Bad things happen to good people. We desperately wish it were otherwise but unfortunately this is a given in a less-than-perfect world. Consider the heart-cry of an innocent man of God:
"Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity. You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent. My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped." (Psalm 17:1-5)
David is not boasting of his own righteousness; he is objectively stating the fact of his spiritual condition all the while that he calls upon his Father for relief from unfair oppression. A good man is suffering a bad experience.
I've endured plenty of "just suffering" - fair punishment for wrong deeds. But I've also undergone seasons of opposition and oppression that seemed undeserved. And, like David, I've sought relief. More often than not, He supplied strength to endure rather than a plan of escape.
We've heard it said that "it's a jungle out there". Living the Christian life in the devil's domain (1 John 5:19) is no walk in the park. We may not face outright opposition as David did, but the unseen enemy will taunt and terrify and do everything possible to destroy us. "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8).
A recent conversation reminded me again of an important priority for living in a hostile world - don't leave home naked. Make certain that you clothe yourself with necessary spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:13-17) in the face of certain opposition and warfare (Ephesians 6:12).
Bad things will happen to good people, and we are those good people. But, as someone has said, "life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it." As James says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials" (James 1:2). He admonishes us to make it a choice to see the potential for good amidst the bad.
Stand strong today, kingdom citizen, because we have a Father who vindicates the cause of His people and provides daily strength for the battle.
Steve
"Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity. You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent. My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped." (Psalm 17:1-5)
David is not boasting of his own righteousness; he is objectively stating the fact of his spiritual condition all the while that he calls upon his Father for relief from unfair oppression. A good man is suffering a bad experience.
I've endured plenty of "just suffering" - fair punishment for wrong deeds. But I've also undergone seasons of opposition and oppression that seemed undeserved. And, like David, I've sought relief. More often than not, He supplied strength to endure rather than a plan of escape.
We've heard it said that "it's a jungle out there". Living the Christian life in the devil's domain (1 John 5:19) is no walk in the park. We may not face outright opposition as David did, but the unseen enemy will taunt and terrify and do everything possible to destroy us. "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8).
A recent conversation reminded me again of an important priority for living in a hostile world - don't leave home naked. Make certain that you clothe yourself with necessary spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:13-17) in the face of certain opposition and warfare (Ephesians 6:12).
Bad things will happen to good people, and we are those good people. But, as someone has said, "life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it." As James says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials" (James 1:2). He admonishes us to make it a choice to see the potential for good amidst the bad.
Stand strong today, kingdom citizen, because we have a Father who vindicates the cause of His people and provides daily strength for the battle.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:30 AM
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