Where You End Up - Part 2

In the previous post, I looked at the life of Job, a man who faced great trials and who struggled intensely as a result. In the end Job gained the victory and was blessed by God. From Job's example, I pointed out that where a believer starts out is not nearly as important as where he ends up. I also noted that the only way for a better conclusion to result is for a believer to have dependable anchors to keep him in the right place.

Job recalled many great truths about God - truths that sustained him and kept him from falling away in the midst of his struggles. Eventually the scattered stabilizing truths grew to the point that they became the overwhelming body of truth that gave him victory. Job is not the only Bible character to go through a similar process of clinging to God's truth until the testing has passed. In fact, while Job's example is inspirational for long-term trials, other Bible passages illustrate that the same process must be applied in short-term struggles.

In the frustrations of daily life, in the troubling thoughts of ordinary existence, and in the regular struggles of common human experience, the believer's starting point (of frustration, anger, fear, discouragement, worry, confusion, or doubt) is not nearly as important as where he ends up. The end result may not be months or years down the road as in Job's case. There are struggles that take place often within the scope of a single day, or even within a few hours or even minutes. However serious the nature of the struggle and however long the duration, the believer must focus on truth that will bring him to a victorious result.

Many of the Psalms illustrate this principle. Psalm 2 begins with concerns over the threats of heathen nations and over their desire to break free of God's control. Then the psalmist focuses on God's unstoppable power and on the universal control that He will easily exercise over every nation. The psalmist concludes with a warning to the haughty kings, a call to worship, and an assurance in his great refuge.

Much of Psalm 6 is filled with David's intense discomfort. He senses the anger of God and describes the intense suffering of both his body and spirit. He is overwhelmed by tears and grief. In the midst of this trial, David then remembers God's graciousness, His healing power, and His lovingkindness. David affirms his belief that God hears and answers prayer. These truths calm David so that he concludes with confidence in God and an expectation of deliverance.

In Psalm 10, the psalmist feels that God has abandoned him and that the wicked are about to triumph over him. Then he remembers the accountability that God holds over the wicked and His characteristic helpfulness to the needy. The psalmist ends with a recognition of God's invincible kingship and with confidence in God's strengthening and deliverance of the vulnerable.

In Psalm 12, David despairs that almost all the righteous people have disappeared. All that seem to remain are the wicked with their lying, abusive, and destructive speech. David then thinks about God's attention to the afflicted and the purity of God's words. He ends up resting in the assurance that God will preserve the godly.

In Psalm 13, David begins in anguish, believing that God has forgotten him, experiencing great sorrow, and thinking he is about to die. He then recalls God's lovingkindness and salvation, and he concludes with rejoicing and praise to God.

As Psalm 36 begins, David's eyes are filled with the wicked, with their iniquity and their schemes. Then he focuses on God's lovingkindness, His faithfulness, and His righteousness. He ends up rejoicing in the precious refuge found in God and in the abundant delights provided by God.

The psalmist of Psalms 42 & 43 speaks of his sorrow, his lack of opportunity to come to God, and his despair. He is mourning and believes himself to be forgotten by God. This soul burden is not easily overcome, but throughout these psalms, the writer repeatedly brings himself back to a place of hope and trust in God. While he goes through ups and downs in his soul struggle, he tenaciously remembers various truths about God and pulls himself back to the necessity of trusting in a good and helpful God.

In Psalm 73, Asaph shares that he had very nearly come to the point of stumbling; he was overcome with envy at the wicked who are too vile to imagine, yet seem to have success in their lives and impunity from any judgment. He saw them defying God with no apparent consequence, and he believed that he had lived for God in vain. Then he remembered God's pending righteous judgment of the wicked. Asaph turned the bitterness of his soul as he exulted in the constant nearness of his God, his home in heaven, and his satisfaction with such a good God.

In Psalm 79, Asaph begins with a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. As a survivor, he looks around at the multitude of dead bodies, and he hears the mocking of the enemy. When he observes the waste and destruction, he believes that God is angrily bent on continued judgment. Then he calls to mind God's compassion, His salvation, His forgiveness, His power, and His merciful treatment of the needy. Asaph is able to end with a resolve to thank and praise God. He gladly acknowledges himself as belonging to such a God.

The Bible contains many more examples of this same process. God knows the weakness of man. He knows that Christians will struggle as they move through the challenges of life, and He provides the help and the answers. The Bible is filled with truths about the nature and character of God. These truths, when remembered and focused upon, are sufficient to stop the negative thoughts and the downward slide. They are sufficient to give the believer hope and confidence in God and to lift him to a place of victory. Truth about God can make all the difference, but only when the believer purposes within himself to consider it.

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." Psalm 43:5 (NASB)