Finding Comfort

Read: Psalm 119:49:72

"This is my comfort in my affliction..." Psalm 119:49:72

Examine:

Through these verses of Psalm 119, the Psalmist identifies three things that brought him comfort in his affliction. First, all he wanted was God. Things of the earth did not really matter to him as long as his relationship with God remained in tack. Second, he knew God's words. He was not standing on an empty hope. He stood firm on a word spoken from God to him. Third, he looked inward and allowed the pain of the affliction to open his eyes to his sin and he grew from it.

Apply:

The deeper I am attached to the things of the world the greater torment I will experience when trials come. Trials, by their very nature, involve the threat of losing something of earthly value. There is nothing of earthly value that is unshakable nor is there anything of this earth that can not be taken from me rather easily. God, on the other hand, is unshakeable. There is nothing of heavenly value that can be touched by a trial. If God is my all and all then trials will still sting as they leave their marks on me, but they will be incapable of driving me mad.

There is no worse feeling in the world to find myself in a trial and then realize that I have not heard from God in a while. The only comfort, the only thing that can stand, the only source of power guaranteed to overcome trials are God's words. If I am walking in step with Him trials do not catch me off guard. In fact, He normally alerts me that they are coming and generally gives me a sense of why. It is the ability to stand on His written and spoken word that allows me to find my sanity and strength during a trial. No word of God has ever or will ever return void. It will always accomplish its purpose.

It is easy to look at trials as lost time or to allow myself to play victim and just hunker down until the storm passes. But that is a foolish move on my part. Trials and hard times cut through the false fronts I put up. Difficult circumstances test my faith, reveal my heart, and prove my character. It is absolutely crazy to not be inflective during the heat of torment or the pain of a trial. These seasons are amazing times of gaining clarity about where I am weak and what are the true conditions of my heart. These are rare moments of opportunity for me to experience exponential growth in my relationship with God.

Pray:

You have dealt well with me. As I close my eyes this morning and allow my mind to travel back through the memories of my past I am amazed at the journey this life has been. There have been seasons of rebellion and seasons of revival. There are been times of plenty and times of nothing. There have been moments of great clarity and moments of utter confusion. Though it all You have remained constant and true. I have never seen You contradict Yourself. I have never experienced You abandon me. Regardless of where things started or how bad they have gotten I have never seen You not be faithful to Your Word. You are truly an amazing God and those who lose themselves in pursuit of You truly find life that can never be shaken or taken. My world is upside down right now, but my heart is perfectly at peace. Crazy paradox is it not? I am so thankful for You.