Title: God's megaphone (Psalm 31:1~24)2...
Contents
God's megaphone (Psalm 31:1~24) 2002.02.24.
Suffering, it doesn't matter.
Once upon a time, a traveler crossed a mountain road and met a tiger. "If you give me one arm, I won't eat you." Said the tiger, and the stranger, thinking that it was better to lose an arm than to lose his life, gave him an arm. At the next pass, he gave him a leg, and at the end of the next pass, the tiger ate the helpless traveler with one bite. The tiger said to the stranger. "I was an old tiger with no teeth and no claws. If you had fought, I would have run away without strength..."
Saints! Remember, hardship is nothing more than a 'teethless tiger'.
The concept of blessing and happiness for those who do not know God refers to a life free from suffering and difficulties. However, it is said that the blessings and happiness of those who believe in God is that God is with them even in the midst of suffering. Because through suffering, we pray more, try to obey God's Word, and experience the loudspeaker where we can hear God's voice in detail.
Why are there so many hardships in such a short life? Wouldn't it be nice to live without suffering? There are many times when I think about it this way. It's always good to be comfortable. However, there are times in our lives when we need suffering just as we need peace. Warm sun is a must. However, if the sun shines day and night, the land will be turned into a desert, and many diseases will occur in the body. Therefore, night is also necessary.
If there is no wind, there will be no typhoon. Although there is a risk of typhoons and heavy rains, this is what keeps the Earth's metabolism going well. There are many times when it is necessary because we are human beings who lack such hardship. However, it would be much better to suffer in youth and live in peace in old age than to suffer in the early years and suffer in old age. Suffering is painful if it ends in suffering or continues, but if there is consolation and an end, and if there is glory after suffering, it is bearable.
But it is not only suffering that we are thinking of here and now. What is more important than suffering is that we must overcome suffering, and even more importantly, the strength that overcomes suffering is not self-denial and patience, or the strength of sacrifice or power.
Suffering has meaning.
If it is meaningless suffering, it is very unfortunate. However, because it has meaning, it will be useful to those who understand it. There is no meaningless and worthless suffering in the sufferings of the saints. Hebrews 12:10 says, "For a little while they disciplined us as they pleased, but God shares in his holiness for our good."
What are the specific benefits?
(1) Suffering is to change me. Morally, you will reflect on your life. You will repent of your own faults or disorder.
When Elijah sat down by the brook and drank the bread and the brook brought him, Elijah became angry when the brook dried up. But it was because God did not want Elijah to live by the brook any longer. When we lose something, we learn its value. It is only after losing a friend that you know the value of friendship, through bankruptcy, you know the value of money, through divorce, you know the value of your spouse or family, and only after losing your health, you know the value of health. When you have a problem, don't say, "Why me?", but consider and pray for what I will learn from this problem. God uses problems to make me the way He wants me to be.
(2) You will be spiritually calm and pray. When most people live comfortably and have enough money, they will trust and trust in themselves rather than God. However, when faced with certain trials or tribulations, he awakens and begins to pray. In fact, if there are no problems, we do not even feel the need for prayer in our lives. Hebrews 12:12 says, “Therefore, lift up your weary hands and feeble knees.” Suffering itself is difficult and painful. But suffering is not the only unfortunate thing. Suffering can be very beneficial if handled well. Suffering makes us mature. Suffering makes us aware. So suffering is good.
(3) Suffering is to protect me.
Some problems seem really unfortunate, but there is a special providence of God. When you encounter difficult problems, respond in the right way and trust God, and He turns them into good things. Every problem is also a preparation for future success. The real problem isn't the problem you have, it's how you respond to the event. Think of the problem you are facing right now. And put those problems aside, Lord! What do you want me to change? Lord, how do you want me to be changed? I hope that you ask seriously and practice what you realize. Clearly, God sees your problems. You know everything. You are interested. And he has the power to change. Not only that, it is to protect us more reliably through various problems and take responsibility for our future.
Suffering becomes a channel of consolation.
There is no consolation without suffering. In the midst of great trouble there is great consolation, in the midst of long and long trouble there is a long and longer consolation. It is the same as saying that the higher the mountain, the deeper the valley. It is important to understand that suffering does not end in suffering, but comfort follows.
