“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”

In order for us to believe that affliction is good, we must value faith-filled obedience more than we value comfort and ease. A statement such as the one above inevitably exposes our various idolatries (provided we are thinking clearly). For if we do not think like this, that is, if we do not believe that affliction or inconvenience or difficulty is good, we value something more than holiness and happiness in God.

The learning of God’s statutes (obedience) is so valuable that if any sort of affliction enables us to more efficiently learn to obey, then that affliction is good. Not good in and of itself, of course, but good because of where it leads (when embraced rightly). Good because affliction is used by God to point us to Him and to make us more like His Son (provided we are thinking clearly).

Notice the words of Apostle Paul,

“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Recognize that the only way we can embrace sufferings of any kind as good is if we have a right, God-centered perspective–if we look to and value the things unseen. We must desire what the Lord desires, value what He values to the degree that He values it. We can only think clearly about suffering and inconvenience (and thus, rejoice in it) if we truly trust in the Lord. We can only see clearly if God really is our God.

Learning the Word of God with a view towards holiness and happiness in God is so valuable that any sort of suffering or inconvenience is worth it. If we believe that, we will be people of incredible freedom. We will never fear bad news, but have hearts that are firm, trusting in the Lord. We will be more than conquerors. We will live in the freedom that is ours in Christ. Freedom from fear. Freedom from unbelief. A sweet freedom that leads to happiness no matter what the circumstances and a sweet peace within.

Jesus died so that we might walk in such freedom. But in order to so, we must fight the fight of faith. We must so inundate our minds with the truth of God’s Word that unbelief gets crowded out. By the power of God’s Spirit, we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ for our good and His glory.

O for the grace to walk in such freedom! Freedom from the fear of any bad news. The freedom to rejoice. The freedom to be firm. The freedom to rest. The freedom to wholeheartedly pursue the kingdom of God. The freedom to embrace the minor inconveniences of life as a gracious means of sanctification. The freedom to risk and to truly believe that no matter what comes our way, the God of heaven and earth is working all things out for our good and His glory. O Lord, raise up such a people. And grant me the grace to be one. To be one who can honestly say, “It is good for me that I was (or am being) afflicted (or inconvenienced), that I might learn your statutes.”

The wicked men that surrounded Daniel aimed to destroy him, yet their plot came back upon their own heads. With their evil they destroyed both themselves and their families. Such is the Lord’s justice. A man is judged on the basis of what he has done or aimed to do.

“Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends” (Psalm 7:14-16).

What is even greater than this in this chapter is the way in which the Lord used the plots of these wicked men to reveal His glory to King Darius and in turn, everyone Darius ruled during that time period. For if Daniel had not been thrown into the lion’s den, there would have been no proclamation among the nations for the God of Daniel to be revered. So the Lord not only turned the plots of wicked men back upon themselves, but He used their wicked plots for His glorious end. And so it is for every evil. Nothing is pointless. Nothing is without meaning or purpose in the worthy plan of God. Especially in the lives of believers, there is no reason to fret, but only reason to rejoice. For the Lord is not only working all things out for our good, but for the manifestation of His glory in the world. And this is most certainly a case we can support and find delight in!

May we then, have the grace to trust the Lord like Daniel, whether we survive in the Lion’s Den or not.

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.”

Notice that a study of the Lord’s works flows from a delight in the Lord’s works. Therefore, in order for a person to begin to seek the Lord and to search for a greater understanding of what He has done, there must be within a seed of delight. Something inside the man that recognizes the fact that the works of the Lord are great.

This seed of delight is a gift of the Holy Spirit, given in response to or in conjunction with an understanding of the gospel. When the the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of a man’s heart, He opens his heart to all that Jesus has done. A seed of delight in the works of the Lord is birthed by a beholding of God’s greatest work: the work of Jesus Christ. His perfect life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

If a man is having difficulty reading the Bible or other supplemental, sound Christian works, that man probably doesn’t understand the gospel. At least not really. Not in a Holy Spirit-inspired way that births in him a delight in the works of the Lord. The ‘honey’ of the gospel is not sweet to that man. And therefore, the Scriptures are a bore to him. A chore to read. He is not diligent in his study.

Well, if the ‘honey’ of the gospel is not sweet to a man, that man must be continually exposed to that gospel. He is desperate for the truth of Jesus Christ, His Person and work, to be set before the eyes of his heart, so that the Holy Spirit can work in him that sweet seed of delight. No. He cannot force himself to delight in that which is not beautiful to him. But he can pray. And he can continually expose himself to the ‘honey.’

So it is for us when the reading of the Scriptures become a chore. When we are struggling to study diligently because we lack that sweet delight. We must not stop our study, but instead, continue it all the more, with a prayer-filled hope that the Holy Spirit might work in us that sweet delight that leads to more study still. Though delight leads to increased study, if we have no delight (or our lacking it in any respect), we are wise to study all the more. To set before our mind’s eye the greatness of God’s works. For though the Lord can work in us a sweet delight however He pleases, He pleases to use the means of Scripture to work in us a sweet delight.

The two go hand in hand. Study and delight. We study to delight. And because we delight we study. We are wise to keep them in careful balance. To study continually and pray continually with a view towards God-centered delight.

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me….”

We can only think clearly if we understand and appreciate the sovereignty of God. A thousand things fall into place when we recognize and embrace the reality that the Lord is in control over all things. That His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. That He rules over all the earth, doing as He pleases all the time. None can call Him into question, for He is the Reality that defines all other realities. He is God.

If we are having difficulties dealing with the various difficulties of life, we are wise to meditate on the sovereignty of God. Reason will return to us. We will begin to think clearly. As always, the most important thing about us is what we believe about God. And what thoughts we are presently entertaining about Him. Clear thoughts arise as we bless the Most High. We are wise then to make such blessing our lifestyle. To continually remind ourselves of the Lord’s place as God Most High. For only then will we think clearly and in turn, live well.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”

The Lord bestows favor and honor. He withholds nothing that is good from those who walk uprightly. Those who trust in Him are blessed. It simply doesn’t get better than these realities and promises. Yet it is vital for us to recognize that the Lord is the one who defines that which is good. He decides what favor and honor and blessing will look like in our respective lives. In perfect wisdom, He orders our days for our good and His glory. And His priorities are exactly what ours ought to be.

The reason this needs to be stated is because we often will receive that which is good with a great deal of unthankfulness. Not because it isn’t good, but because we don’t recognize it as good. It might seem to make our life more difficult. Indeed, it might make our life much more difficult. And yet it is good for us. It is blessing. It is favor. It is honor. It is a choice gift from the hand of our loving Father, designed to make us more like His Son, to give us His heart, to mold and shape our desires so that they line up with His passions and priorities.

We can quote Romans 8:28 well enough, but if we don’t value what God values, it won’t matter. For we will grow bitter in the face of difficulty (big or small). If we think it is good for us to walk comfortably through life, we will constantly be arguing with God and will harden our hearts to the beauty of His promises. To believe Romans 8:28 or Psalm 84:11-12, we need to submit to God’s wisdom. We need to trust that He knows what is good for us. We need to believe that holiness and happiness of heart is more important than any other thing. More important that health or wealth or comfort or the health and prosperity of those that we love. Or friendships or whatever. God and godliness are much more important than all these things. The Lord knows this full well. Do we?

Our minds need desperately to be re-trained by the Scriptures. Our mental and emotional framework need a renewal deep within, so that we will trust that no matter what comes our way, it comes our way for our good and His glory. For if we believe that, we cannot help but rejoice…no matter what we face. Oh if we could just humble ourselves and recognize that we don’t know what is good for us! We would change the world with such a mentality. Indeed, those who change the world most are those equipped with such thoughts. Forgive us for our arrogance, O Lord. Help us to change the world by humbly trusting in you.

Here is a simple lesson from Psalm 77: If you find yourself lacking faith in a day of difficulty, remember and rehearse what God has done.

