January 12, 2009

• Trials

  My pastor has a saying that has become well known in our little rural church. He often says that a believer is either ‘GOING INTO A TRIAL, “IN” a TRIAL, or COMING OUT OF A TRIAL’.

  Don’t you find that to be true?

  Our little church is learning much about trials these days. Pastor not only has been  preaching about trials on Sunday mornings (go here to listen to the past few Sunday’s sermons and be BLESSED!) but our ladies bible study is doing a Kay Arthur Precept study on 1 Peter which is addressing trials as well.

  One thing that pastor pointed out yesterday is that oftentimes when a believer has doubts and struggles during a trial it’s because he is doubting the goodness of God.  We don’t believe “God has our back” or that God loves us as much as He loves someone else. I believe that is so true and have definitely struggled with those same temptations to doubt God’s goodness at times. Have you?

  Psalms 73 is a beautiful example of someone who doubted in the goodness of God. It is the Psalm of Asaph. As you read through the Psalm you realize that Asaph has struggled with many of the same doubts we have.  Pastor pointed out some of these same points yesterday in his sermon.

  * He thought God was good to others but not to him. v. 1-2 

  * Asaph’s walk with the Lord had nearly slipped (because of his envy towards those prospering). He had a worldly mind set.. v. 2-3

  * He envied those who seemed to be prospering or had no troubles. He most likely asked ‘why Lord’? Why are you doing this to me and the wicked are prospering? v. 3-9

  * He doubted, at times, whether God really cared or even knew what he as going through.  v. 11

  * He thought he didn’t deserve the trial. He was self-righteous and had a higher view of himself than what scripture teaches. v. 13    (There is NOTHING good in us, besides the presence of the Lord. We deserve hell. Anything else above that is God’s goodness. Romans 3:10, 23)

  * Asaph questioned if it really ‘paid’ to serve God and lead a pure life. v. 13

  Finally, Asaph comes to the sanctuary and  there he understands the end of the wicked whom he has been envying. They are the ones that are in slippery places for in a moment’s notice they can lose all they own and head into an eternity of torment and destruction.

  I’ve been like Asaph at times. I’ve equated God’s goodness to what my circumstances hold. If things are going well then I’m quick to shout, “GOD IS GOOD” !!! If my circumstances are difficult then I have found those little doubts plaguing my mind and I’ve questioned His goodness and love towards me.

  Asaph ends his song to the Lord by saying in verse 28…

   But as for me, the nearness of God is my good….

  The beginning of this Psalm finds Asaph equating the goodness of God with prosperity and the absence of problems but by the end of the song he knew that an intimate relationship with God (through Jesus Christ) was THE only good.

  May the Lord seal this truth deep into our hearts!

  

  This picture is a few years old. Our church has gone through some major rennovations, both inside and out, and looks very different now. I’ll have to take a current picture and post it sometime. I still think it was beautiful in it’s older days. It’s been ‘home’ to both my husband and I for the past 4 years and we thank God for it often!

   

  • 9:39 am
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