Offer the sacrifices of RIGHTEOUSNESS...

" Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: THOU hast enlarged me when I was in distress;

 Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer." 

Psalm 4:1

For the past several days, I've been meditating on a couple of verses I read in conjunction to a parallel passage in Deutoronomy. It's a well known passage... a passage where we read about Israel's murmuring against God, and of their fear of the promised land.

But the couple of verse I read in Numbers made me stop. I read and re-read the verses. Could it be possible that we can be victorious in the "wilderness land"  and conquer the very "people" that cause us to fear? And in the end... be "fed" by the victory? 

" If the LORD delight in us, then HE will bring us into this land, and give it us: a land flowing with milk and honey.

Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land;

For they are bread for us;

Their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us; 

Fear them not. " 

Numbers 14:8-9   

    

As I read these couple of verse, I thought about its application in our own lives. 

How often we look at our time of distress as a burden, a fear, or even an unpleasant thing that we want removed from our lives. But if  God goes before us... and is with us in the midst of our trial... that trial is already won. And that trial and victory becomes "bread" for us.... because it causes us to grow in faith. 

Distress. Sorrow. Trials.  All work in our lives to help us grow and depend upon the ONE who goes before us.  The enemy is powerless,... all because our Lord is with us. 

And we know the sorrows of life are in themselves God's enlargements of His character in us. 

Our lives are enriched when we go through the valley of weeping. We learn tenderness. We learn humility. We learn compassion. We learn to weep with others. 

How can we ever understand those who go through the valley of weeping... if we haven't experienced the shedding of tears?

"... Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress."

Psalm 41:1 

I don't know about you, but I look back in my life and thank God for the sorrows and trials that have strengthened my faith in Him. Yes, they hurt. Yes, they are difficult. But through them God works to strengthen, perfect, and establish us.

These temporary trials are for a moment... but they have a far greater weight in glory. Far greater.

" For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 

worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

2 Corinthians 4:17

Trust. Dependence. Peace. Joy. All by-products of God's enlargements in our lives.

Oh, that I would learn to offer sacrifices of praise in time of sorrow.... and quit my murmuring.

May you offer sacrifices of righteousness... in times of distress.

~Ellie