In Psalm 31, we see a man who is deeply immersed in the abyss of suffering. Suffering is the most difficult problem for humans to solve. When you see people fighting to find out the cause of suffering, it is similar to how "Hercules" in Greek mythology fights the monster "Hydra". If you cut off the monster's head, it will happen again, and there is no answer for those who wrestle with the problem of pain like an endless fight. Also, modern people have a wrong understanding of Christians and suffering. Suffering is the work of the devil, a punishment for sin, and a curse, but if you look at the Bible, God's profound will is contained in suffering. As CS Lewis said, "Pain is God's megaphone", We cry out to you and discover the value of a new life.
1. You can learn to respond in faith.
If you look at the text, it expresses the heart of the suffering person as it is. Sometimes he prays for God to lead him, and he grieves over his misfortune (verses 9-10). Verse 13 shows fear, and in verse 17 there are voices of resentment and revenge.
Finally, as a final decision, I pray, “Lord, into your hands I commit my soul” (verse 5). When a human encounters difficulties in this way, it causes a complex reaction. But there is a different reaction between believers and unbelievers when they suffer.
The believer confesses as in verse 14, "Nevertheless, O LORD, I trusted in you and said, You are my God."
There are three meanings here. The first is "even so". This means that it is unconditional. It is an attitude that calls on God no matter how hard I am in suffering. The second "I trust in You" is the same as "In You I take refuge" in verse 1. The third "saying" confession. The Christian's response is to confess that the Lord is my God in the midst of suffering. This confession is exactly the same as that of Job. Let's hear his answer when his wife curses God and tells him to die. "Your words are like the words of one of the foolish women. Since we are blessed by God, shall we not receive disaster?"
2. It is a grace given to those who seek God in response to faith.
In verse 19 there is “the grace that has been stored up”. This word "stored up" is recorded in another Bible as "hidden". So what does hidden grace mean?
① This is the “broad place” in verse 8. It is a place you need when you are going through hardships while living your life of faith. In other words, overcoming today's hardships and looking forward to tomorrow's hopes
A broad mind that can embrace everything. This is what God has to give. When Moses led more than two million Israelites out, the place he went up alone was Mount Horeb. He was in a wide place where God led him when he suffered. He is suffering in the wilderness now, but in the future he was able to lose all suffering with the hope that he would give the land of Canaan flowing with milk and honey.
② It is “a secret place” in verse 20. In the Bible, there is a place where it is written that a secret place is the presence of God. When we suffer, we need a wide open space, but we also need a secret place of prayer where we can meet God deeply. If you enter the world of encounter with God, you will repent of your sins and become the possessor of a poor heart. In that heart, God allows us to taste the kingdom of heaven and to experience the power of turning suffering into gratitude.
3. There is a request from God to the saints who are in trouble (verses 23-24).
① It is to love Jehovah. God wants to hear the words, "Lord, I love You" even in the midst of suffering.
② Be strong and courageous. God asks His children not to despair even in the midst of suffering. God has promised that He will always be with us, and John 16:33 assures us, “In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.”
Therefore, we must respond to all trials and tribulations with David's faith. And the wide places and the secret places where God leads
We should long for every day, be grateful even in the midst of hardship, and live a life of victory with the courage to face all problems with strength and courage.
behind the hardships
Most people see things that are too objective for things that are not their problem. Clear analysis and finding reasons for the pain, mistakes, and frustrations of others. Sometimes reprimands and accusations make the other person's heart more gripped with a greater sense of guilt. However, they are overly generous with themselves and shift all responsibility to the people and circumstances around them. A person with a normal sense of human selfishness would never be able to love. There will be too much suffering and waste to love such a person. This selfishness and self-centered desire are behind the suffering of many people who live. But there is a life where you have to endure pain because of one-sided love. That was the life of Jesus Christ.
Behind Christ's suffering was God's love along with our sin and judgment. As mentioned earlier, God's one-sided and blind love for us brought Christ to the cross. The passion of love that he would bear even our weaknesses and sinful nature was behind the Lord's suffering. We discover what faith is about the obedience of the Lord who participates in the Father's love without any conditions. Even though we say we believe in God's love, we insist on our feelings and judgments rather than obeying God's commands. When God's Word and our thoughts are different, we have a hard time because of the difference. People of God who have lost obedience should know that they will never be able to enjoy a happy life. Just as the Lord obeyed God's love, so should we. When that obedience is applied in your life, you will experience the power of God.
8 Conclusions About Suffering
How can we wisely overcome the hardships that inevitably come upon us? What on earth does suffering mean to us? To answer this question, I have made the following eight conclusions about suffering in my own way.