the Week of Proper 3 / Ordinary 8
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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
The righteous person suffers many evils, but ADONAI rescues him out of them all (Psalm 34:20).
Believers who love to claim promises are not apt to claim "trouble" as one of God's commitments to them. Some are apt to claim no trouble. They'll have to wait until heaven for that. For those still here on earth, the question may be asked, "What good is a promise like Psalm 34, even if it's accompanied by a promise of deliverance from trouble? After being delivered, aren't we back in the same place we were before the trouble came?" The Scripture shouts a resounding "no" to that question. And the "no" is not the general kind—it's the kind of "no" that the rabbis proclaimed when they meant, "On the contrary, it's all for the best." Scripture provides very specific promises that accompany trouble. Two come to mind.
The first is in Hebrews 12:11, which declares that God uses hardship or trouble to train us. Those who trust him through it will "produce a harvest of righteousness and peace." What a promise!
The second promise is found in 2 Corinthians 1:4, where Rabbi Sha'ul (Saul; i.e., Paul) says that God comforts us in our trouble so we can comfort others in their affliction. Doesn't that make the trouble "worth the trouble"?
God hasn't promised us a rose garden. But he has promised us a vegetable garden, bearing wonderful bounty for his kingdom.
...thank God for the troubles he allows to come my way, because I know that he will turn them to good in specific ways, and ultimately he will deliver me from them all.
MW
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
