The Stones of My Legacy

Reading: Psalm 44, 45, 46, and 47

"In God we have boasted all day long. And we will give thanks to Your name forever." Psalm 44:8

Examination:

Sometimes things in life just do not make sense to the finite human mind. Man has invested crazy amounts of time, energy, and money exploring the mysteries of the universe; yet we continue to fail to fully explain anything without qualifications and assumptions.

One of the many mysteries of life that still eludes us is God allowing unexplainable struggles falling upon good people. This Psalm lays out a strong outline for what to do to find strength in the middle of them.

Application:

Build a spiritual legacy. This is so key. Learning to trust in God and experience Him delivering me from circumstances is a key strength in dealing with unjust adversity. If I try to do everything on my own or attribute my successes to my skills then I set myself up for dark days when circumstances prove to be beyond my capacity.

Do not attribute my circumstances to another person. Blaming another person for where I am is a foolish endeavor. What sense does it make to give any person higher authority than God in my life? My life and my circumstances, whether good or bad, filter through the hands of God. Nothing can touch me unless he allows it to do so and nothing He allows to do so will exceed my ability to endure.

Evaluate my actions, but don't make something up. God often uses adversity to call my attention to stubborn behavior or hidden sin. It is always wise to assess my life for repetitive or hidden sins when things happen to me that just do not seem right. That said, I should not make something up if genuinely find nothing wrong. It is very likely that the trial has nothing to do with anything I have done.

Press into God. Unexplained and unrelenting torment has the strength to carry me away from God. My pursuit of a solution or relief can lead me to flat quit pursuing God. This is a fool's song. A man of God does not run and hide when things go dark. He steps up, girds up, and heads deep into the heart of God. The spiritual legacy I desire to leave for my kids to build upon will be built from stones cut from my seasons of darkest adversity.

Prayer:

There is none like You. You have no beginning and You have no end. You are just. You are right. You are all knowing, all powerful and ever present. There is no escaping You. Your love is unrelenting in its pursuit of me. Your grace never stops flowing in empowering me to overcome and Your mercy never remembers the times I stumble.

This life on earth can be quite messy. The choices of others, personal greed and the curse of sin on earth combine in creating a perfect storm of struggles and trials. When those times come I pray that I have the courage to stay committed to You and Your work.

Father, I desire more than anything for my kids to grow up seeing knowing Your strength, protection, direction, provision and love. I desire for these things to be written into the fabric of our life together. I ask that You provide to me the things I need to weather the storms of life in a manner that reveals Your character to my kids.