“I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for You are the One who has done this.” Psalm 39:9 NIV
God often uses trials to show us our lack of holiness. Trials should cause us to examine ourselves, to see what God may be trying to teach us. David realized that God was disciplining him and he states a general principle in verse 11: “When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth . . .” Why would God consume that which is precious to us? That sounds cruel! The answer is, because we are counting the wrong things as precious. Our hope isn’t fully in the Lord, but in other things. So God has to consume those things to show us that He alone is worth hoping in. David’s final plea is full of mixed emotions. He pleads with God to remove the trial before he perishes (verse 10) and yet he acknowledges God’s right to reprove him, thus showing his submission to God’s hand (verse 11). His final appeal (verses 12-13) increases in intensity. It contains a plea that God would hear his prayer, his cry, and his tears. God grants the request of our hearts, not necessarily the words of our lips. When God disciplines us, it is fine to plead with Him to remove the trial. It is also okay to complain, as long as we do it with a submissive heart that acknowledges God’s right to deal with us as He sees fit. It is not okay to rage defiantly against God and accuse Him of treating us unfairly. The key to growing, through His discipline, is to submit to Him and to ask Him to help us learn the lessons He has for us in the trials.
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord, help us to see in Your discipline Your great love for us.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, help us to see that the key to growing through Your discipline is to submit to You and ask You to help us learn the lessons You have for us in the trials. AMEN
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)
Daniel 1:8-16
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