Many Are The Afflictions (Psalm 34:19)
14 January 2025
ENCOURAGE
Affirmation: "The Lord is with me and delivers me from every affliction."
Have you ever questions: "God, why me?" Why did I have to suffer that loss? Why did I have to lose that job? Why did I have to be betrayed by that friend betray? Why did I have to be the black sheep of my family? Why did I fall into that trap? Why did I have to lose that child? Why did I not get into that school? Why did I have to be molested by that family member? Why did I have to suffer spiritual abuse by that pastor and his church?
There are so many times in life where we can look at ourselves in pity and say, "God, why me?" But my question is, why not you? When Jesus went to the cross, He didn't say "Father, why me?" instead He said "not My will, but Yours be done." He knew that there was a greater purpose and promise attached to His suffering. He knew that His latter end would be better than His former. He knew that by going to that cross and dying for the whole world, that you and I would now have a way to get to the Father, so He went. He suffered the afflictions knowing that the Father was with Him through it all.
I am not saying that the evil, terrible, dark things that happen in our lives are because it was God's will for us, however the truth stands that in the end, He works it all together for your good and His glory! I know it can be difficult to go through a storm and to stand firm in the midst of a trial, but I want to remind you that the Lord is with you through them ALL. The Bible tells us in Psalm 34:19, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." We also find in John 16:33, Jesus telling His disciples, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We must understand that because we do not belong to this world, our very existence as ambassadors for Christ is a threat to the kingdom of darkness that rules and operates in this world. It only makes sense the Satan will use anything he can to try to steal, kill, and destroy things in our lives, but we must learn to fight by faith.
Today, I want to remind you that though we may face hell and high water in our lives, Jesus is right there through it all and our Father is faithful to deliver us from all our troubles. Though we may face suffering and affliction in this life, we can still experience joy and peace through the suffering because we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, the power to overcome through Jesus Christ, and a place of no tears, no pain, and no sorrow waiting for us, if we remain faithful to the end (Revelation 21:4, Matthew 24:13). I want you to know that there is no affliction, no experience, no trauma of the past or present that you cannot overcome because Jesus overcame the world! As you continue on through this life, you will face many tribulations, but the next time you feel a "Lord, why me?" swelling up in your soul, I want you to remember that He is with you and His sovereign plan for your life will always and forever end with a happily ever after, in Jesus name!
EQUIP
Meditation Scriptures:
Psalm 34 (full chapter)
1 Peter 4 (full chapter)
BUILD
Call to Action: Write a list of two to three "why me?" moments in your life and meditate on how the Lord delivered you (mentally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually) from them all. This will build your faith and help you see that He will always take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it around for good. After you journal your experiences, praise the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness!
