He extols the virtue of fearing the Lord and remembering His goodness. The point the author is trying to make, is that God is in control of every hardship a believer goes through (cf. Maybe the conversion was based on bad teaching? Though the fig tree does not budand there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop failsand the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the penand no cattle in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord,I will be joyful in God my Savior.The Sovereign Lord is my strength;he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,he enables me to tread on the heights. My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, "Where is your God?" When . Typically, we honor those who are successful and do great things. They can co-exist in the same way an expectant mother can go through the travail of birth and still have joy in thinking about what is to come. When you read Psalms, you can find so many verses about God's children singing praise even in the midst of hard times. earnestly I seek you; Each metal has a different melting point, and that is one of the ways you can tell if something is really genuine. Our loving relationship with Christ can create some of the greatest joy even in the midst of the fire. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Today, how do Christians do this? It does not say Paul was prideful, but God was saving him from the sin of pride through this humbling experience. Application Question: What ways have you experienced the loss of joy in your salvation? When shall I come and appear before God? This happened to the church of Ephesus, and it is common for us. It happened that, when the ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal The child may cry and complain, and it is not that the father is immune to the childs tears, but it is because he knows whats best. Power. In this epistle, Peter is writing to Christians that are spread throughout Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey. When you lose your love for Christ, trials dont feel like they last only a few days as it was for Jacob working for Rachel. Observation Question: What is Peter referring to when he says in this you greatly rejoice? And You have put to shame those who hate us. Not to us, O LORD, not to us but
to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. (Psalms 113:4, NIV). For this is what the high and exalted One says He who lives forever, whose name is holy:I live in a high and holy place,But also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,To revive the spirit of the lowlyAnd to revive the heart of the contrite.. My plans, my purpose, my schedule. He raises a rhetorical question, Who has known the mind of the Lord? We can focus on our inheritance and security in heaven. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Heb 12:11). He was the envy of all his friends and business associates. Lets look at a couple of reasons why trials would be necessary. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 3. (Psalms 115:1,
NIV). Those who are faithfulmeaning that they didnt quit, meaning that they continued to trust in God and honor him in the midst of trialswill be richly rewarded. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Yourgenerous Spirit. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;even at night my heart instructs me.I keep my eyes always on the Lord. We are alive to his Word, alive to worship, alive to one another, where before we were dead in trespasses and sin (Eph 2:15). Jesus said, "But why do you call Me
'Lord, Lord' and do not do the things which I say?" Paul saw his trials as short and momentary. But to the extent we are able to entertain the concept - God is eternal; He is
"from everlasting to everlasting." As we look at Scripture, we see that Peter is not the only writer who teaches this apparent paradox. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyones chains came loose. David's painful guilt runs through this psalm. This verse can also be translated as a command rejoice in this. The believers were suffering in all kinds of trials. Whatever Pauls trial, it was given to him because of the surpassing great revelations he had received from God. BUT NOW - at the end of all this analysis
and argument and affirmation -- THERE IS ADORATION! How do we know if we have genuine faith? He writes to encourage them. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God (emphasis mine).Daniel 3:2425 (KJV). Its extremely important because it so easy to lose the joy that should be ours. That is one of the blessings of trials; it proves our faith, whether it is real or not. James said the same thing: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life (emphasis mine) that God has promised to those who love him (Jas 1:12). If you have lost your first love, you cannot have joy in the midst of trials or in the midst of your service for Christ. . But, during this depression God comforted me through his Word. Thoughts of You from mother & God Devotionals. How do you respond to trials? With this new birth, we receive an inheritance in heaven (v. 4). We are so time-oriented - we are so many years old; we have
24 hours a day; we do things at certain times We are creatures of time - so
only with great difficulty, are we able to think of eternity. Listen to what he says in the previous verses. These have come so that your faithof greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by firemay be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (emphasis mine).1 Peter 1:67. These praises are not always after victory. Some years ago I visited a man who was wealthy and successful. Proud member Psalm 17:7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. It brings joy because it is in the midst of the trial that we see Christ and know him more. This is the type of view Christians must develop on the earth. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; And in the night season, and am not silent. Are you faithfully seeking him in the midst of your trial? He promised never to leave or abandon his children, so we can count on his presence, even when our emotions can't confirm it. We praise God in song. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me, Psalm 56:1,2,9 To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit. Look at what Paul said about his trials in 2 Corinthians 6:10: Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything (emphasis mine). Psalm 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. What is the next reason we can rejoice in trials? In the Mosaic dispensation and during the United Kingdom period, any good
victory achieved by the Army of Israel was attributed to God. They had been scattered because of the persecution coming from Rome. 1:1-4). The Psalm tells us it was because of sin. 3:23). For the believer, the great thing about trials is that Christ goes through them with us and in the trial we can experience deep intimacy. This is not their fault, and it is not necessarily a lack of spirituality. It is to recognize the fact that they can exist together. This is a wonderful truth for us, and it is one in which we must focus on in the multicolored trials we may go through. I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, But that's not it. The question of God hiding his face goes deeper than merely being forgotten. is their focus on the gospel as well. Listen to what John said about those who were in the church but left the church of Ephesus to follow the Gnostic cults. My defender, my path, my victory. It is harder for them to love, harder for them to forgive, or harder for them to have peace. And
certainly in all my behavior, I should bear in mind how Great my Father is. He is there, and his presence enables us to get through it, and even experience the sweetest joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. Our short fifty to seventy years are all about preparing for eternity, not just getting into heaven. Praise the Lord!Praise God in his sanctuary;praise him in his mighty heavens!Praise him for his mighty deeds;praise him according to his excellent greatness!Praise him with trumpet sound;praise him with lute and harp!Praise him with tambourine and dance;praise him with strings and pipe!Praise him with sounding cymbals;praise him with loud clashing cymbals!Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!Praise the Lord! This is a phenomenal concept. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope, Psalm 35:1-3 A Psalm of David. Likewise, Psalms 117:2 - "For great is His
love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. "And the glory of the LORD
will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. Verse Concepts. 1:23). For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (emphasis mine). We are not sure what this thorn in the flesh was. Second Corinthians 12:7 says: To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me (emphasis mine). But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (emphasis mine). When it seems like my world is crumbling around me and I am thrown around by the storms of my life, take away my fear. It is simple - praise to God reminds you that you are not alone. God is characterized by GLORY, and that means everything about God signifies the
highest esteem and honor -- He exhibits or exudes that which causes men to
praise Him. day. 116 views, 2 likes, 2 loves, 9 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Unity Temple Church of God in Christ: 2nd Sunday Service Thank you for. Peter saw them as little in comparison to the glories of eternity, and so must we. I understand. A lot of times we dont talk about false faith in church, but it is a reality. 6:46). Its one of the ways we can tell if its genuine. Remember that God is surrounding you! My everything. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Jesus said, For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them (Matt 18:20). We rejoice in our undefiled inheritance. He has brought us back to the basics. 3. Turn your eyes to him and allow him to surround you with his love and strength. Christ said, I will never leave you nor forsake you (Matt 28:20). Death is the ultimate way to turn someone from sin. Matthew (164). There is a certain pain
about life here on the earth and all the unpleasant things we encounter. See, true faith, unlike gold, is imperishable. I cannot help but think about Jacob and Rachel. As I follow the instructions of God and honor the Son, there flows from my life
just exactly the kind of influence that will do people good and not evil. How many of us are missing joy in our trials? Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Psalm 77:2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be . What we do today will affect our eternity. Christianity can become like arduous labor; it can become legalism, and it can steal our joy, if we have the wrong focus. Many develop strongholds and addictions by going through trials. She has joy because she has the right focus as she considers this new baby that will be birthed into the world. We have probably seen this in some of the people God has chosen to use in the greatest ways. One of the things I love about 1 Peter is his focus on the gospel and having joy in our salvation. These have come so that your faithof greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by firemay be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (emphasis mine).1 Peter 1:7. He directed me to research Psalm 63 and it's history. 8:6, " the
Lord gave David victory wherever he went." David goes on to say that God is "enthroned on the praises of Israel."In other words, God has been praised by his people through the years, because he has been faithful to them and always sustained them. God rewards those who faithfully persevere. Listen to a few other texts: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Why is that? He says you may have had to. This can be translated if necessary as in the ESV or if need be as seen in the KJV. Maybe they realized following Christ would mean being different, or as with the people in Asia Minor, it meant being persecuted for their faith. David writes in Psalm 142:4b-7, no one cares for my soul. Why should believers have joy in their trials according to 1 Peter 1:3-5? God Saving From Enemies. We
through the gospel have access to God's Power -- when faith prompts us to obey
Christ in baptism, THE POWER OF GOD LIFTS US FROM SIN. A good example of this is Peter and Judas. Lean on the words of others until you find your own. Bible verses about praising God can help guide your prayers in these times. All this will enable you, in a special way, to be able to minister to others. All rights reserved. In Psalm 34, David reminds us that we should praise God through the good times and bad. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. When the struggles begin to close in, you may find yourself without the words to pray, unable to find those words of prayer and praise. Our fathers trusted in thee: They trusted, and thou didst deliver them. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, I will thank you forever, because you have done it. It is possible to work hard for Christ, persevere through trials, to hate what God hates, and yet still lose our love for Christ. How can we live this type of Christian life in the various multicolored trials we go through? (Isaiah 24:23, NIV). Paul says not only is he in total control, but he is specifically controlling the temperature gauge on every trial. Too many Christians fail to focus on the benefits of their salvation, and therefore, have lost joy when their inheritance on earth is affected. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This means that my trial with depression is used to help believers who have experienced trials that are different from mine. We should rejoice in all the benefits of our coming salvation. David praises God for the truth of his word 4. it convinces me that I am actually in a real conversation with God himself, my very Creator. It means He is the Judge of all the earth, and what He decides is
- by definition - RIGHTEOUS, and TRUE and GOOD and FAIR. We do that by rejoicing in the benefits of our salvation. I stand at the door and knock. These have come so that your faithof greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by firemay be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. When Paul describes what sin is, he says - when we sin, we fall
short of the glory of God; one translation says, we fail to glorify God --- Rom. Many people are only thinking about tomorrow or focusing on the next immediate milestone: graduation, marriage or retirement, but that view is too shortsighted. Therefore, we can have joy. 11 Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. In Romans one Paul
is explaining how sin had developed and flourished in the human race - in
particular, the Gentiles. Paul said he had learned that God comforted him in the midst of trouble so he could comfort those in any trouble. Gold can be passed from generation to generation. In Esther 3, we are introduced to an evil man, Hamanwho is a type of the anti-Christ to come. We can definitely relate to David's thoughts and feelings as we face our present world.