Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

Our Lord never promised that we would be without trouble in the world. In fact, He said, “In the world you will have tribulation”. James even encourages us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials”. Yet, sometimes afflictions and trials are allowed to accumulate without a break, until it seems as though one more ounce of pressure and our spirit will snap. The apostle Paul experienced something like this when he said he was pressed out of measure so that he despaired even of life (II Cor. 1:9). David, a man whom God described as a man after My own heart, also experienced this kind of pressure. During a trying time in his life when Saul sought to kill David, and David and his men had to live outside Israel, he and his men returned home to find that their city had been burned to the ground and their wives, children, and possessions had all been carried away. Now even David’s own men spoke of stoning him. What did David do in such a difficult situation? In this grievous situation David could let his circumstances drive him away from the Lord and become bitter, or he could give himself up to the Lord. The Scripture says that “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God”. Human help was inadequate and unreliable. The one resort of the lonely and hurting heart is the Lord. We may not understand our circumstances, or why certain things happened as they did. Over against our grief, sorrow, failure of cherished plans, loss of material possessions, unfaithful family or friends, or unanticipated tragedies, we can do as David did and reflect upon the nature of our God. We can encourage ourselves in the Lord.

First, we can encourage ourselves in the love of God. This love is an everlasting love which began before the foundation of the world. It was most clearly manifested toward us when Christ went to the cross and bore our sin penalty in His own body. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for our sins is the most beautiful story ever told. As believers, He says He loves us (Rev. 1:5) and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Second, we can find encouragement in the righteousness of God. He is perfectly righteous and He would never permit anything to come our way which is not needful. And He has credited to us the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ so that we stand completely accepted in Christ.

Third, we can encourage ourselves in the faithfulness of God. His mercies are new and fresh every day. He daily loads us with blessings even in the most trying time. Jeremiah declared, “Great is Thy faithfulness”. He is always faithful to His character, His Word, and His people.

Fourth, we can encourage ourselves in the promises of God. He has promised that He will work all things together for good for His people. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us and we can cast all our care on Him because He cares for us. He has promised to be with us in every trial and circumstance and that He will not let more come upon us than we can bear. He has promised to supply all our need and to supply us grace when we need it. He has promised to keep us to His kingdom and to prepare an eternal dwelling place for us with Him. He who began a good work in us has promised to also complete it.

We could talk of many saints of old who, like David, found these things to be true. Saints like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Naomi, Ruth, and Peter, John and Paul, not one found Him untrue. David by God’s help recovered his wife and children and those of his men. God fulfilled His promise and made him a great king. Whatever our circumstances God will give us strength and grace for the days ahead. God may not always change our circumstances, but He can change us so that instead of becoming bitter by life, we become better, more like Him.