want to go through in life. There is ingrained in us a desire for things to go well with us and to live out our lives suffering free. Many people make a good living trying to make our sufferings go away or minimizing the pain they cause. Promises are made to help us that are all too often broken because they cannot be kept. Suffering is a natural part of life on earth.

Have you given much thought as to why God stresses so much in His Word that suffering is good for us? God ties suffering to character building. It is when we endure suffering that we discover our helplessness. We learn that we need help beyond ourselves in order to endure, or perhaps, overcome our sufferings. It is when we suffer that we best learn to lean on Jesus. Anyone can have strong faith when things are going well, but the real test of our faith's strength is found in how we respond to our sufferings. We may not go out and look for ways to suffer in life, but neither should we consider it to be something to avoid at all cost.

God does not promise us a suffering-free life, but He does promise us that He will be with us through our sufferings. He is always there to help us, to supply whatever we need to help us through it. Lean on the Lord for your strength and listen to what He wants to teach you the next time suffering invades your life.

And yes, seek out the help that others can give you to help you with your sufferings. God gives man wisdom, knowledge and skills to help us in times of need. But as you seek the help available to you, first commit it to the Lord and ask Him to oversee and take charge of the process. He promises to be with you and to use your sufferings for your good.

HURRY TO OBEY

 

HURRY TO OBEY

Ps. 119:60-61 I will hurry, without lingering, to obey your commands. Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your law. NLT

Most people are in a hurry these days, but not to obey God's Word. Obeying God is so often an afterthought, if it is even thought of at all. We don't intentionally set out to discover what God commands us to do so that we can do it. Wanting to fall in line with God's Word is for most of us a low priority in life. Think about it. How much time and thought do you or people you know spend in God's Word? Can you say with a clear soul that you strive to obey God every day? If you can, I applaud you! Please don't slack off, but keep pressing on doing what you are doing. You are to be highly commended. But, if you know that you fall short of searching God's Word and striving to obey it, you need to change your ways now. It's not too late, but it could be if you don't intentionally seek to do it.

The intent of those who do not know the Lord is usually to drag you down with them into sin. They may not be blatant about it; they may not even realize they do it, but sin begets sin and miserable people want company in their misery. Be wary of your friends and acquaintances who do not know the Lord. If you are not careful, you can easily slip into their sinful ways or conversations.

Anchor your soul in God's Word. Diligently let it influence your thinking and actions. Daily feed your soul to keep it fresh in your mind and heart. Make it a priority for you. If you do, you will live in victory over sin and you will experience daily the peace that only God can give.

But you say, “I don’t have the time. I live a very busy life.” You have time for what matters to you. How much time do you spend daily on other things that interest you: sports, TV, reading, movies, reading, etc.? You have time for other things so why don’t you have time to spend in God’s Word to learn from Him so you might obey Him? Obedience is a matter of the heart. If you love the Lord, you will hurry to obey Him.

GOD'S CHARGE TO US

 GOD’S CHARGE TO US

Ps. 119:4-6 You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your principles! Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with your command. NLT

Want to stay on good terms with God? Carefully keep His commandments. There is no better way to stay in God’s good graces than to live so that His Word is reflected in your life. You have nothing to fear and nothing to be ashamed of when you consistently strive to live according to God’s Word. God’s standards are high and the only way that we are going to live up to them is by striving to apply them to life. When you take an inventory of your life, don’t compare yourself to anyone or anything except God’s Word.

Most of us struggle with consistently living out what we believe and know to be true. There are many reasons why it’s true. Perhaps one of the greatest factors is that we are not consistent in the amount of time we are into the Word and study it. We usually skim over the surface of familiar passages and rarely visit those passages we are not familiar with. The end result is a struggling faith practice. In order for us to be consistently strong in our faith, we must consistently feed our souls with all of the solid food of God’s Word.

God’s charge to you today is to carefully keep His Word. So, how are you doing? There is no better time than right now to renew your efforts. Ask the Lord to give you the incentive and resolve to keep His Word today and all the days of your life. And, ask Him to help you to always remember His Word so that it may guide you and help you in your journey home.

HAPPINESS AND OBEDIENCE

 HAPPINESS AND OBEDIENCE

Ps. 119:2-3 Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. NLT

I don't know of anyone who doesn't want to be happy, do you? We spend our whole lives on the quest to find happiness, to make our lives bearable. The world offers a multitude of ways to find happiness, but the happiness found in the world is so fleeting and unsatisfactory. There is only one way to truly be happy, and that is found in the Lord.

The Psalmist offers four different ways to find happiness: obey God's decrees, search for Him with all your heart, do not compromise with evil, and walk only in His paths.

Obeying God is where most people stumble and fall. We want an easier road. We don't want to give up our wants in order to live God's ways. We want to call our own shots and deal with God on our terms, not His. The only problem is, it never has and never will work. Obeying God is not an option; it's a necessity if you really want to be happy with your life.

Searching for God with all your heart means that He is of the utmost importance to you. It means you value God more than anything or anyone else. It means that you never stop looking for God in your life. Happiness is being totally committed to the Lord in your life.

Compromising with evil is a stumbling block for most. We don't want to accept the fact that there are no gray areas in God's Word. What God calls sin is sin. If you want to be happy you will live by God's Word, not what your flesh wants you to do.

Walking only in His paths means that Jesus is the only way, truth, and life for you. It is not the Lord and other things. There are no mixing and matching truths to live by. It's God's way or no way. Happiness is living life God's way and no other way.