PSALM 31:9-10 – Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.”

Go back up to the scripture and identify the types and levels of suffering David’s experiencing. First, emotional. His heart aches. The words “distress, sighing, grief, and sorrow” reveal it. He is also in spiritual agony as the same words he applies to his soul. Physically? Suffering occurs here as well;“ my strength fails, my bones waste away.” Not an area of his life goes untouched with pain. We feel for David and want to say, “Welcome to the realities of living life in a sin-cursed world. Welcome to the consequences from the Garden of Eden.” But let’s make a personal application. Now might be a good time or soon to go back to Genesis 3 and read the fall of man and the curses to follow. And by the way, as we feel for David in his suffering, feel for ourselves because what David agonizes over, we do as well. He is identifying the realities of life for every human being and no pursuits or efforts on our part from self-help, self-resolve, worldly pleasures, sensual satisfactions, new environment, new relationship, new location, or new anything will ever remove them. They came from God because of sin, and if we are going to live through them and above them for the glory of God and the good of our testimonies of God’s grace, we need a couple of reminders.

First, don’t expect life to have long periods of happiness, comfort, and be pain-free. The Apostle Peter writes – Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you (1 Peter 4:12). Isn’t it surprising that Christians get surprised when difficulties come into our lives? Why do we? Two reasons. We forget what happened in the Garden of Eden. And we forget the only place of ease, comfort, and rest is heaven and we aren’t there yet! Here is the serious part about our false expectations of relative ease and pain-free living in this world. We complain and bring discredit to our testimony for the Lord Jesus, and thus send a confusing message to the world; a message that says in our complaining, “Life isn’t fair, and Jesus isn’t enough.”

Another reminder to help us live as overcomers in the harsh realities of pain and suffering in this life is the brevity of our lives. Yes, times of suffering seem forever; pain never-ending, and seasons of suffering linger, but they are not forever and will not be indefinite. Again, from the Apostle Peter – In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials (1 Peter1:6).Think on the three words “a little while”; they will encourage us in the realities of life. They cannot or will not last.

So, when life gets hard, stop, and remember it is supposed to be that way, but also stop and remember it will not always be that way. We are headed to another reality in another world, a reality of the Lord’s presence and unending joy.

PRAYER: “Father, help me see life is hard, this is not my home, and to expect nothing of lasting good from it.”
QUOTE: “Expect life to be filled with trial, trouble and tears because God’s Word tells us it will be so.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim