Psalm 66: On the Other Side of Affliction

My husband recently bought me one of those exercise bikes that comes with a virtual coach. As you ride the bike, you watch a trainer on the screen who tells you how fast to go and pushes you to work harder. One particular trainer often relishes in the discomfort that comes from increased speed and resistance. She often says, “Isn’t this great? Don’t you just feel so good?”

Well, maybe?

I’m still deciding.

While some might appreciate the discomfort that comes from working out, we certainly don’t appreciate the discomfort, heartache, and sorrow that come with the afflictions of life. I know I don’t. I don’t see anything good in them. They are difficulties I avoid, resist, and run from.

But in reading the Psalms, I find another perspective on affliction. In Psalm 66, we find the psalmist leading God’s people in a chorus of praise to God. They exalt the Lord for who he is and what he has done. They remember his past works and honor his great name. They marvel at his power over their enemies. hen, inserted into this doxology, they praise God for his work in their afflictions. The psalmist conducts a chorus of praise to God for the afflictions he brought upon them:

“For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance” (Ps. 66:10-12)

The psalmist sees these afflictions as coming from God’s hand. We don’t know the exact circumstances of these sufferings and it may refer to multiple afflictions God’s people experienced during their history, but from the words the psalmist uses, they are significant. God’s people were bound and ruled over by tyrants. They were ridden down like animals. As silver is repeatedly put into the fire, so too were they repeatedly tested and tried.

Anyone who has endured lasting affliction knows how wearying it is. They know how hard it is to endure, to keep moving forward and not give up hope. They know how often they cry out for God’s deliverance and rescue. They know what it is to weep and lament. I know I do. And to be honest, I’m rarely grateful for the afflictions the Lord brings into my life. I don’t appreciate the struggle of refinement. And I certainly don’t sing praise to the Lord for it.

In this psalm, we see their affliction was brought about by the hands of God for their purification. Just as a father disciplines his son, God disciplines his children. He brings them through troubles and hardship to teach and train them (Heb. 12). The psalmist’s words are a reminder that God is not unaware of the suffering of his people and that he uses even the injustices of the ungodly against his people for their good. This reminds us of the well-known words of Paul, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). It also reminds us that we shouldn’t be surprised by hardships and affliction when it comes, “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 Pet. 4:12).

The psalmist looks back on the other side of their affliction and leads the people in a song of praise to God for bringing them through their hardships and into a place of abundance. Their suffering did come to an end. But not just to an end; they were brought into a place of abundance. The Hebrew word for abundance here is revayah. It means “saturation.” Imagine so much goodness that it overflows! As John Calvin noted, “The truth conveyed is, that God, although he visit his children with temporary chastisements of a severe description, will ultimately crown them with joy and prosperity.” As believers, we know this joy and abundance both in this life, and ultimately, in the life to come. We experience this joy here and now as God showers us with grace upon grace. We experience it through the Spirit’s work in us as he encourages us with the truth of our union with Christ. We experience it through the means of grace as we abide in Christ. And these are all foretastes of the abundant joy to come in eternity where all afflictions will cease.

The psalmist then switches from a corporate prayer of praise to that of an individual one. The rest of the psalm focuses on his own praises to the Lord, where he reflects on God’s answer to his personal prayers. During his own sufferings, he made vows to the Lord, and on other side of that suffering, he fulfills them (vv.13-15). He then exhorts the congregation to learn from him, to hear his testimony of God’s faithfulness to him: “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul” (v.16). He reminds us that God listens to the prayers of the afflicted. Even more, God doesn’t just hear us; he pays attention to us, “But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer” (v. 19). What a good and gracious Father! Because of Christ, we can come boldly to our Father in heaven and know that he hears us. We can cry out for help and deliverance and receive his rescuing grace. Even more, we can know we are not alone in our sufferings, for our elder brother walked before us in suffering, enduring the ultimate affliction in our place.

Grace upon grace!

While I’m still undecided about how I feel about the burn and exhaustion I feel from riding my exercise bike, I trust and believe that the afflictions God brings into my life are for my good. While the trials and heartaches are not good in and of themselves, God uses them to make me more like Christ and prepare me for eternity with him. Psalm 66 reminds me of God’s goodness and grace in those sufferings, for as Hebrews encourages, God only disciplines those whom he loves (12:6). It also reminds me that praise is the appropriate response to God’s refining work.

As believers, may we exalt the Lord both in our hearts and corporately as we testify to one another of God’s abundant grace and faithfulness. How can you praise the Lord today for the work he has done in your own life?