This is what the psalmist does here really. He finds himself in a day of trouble, questioning whether or not the Lord will grant favor to His people. Questions assail him: Has God forgotten us? Will He act for us? Is He done being compassionate? Doubts naturally arise.

But then the psalmist resolves to base his appeal on “the years of the Most High.” He recalls the fact that the Lord is from everlasting and that His track record is one most certainly worth reviewing. In short, he resolves to remember the deeds of the Lord and in turn, to rehearse them to himself.

The first half of the psalm consists of the questioning God’s faithfulness. The second half of the psalm consists of the rehearsal of God’s faithfulness. In response to the first half, come doubts. In response to the second, comes faith. A determination to set our minds on the mighty acts of God–with a central focus of all that He has accomplished for us through Christ–goes a long way to fighting the fight of faith. Indeed, it is not overstating the case to say that remembering and rehearsing the mighty deeds of the Lord is a primary way to fight the fight of way. Isn’t this why we daily read the Scriptures? Is this why we must continually rehearse God’s promises in prayer? Isn’t this why we must consistently gather together to exhort one another daily as long as it is called today so that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? Sure, there are more than one reason for all these things, but a remembrance and rehearsal of the Lord’s faithfulness at least can be called central or foundational.

Because of sin, we are by nature a very dull people. Our memories fade rapidity and need continual reminders, or else faith will fade and doubts will arise. If we are to be a people of perseverance, we must be a people diligent to remember and rehearse. Everyday. Every moment, til’ death do us part.

v. 15 “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, behold, I am about tot ake the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.’ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.”

The context is that of Ezekiel prophesying to the people about the destruction of Jerusalem. In essence, the Lord uses the death of Ezekiel’s wife and his subsequent response to show to the people how they ought to respond to the destruction of Jerusalem (the delight of their eyes).

We can’t be sure how old Ezekiel and his wife were or what was her particular condition. Was she taken in a moment when she was apparently in good health? Or had she been sick? Whatever the case, there is still in this experience of the prophet Ezekiel the blatant reminder that our lives and the lives of those we love rest in the sovereign will of God.

He gives life and He takes life. Is it not in His power to do what He desires with what belongs to Him? Does not the potter have the right to mold and fashion the clay according to His own desire? On the surface, it may seem kind of harsh for the Lord to take Ezekiel’s wife and to command him to respond without grieving, simply to be a clear picture to those he prophesied to. But this surface perspective fails to take into account God’s place as God.

My life is in His hands. He can do with me as He wills. So also the lives of my wife and children and friends and possessions. They are not ultimately mine, but His. I am a mere steward. And all these things are safe from my grip only as I hold them loosely and humbly entrust them to the Lord.

I need to be reminded of this more or less everyday. I am not my own by creation. I am not my own by redemption. I have been bought with a price. The Lord may do what seems good to Him…all the time. With whoever He pleases to do it. This is a humbling reality, but one that, when embraced, is more precious than life.

“Be still, and know that I am God,
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

It is important to note that this verse was not spoken in a vacuum, but in the midst of a psalm full of action, judgment, wars, struggle, promises, and joy. This should serve as both a very comforting and challenging reality.

It is comforting because this is where we live. We live in the midst of struggle and difficulty and uncertainty. So it is comforting to know that the call to be still and know that He is God is not negated by all our surrounding circumstance. To the contrary, the call to be still is needed all the more because of the vast uncertainty and difficulty that characterizes each of our lives. No matter your trial, the Lord still calls you to be still and know that He is God. To rest in the fact that He will be exalted among the nations, indeed, over all the earth.

This verse is challenging because it is not easy to trust the Lord in this way. It is not easy to rest in His sovereign goodness and power in the face of wars and difficulties and uncertainty. We are so apt to take matters into our own hands. To trust in our power to change things. And there might be times when we do need to change things. Yet even then, we are commanded to rest. To be still and know that He is God. To rest satisfied in the fact that no matter the evil or difficulty we face, He is seated on His throne and one day will make everything right.

The command to be still is a command applicable to each and every day. A peace of heart we are all looking for. And this peace can only be found when we entrust ourselves to a wise and faithful Creator, One who is actively seeking for us good and guaranteed to be exalted in and through and above all things. What is your trial today? What is your difficulty? Be still and know that He is God. He will be exalted among the nations. He will be exalted in the earth! Rest satisfied in soul. Cease striving and trust in the Lord.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.”

Our ultimate trust must not be in the means we employ, but in the One whose blessing we implore. This is a very difficult balance. For on the one hand, though we cannot trust in our chariots and our horses, we must still prepare the chariots and horses for battle. And we must do so diligently. But on the other hand, we prepare in full recognition that the chariots and horses in and of themselves are not enough to bring us the victory. We need blessing from above. We need the Lord to act.

Preparation is vital. But so is the blessing of the Lord. We must be diligent to embrace both realities. For our tendency, it seems, is to embrace one or the other. No matter what the context, there are some Christians who so embrace the reality that God must act on our behalf (that we must trust Him), that they end up despising those who are diligent in training the horses and building the chariots (whether in ministry or any other context for that matter). But on the other hand, there are also many who build the chariots and train the horses without little regard for the blessing of the Lord.

It seems wise to act as if it all depended on our efforts, all the while understanding that our efforts are not the ultimate determination of our destiny. God must act. God must intercede. Our trust is ultimately in Him. We are wise to embrace both realities. And when we do we will work harder than almost anyone, but do so in a humble and dependent way. We will fight with our best chariots and horses, but in full recognition that we cannot win the battle on our home. In order to rise and stand upright, our trust must be in the name of the Lord.

The leaders of the remnant of Judah rightfully come to Jeremiah in pursuit of guidance. They even promise to obey whatever it is that the Lord says to them through Jeremiah. Indeed, they go so far to call the Lord has a witness against them if they do not obey his word.

They, no doubt, at least thought that they were genuine in pursuit of the Lord’s guidance. But deep down, they trusted in their own plans, plans which they were no doubt already devising. Plans which they probably thought the Lord would simply confirm through Jeremiah.

Lest we grow arrogant, let us recognize that we are inclined to do the very same thing. We hold tightly to our plans, even while seeking guidance from the Lord. We really believe ourselves to be genuine, but deep down, we are holding onto our own plans, trusting that they are not merely ‘our’ plans, but the plans of God.

Interestingly enough, the Lord lets 10 days pass before He speaks clearly to Jeremiah. We can’t say for sure what happened during those ten days, but from the result, we can tell that unbelief crept in. Fear took its hold. Various meetings were probably held as it was determined that they could not wait upon Jeremiah or upon the Lord. Sure, all that Jeremiah had previously said to nation of Judah had come true. Yet when he came with a Word from the Lord, the leaders of Judah wanted no parts of it. For it did not align with their predetermined plans. Clearly (at least to them), they knew better than God’s prophet. Indeed, they knew better than God.

Oftentimes, the Lord will let a certain period of time pass before granting clarity. We genuinely want His guidance, but during the period of waiting, our hearts are exposed. God ordains these periods of waiting because He loves us, because He wants to expose the various things in which we trust, our various idols. For only then can he call us to repentance and uproot them from their deep place in our hearts. We are wise to delay our various meetings of ignorance until we hear from the Lord. When it comes to big decisions, wisdom dictates that we spend time on our knees first.

Finally, note that the leaders of Judah had become hardened to the Word of the Lord through Jeremiah. Though everything he said had come true, they would have no parts of it. Their hearts had grown dull. Their capacity to trust in the Lord and to obey His Word (and the two go hand in hand) had shriveled up. As far as they were concerned, their only hope was to trust in themselves and the plans of their devising.

So sad is the human condition! Rather than humbly looking to the Lord and obeying His Word, we are inclined to look to and trust in ourselves. Let us repent of our arrogance, confront our various idolatries and wait until the Lord clearly speaks. For in the end, it is the only way to go.