The Lord may shake up your life
Josh Newton | Oct 30, 2009
Don’t be surprised when the Lord shakes up your life
As we study the life of David in HERD, we find that he experiences some pretty tough situations. David has some amazing successes, seasons where the people love him, where he is protected from his enemies and where he prospers. But he also has times of great strife, suffering and sorrow.
Two weeks ago we looked at 1 Samuel 18, 19 and 20. In these chapters we saw that the people adored David. Saul made him an officer in the army and the Lord gave David great success. As the people become more and more impressed by his victories on the battlefield, Saul became extremely jealous. In a jealous rage, Saul attempted to kill David again and again. When Jonathan found out about this he was devastated and had to bring the news to David that the LORD had sent David away. David was crushed and was forced to live in hiding and fear for the LORD had sent him away.
David is God’s anointed, so why would God allow these horrible situations? Why would God let Saul become jealous and attempt to kill David? Why did God send David away? God was preparing David to be king. God used this time of hardship and sorrow to prepare David to rely on God when there was nothing else.
We have been teaching your children that in their lives, they will encounter some really difficult situations. Bing even expressed that it is our prayer that they do experience hard times because it is in these times of sorrow, suffering and strife that our faith is tested. We will be able to see if our faith is on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection for our sin. When all in this world deserts you, will God be enough?
We challenged your students, our leaders and ourselves with questions like these and want to also ask you: When things in your life that you cherish are taken away, is God enough? What if you lost your friends, your family, your health…is God enough?
Some of us will experience terrible circumstances and it is during these times when we are the lowest that the legitimacy of our faith is tested. It is easy to rely on God when things are well, when we have all we need, but when we lose everything, Christ is enough.
We teach theology to our students through songs of praise and one song stands out to me as it relates to this message, the titled “Blessed be the Name of the LORD”. The lyrics are as follows:
Blessed be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in
Lord, Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name, When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’, Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
You give and take away, You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name
I do not know if you have experienced the harshness and blessing of this reality, but as I experienced hardships and uncertainties in my life, Christ has used those times to grow, shape and mold my faith. Blessed be the name of the LORD!
Comments:
There are currently no comments on this blog.