Sharing in Christ's Sufferings

“…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. 3:10)

I don’t know about you, but my first instinct upon facing suffering is to find a way to extricate myself from it. When I encounter loss, hardship, trials, or difficulties, I just want them to go away. I don’t care to stop and consider what lessons I might learn from them. I just want to move on to better and brighter days.

In Philippians 3:10, Paul talks about wanting to share in the sufferings of Christ. What? Why would he want to experience that? Earlier in this chapter, he talks about his sevenfold pedigree. He talks about all the things he once looked to and found confidence in: circumcised on the eighth day, a Pharisee, persecuting the church. Then he met Christ on the road to Damascus and everything changed. He came to faith and was united to his Savior. His confidence changed. Instead of placing his confidence in his works, in his heritage, or in his obedience to the law, he now places his confidence in Christ and his work on his behalf, “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (v.9). In fact, all those things from his past, he now considers rubbish (v.8), refuse, something only worthy of tossing to the dogs.

Paul no longer depends upon himself for salvation, but upon Christ alone. He now wants to know more of Christ. He wants to experience fellowship with Christ, including fellowship in Christ’s sufferings. In the Greek, fellowship is koinonia. It means to share, participate in, commune with. Through faith in Christ, we are united to him. Everything that is his becomes ours. His perfect life, sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection, and ascension is now ours. We are clothed in his righteousness. God accepts Christ’s death as payment for our sins. In Colossians, Paul tells us we’ve risen with Christ (3:1). The Westminster Confession puts it this way: “All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their head by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory” (Ch.XXVI). As Rankin Wilbourne wrote is his book, United With Christ, “When we are in Christ, every part of Christ’s life, not only his death, has significance for us. We share in his life and obedience, his death and his resurrection, even his ascension! We participate in another’s victory…How can such things be? God in Christ assumed our full humanity to heal our full humanity. He came all the way down to blaze a trail all the way back—for us to live in the presence of God.”

When we come to faith in Christ, we too cast aside all those things in which we once placed our confidence. Our own pedigrees become rubbish. United to Christ, we now get to share in all that Christ is for us, including his sufferings. When we experience our own sufferings, we learn more of the great love of Christ who endured immeasurable suffering on our behalf. And more, when we participate in the sufferings of Christ, the power of the resurrection is evident in our life.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)

This Holy Week, as we remember and dwell on the sufferings of Christ for us at the cross, may we look at our own sufferings in this life as an opportunity to fellowship (koinonia) with our Savior. May we learn more of Christ’s great love for us as we face the hardships and sorrows of this life. And may this fellowship further encourage us with the hope of the resurrection to come. Because he lives, we too will live forever with him in glory.

When You Need Hope for the New Year

As 2020 came to a close, I don’t know about you, but I breathed a sigh of relief. I was all too ready to close that difficult chapter on a very hard year. To put the chaos and heartache of the year behind me. To move on to something new and better.

Flipping the calendar page to a fresh new year always gives me a sense of anticipation. Expectation. Hope. Promise. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever think: Maybe this year will be the year I finally_____. Change jobs? Move? Get married? Have a baby? Grow the ministry? See that goal I’ve worked so hard for finally come to fruition?

And above all, move on from a pandemic?

For some of us though, a new year may not announce a new opportunity or bring hope for change or provide anticipation that a dream will come true. Rather, it rings in with dread, fear, or disappointment. For some, an unwanted medical procedure looms on the horizon. For others, a new year brings a job loss or worse, another year of unemployment. Some flip the calendar page knowing that the relationship conflict they've been in all last year will only continue on into the next or that the grief they carried in 2020 will only follow them into 2021. 

Not everyone will see this new year as the promise of something new and better, but more of the same, and perhaps, the announcement of something worse. 

If you are looking at the year ahead and feel a sense of dread, I want to encourage you. If you fear that 2021 will simply be a repeat of 2020, I want to point you to hope. 2021, though filled with unknowns, is not unknown. Though it may contain heartache, challenge, and difficulty, is not a year to fear. That's because God knows what lies ahead for you. He knows each day and every moment to come. As David wrote, "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16). All the days of this year have been written in God's book and he writes a good story. He carefully constructed the moments of 2021 in exactly the right order as they should be. He wove the threads of time to bring about what you need most this year.

For those who trust in Christ for their salvation, God has promised to work all things—the good, the not-so-good, and the bad—together for ultimate good. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified" (Romans 8:28-30).

While we tend to start a new year with grand plans and a few weeks later, give up and move on, God finishes what he starts. Those whom he chose before all time, he also called to himself. Those whom he called to be his own, he also saved by grace, through the blood of Christ. Those whom he saved, he also transforms and makes holy. From before the beginning of time, to this moment now, God is unfolding and following through on his plan to redeem and transform both you and I into the likeness of Jesus.  

As you stand on the precipice of 2021, don't fear the future for it is in the hands of your sovereign God. Don't dread the unknown for it is fully known by your omniscient Father. Don't grow weary by the challenges to come, for God is with you. He is actively involved in every moment you face this year and is your help in all trouble (Psalm 46:1). He is your refuge and your strength. He will never leave you.

Whatever challenges or trials come your way this year, remember God is and what he has done. Remember that he is good and righteous and sovereign. Remember that he loved you before time began and chose you to be his beloved. Remember that he sacrificed his Son to redeem you and make you his own. Remember that he gave you his Spirit to work in you, in both the good and the bad, to change and re-shape you. And remember, unlike New Year's resolutions, God always finishes what he starts (Philippians 1:6).  

Instead of the New Year being a harbinger of bad things to come, may it instead be a reminder of the One who is even now making all things new—including each of us. May Christ be our source of hope in 2021.

God is Both Sovereign and Good

I recently commented to a friend that if there is one thing I’ve learned this year, it is the importance of holding all my plans loosely.

So loose, it’s like I’m not holding them at all.

When the year began, we all had plans and expectations for the year. We moved forward with those plans until a virus was placed in our path and life suddenly slammed on the breaks, upending everything. It was jarring and we still haven’t recovered. Everything’s been upside down ever since. We’ve experienced significant changes in our jobs, our children’s education, our worship, and even to the way we relate with others. We’ve learned not to make plans and if we do, to hold them with open hands.

For many, 2020 feels like a year of interruptions. Of upended plans. Of starts and stops. Of constant change.

At least that’s been my experience.

One recent afternoon, both my husband and I were headed different directions—one to pick up a child up from school, the other to take a child to their game. And then my husband fell and broke his foot. All our plans skidded to a screeching halt. We’ve since had to reorient our lives around this accident. It’s been a significant interruption. And sometimes, I just want the year to move on and finish in the hopes that maybe next year will be better.

As believers, when life’s interruptions cut into our carefully laid plans, we know they are not random. They aren’t simply the result of bad luck. They are divinely placed in our life by our sovereign God. “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things” (Is. 45:7). Our God is not a distant God; He rules over all he has made, from the hearts of kings (Prov. 21:1) to the number of hairs on our head (Matt. 10:30). He determines the course of history and all he wills comes to pass, “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, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Is. 46:9-10).

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is one I’ve turned to many times in my life. When life is hard and I face hardship and suffering and trials, I remind myself, “God is not surprised by this.” While the interruptions of life catch me off guard, God is never surprised by them. He not only knows all that will take place, he ordained all things and ensures that his will comes to pass.

Including the year 2020.

While Christians may mentally assent to the Bible’s teaching on God’s sovereign rule, they may have difficulty trusting in his rule. God’s sovereignty isn’t necessarily a comfort they find rest in. This happens when we look at God’s sovereignty in isolation from his other characteristics. It is important to remember that God’s sovereignty doesn’t exist in isolation; it is fundamentally linked with who he is in the entirety of his character. When we remember that God is holy and righteous—that all he does is perfect, good, and right—then we know he will govern and rule out of his righteousness. When we remember that God loved us in Christ before the foundation of the world and adopted us to be his own, we know that the circumstances he brings into our lives are ordered out of that love.

Because God is both sovereign and good.

God is perfect and wholly good; he is incapable of doing anything that is not good. This means all his ways are good. From the world he created to his acts in history, from his perfect plan for our lives to his kindness poured out on us in Christ—all that he does is good. “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

James tells us that all good things come from God. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17). In spiritual terms, darkness implies evil and there is no darkness in God—he is the Father of lights. He is the source of all goodness and everything he gives us is good and for our good. This verse also tells us that God never changes; there is no "variation or shadow of turning." Our God will never show goodness toward us and then change his mind; he is always good toward us.

When we face interruptions in our life— whether it’s a small one like a fender bender on the way to work or a big one like a world-wide virus—we have to remember that God is both sovereign and good. While the difficult circumstances we face in life are not good, we have a good God who rules over them all. Though we do not understand what is happening and why, we can take comfort that he does. We can trust that all he ordains for us is for our good (Rom. 8:28).

Even when life is interrupted, we can expect good things from our good and sovereign God.

Want to learn more about God and his character? Check out my next book: A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord.

Building a Theology of Suffering

Our national women’s ministry team is putting together the finishing touches on our upcoming annual Leadership Conference. This year’s conference theme is suffering. Our goal is to provide women the Biblical tools to understand their own suffering so that they can in turn minister to other women who suffer.

When it comes to suffering, we need a solid Biblical foundation on which to stand.

Our family lived in Florida for many years and whenever I took my boys to the beach, they would build a tower out of sand and create tunnels through that tower for water to run through. Then they’d wait for the tide to come back in and watch what happens.  At first, the water just flowed in and around the construction. But then the strong waves started to come in and their tower fell apart.

A Foundation of Sand

You may be familiar with the children’s praise song, "The Wise Man Built his House Upon a Rock," based on the passage in Matthew 7 where Jesus compares obeying his words to building on rock rather than sand. It makes sense: don't build a house on sand because it isn't stable. All it takes is one strong wave to knock down any construction.

But how often do we build our faith on sand? How often do we rest in teachings, beliefs, and even emotions that shift as easily as the sand with the rising tide? How often do we believe things about suffering that aren’t based on Scripture?

Our faith needs to stand on something more real and solid than what we wish and desire to happen. It needs to rest on something more constant than the latest fads of culture. It needs to to grounded in something firmer than false teachings that promise what can’t be delivered.  

It needs to stand on the word of God.

When it comes to suffering, if we build our theology on anything other than God’s word, when the inevitable storms of life roll over us, we’ll sink beneath its waves. Too many believe false doctrines such as “God doesn’t want us to suffer. We just need to believe, claim promises, and expect God to change our circumstances.” Or “Your suffering is punishment for something you’ve done. Repent of that sin and it will go away.” Or “You just need to try harder and work harder.”

Because what happens when we do those things and the suffering doesn’t go away? No matter how much we pray and read the Bible, the depression looms large. Or no matter how many promises we claim, the cancer resists treatment. Or our prodigal still defies Christ. Or we lose the house to bankruptcy.

What do we do then?

Build on God’s Word

If you’ve ever read the book of Job, you know that suffering doesn’t follow some kind of “if then” formula. After Job lost everything, including each of his children, his friends assumed that he must have done something wrong to warrant punishment. They spent many chapters trying to get him to fess up to what he had done. Job’s friends lived in a world that believed if you do the right thing, you’ll be blessed; if you do the wrong thing, you’ll be punished. But we know from the introduction to the book of Job that he was a righteous and faithful man. His suffering had nothing to do with punishment for sin. His was innocent suffering.

The Bible teaches us to expect suffering (1 Peter 4:12). It is part of life in a fallen world. And for believers, suffering is inherent to our union with Christ. (Romans 8:17, Colossians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 1:5).

The Bible also teaches us that the suffering we experience can serve multiple purposes. God might use it for our discipline (Heb. 12:7). It serves to bring God glory (John 9:3). It is used to make us holy (Romans 5:4-6). Suffering often pushes us to rely and depend upon God rather than ourselves (2 Corinthians 12:9). Sometimes, we never know the exact purpose for our sufferings (Job never knew that back story we all know). But it is always used for our good (Romans 8:28).

The truth is, we might never see an end to our suffering in this life. Suffering may be in our story until the final page. But even in that suffering, we have hope and peace.

As Jesus said, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our peace comes not because our life is problem free but because we are united with Christ. In fact, he doesn't promise a tear-free life. He doesn't say that if we follow him, life will be smooth sailing and all our dreams will come true. Rather, he says we will face heartache in this world. But he also calls us to look at the big picture: He has overcome the world. Christ has faced the worst suffering for us—sin and death—and overcome it. He redeemed us. He is our salvation. We are his and he is ours. And because of him, we have hope forever in eternity.

For some of us, we will live a life of suffering. We may always struggle with chronic pain, grief, or struggle to make ends meet. We may never be free of sorrow or conflict or struggle. If we face that suffering while standing on sand, we will be pulled under. Instead, we need to stand on solid ground. We need to understand our suffering in light of what God’s word teaches. And we need to keep our gazed fixed on the One who first suffered for us so that one day, our suffering will be no more.

Life Lived in the In-Between

I don’t know about you, but my life hasn't always turned out like I anticipated. I didn't experience the bliss of motherhood that the baby shampoo commercials promised. My dream job wasn't such a dream after all. The house that was supposed to be better than the last, turned out to be just as imperfect and broken. And no matter how many how-to books I've read, I still struggle in relationships, in my role as a wife and mother, and in organizing my life.

The truth is, life is filled with failed expectations. We pursue after dreams only to find that they weren't what we thought they'd be. Relationships let us down. Our bodies let us down. We let ourselves down. That's because life is not as it should be. We live in a broken and fallen world where life is disappointing. It often doesn't "work" or go as planned. We sin and are sinned against.

When life is disappointing, I often ask myself: how should I respond? Do I make lemonade from my challenges and view life from Pollyanna rimmed glasses, denying the harsh realities of life? Or do I fully taste the sourness of this fallen world and just accept it like it is? Do I demand life work my way? Or do I lock myself in my house, fearful of the next disappointment and failure?

Or is there perhaps another way to view life altogether?

A Holy Tension

Have you ever watched a tight rope walker? We once went on a vacation to the mountains of Northern California. While hiking in Yosemite, we came across a group of brave hikers. They hung a slackline across a deep crevasse and walked across it. One miss-step and the hiker would fall thousands of feet to the ground below. I couldn’t even watch because just the thought of what they were doing made me nauseous.

But in many ways, our lives as Christians are like walking on a slackline.

Like someone walking across a rope, we live out a holy tension. We are called to live in the world, but not of the world. Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins, we are dead to the power of sin, yet not completely free from its presence. We are called to both be dependent upon Christ (John 15:5) and to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

In fact, as long as we live on this earth and until Christ returns, we live in what theologians call the “already-not yet." We are in an in-between time, where life is not one-dimensional. It's not as simple as making lemonade from the bitter experiences of life. Rather, life is an intertwined experience of joy and pain, tears and laughter, beauty and bitterness. We can't accept things as they are, but we can't despair as though we have no hope. We cry in sorrow over the horrors that sin has brought, yet we have joy, knowing Christ came to make all things new.

This is the reality of the Christian life. A co-mingling of seemingly disparate conditions. A holy tension of life lived in-between the already and the not yet. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul described this holy tension: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" (8-9).

When I read Paul’s description, I wonder, how can that be? Because when I feel despair, that's all I feel. It overshadows everything else. When I am afraid, fear takes the driver's seat in all my decisions. And to be honest, joy seems all too far away to be co-mingled with anything else.

So how do we live out this holy tension? How do we live in this already/not-yet time in history?

Walking the Holy Tension

It is through Christ's life, death, and resurrection that this holy tension makes sense. And it is through the power of the gospel that it is possible to live in the in-between.

The gospel tells us that God became flesh and dwelt among us. The Maker and Creator of all things entered this sinful broken world and lived life as a human. He was tempted just as we are tempted, yet never sinned. He experienced all the heartaches and pains of this life, yet obeyed and glorified God in all things. Because he was sinless, he could take on our sins as the spotless Lamb of God. Christ was punished in our place, and bore the full wrath of God for us. After three days in the grave, he rose victorious, ensuring our own resurrection at the end of days.

This is why we are comforted in the midst of affliction: because Christ was afflicted for us. Though we may be persecuted or rejected by others, we can stand confident knowing we are accepted by God because Christ was rejected in our place. We can have joy in the midst of our sorrow, because we know that the Man of Sorrow's bore all our burdens at the cross. We can face the disappointments of life with hope because we know that one day sin, sorrow, and disappointment will be no more. We can repent over our sin and feel freedom because we know Christ became sin for us. We can live without shame because we know God will never leave us or forsake us.

Yes, life is disappointing. We can't deny it or pretend otherwise. Because of the Fall, we will continue to experience disappointments, sorrows, and failed expectations. People will continue to sin against us, and we’ll continue to sin against them. We will face hardships, challenges, and broken dreams. Yet, we do not live like those who have no hope. We continue on in this seemingly paradoxical life, walking a holy tension, balancing life in the already/not-yet, through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Because of who Christ is and what he has done for us, we can live life in the in-between. Because we know whose we are. We know true and abiding joy is found not in circumstances or things, but in our Maker and Redeemer. We also know the end of the story; we know there’s more to come. In keeping our eyes focused on our hope in eternity, we can live in the in-between and remain "afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair."

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for 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." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Photo by Leio McLaren (@leiomclaren) on Unsplash