GOD'S WORD & DIFFICULTY- Psalm 119:145-152

Difficulty and adversity is something that afflicts us all. While some experience very little in their lives, others seem only to experience it. Whether we experience a great deal or a minimal amount, difficulty will come. And when we are faced with difficulty, we have two options, and only two. We can respond to it in a Christ-honoring way, or we can respond to it in a sinful way.

When we respond to difficulty in a Christ-honoring way, we learn through the difficulty. It drives us closer to one another and to God Himself. We encourage other people when we responded rightly. We glorify God when we respond with a Christ-honoring way. We challenge people who are not followers of Jesus Christ as well.

When we respond in a sinful way, we add more fuel to the fire. We dishonor Christ by demeaning His sovereignty. We question God’s goodness in the situation. We discourage other believers. We demure the glory of God in people who are not His followers. We further our battles with sin and give into the thoughts of Satan.

This illustrates the importance of our response to difficulties. Now, before we dive into our section of Psalm 119, I want to offer a few more thoughts. First, the ideas that we are going to look at this evening will apply no matter your position in relation to difficulty (heading into, currently in, or leaving out). These principles will help you regardless of where you stand in relation to difficulty. Second, the ideas that we will examine from this psalm are general in nature. The Scriptures provide a wealth of examples, encouragements, and rebukes to deal with the variety of difficulties we may face. The Scriptures are a treasure trove of material to aid us in difficult times.

DIFFICULTY IS A MEANS TO TURN US TO GOD- 119:145a, 146a

As we examine this portion of Psalm 119, we see first that difficulty is a means to turn us to God. Think about parenting. That is my current station of life, and the connections are almost endless. Parents use a variety of means to get their children’s attention. We say their first names. We say their first and last names. We say their first, middle, and last names. We holler, we may click our fingers, or we may even throw a pillow. These are means by which we get the child’s attention.

And our Father often uses difficulty to get our attention. Think about Abraham, that great man of faith. He was promised by God that he would have a child. Now, the difficulty in Abraham’s life was that he was 99 years old (Gen. 17:1-27). This difficulty was a means to turn Abraham to God. Romans 4:3, which is a quote of Genesis 15:6, illustrates this because it was through Abraham’s faith that he was justified. His age and the difficulty (or, impossibility) of having a son was a means to turn Abraham’s attention to God.

Many of the heroes of the faith, of whom we read about from Hebrews 11, all experienced difficulty that turned them to God. But the Scriptures offer us examples of the failures of people. Think about Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19. Here, Elijah experiences the difficulty of Jezebel’s threat, which should have turned him to God, but Elijah responded sinfully by leaving all people and becoming depressed. What was a means to turn him to God with a right response was a means to turn him away from God, not because of God but because of Elijah’s failure to respond in a Christ-honoring way.

How do we respond? How do we react when the difficult times come? Do we view these as a means to turn us to God? In the words of God, we must turn to God. Another providential blessing of difficulty is that...

DIFFICULTY PROVIDES GROWTH IN FOLLOWING SCRIPTURE- 119:145b, 146b

The previous beginnings of the two verses provide the segue into this use of difficulty. It provides growth in following Scripture. The psalmist experiences difficulty, which turns him to God, and then provides the substance of his prayers: keeping and observing God’s Word.

Have you ever wondered about this? How do we keep the Word of God? We are provided with many opportunities on a daily basis. Think about a normal day. You rise in the morning and get out of bed (or, slide, as the case may be). You have an opportunity to praise God for another day of life, for all the senes you enjoy, to worship Him through Scripture reading and prayer. Or, you can complain about the aches and pains, the long lists of to-dos for the day, the commute to work, etc. That is the moment we wake up! Now imagine an entire day, with interactions with people, phone calls, work engagements, meals, etc., all providing for us opportunities for practicing the Scriptures.

Difficulty is one of those areas, but it tends to be a challenging area in which to grow in our practice of the Bible. It is easy to praise God for a beautiful sunset while I hear my children laugh and play on the trampoline while Hannah and I enjoy a nice fire outside. It is difficult to trust God and practice the Scriptures when the doctor sends your newborn to the ER because he may have sepsis.

Think about the difficulties David faced. The broken relationships of a failed married, a ruler who hated him, a best friend killed in battle, in-home strife (including the rape of his daughter by his son), all these difficult circumstances occured in the life of this one man. Now, this man was the man who penned the words of Psalm 23. I want you to think about how different this verse is to a man who experienced what David did. Do you see how colorful his obedience to Scripture is? Difficulty provides growth in practicing the Scriptures.

DIFFICULTY IS SOMETHING FOR WHICH WE CAN PREPARE- 119:147-148

This is such an important aspect of facing difficulty, but one that we often neglect. Think about almost anything else in our lives. When we want to go on vacation, we plan out an itinerary, a budget, a destination, the method to arrive at that destination, etc. We work to prepare for the vacation. We finish any tasks at work and plan ahead accordingly.

The same can be said for a home improvement project. We decide what we want to accomplish, gather all the materials and tools needed, sketch out a plan, and then execute it.

But what about the deeper things of life? How much planning do we put into our spiritual growth? Or, to put it into our present context, how much preparation do we put into facing difficulty? It is going to come, that is not an option. So, what can we do to prepare for this?

A. Begin by prioritizing your time with God

In these two verses the psalmist mentions two times, before dawn and the watches of the night. He prioritized God’s Word, and how do we know this? He rose before dawn and gave his best attention to crying to God and hoping in His Word. He also, when he woke up at night, immediately thought of God’s Word. It is like I began dating Hannah. She was all I thought about. If we were together, it was like everything ceased to exist. When we were apart, she was all I could think about. That is how the psalmist felt about God, and it showed in his priorities. But this leads us to another way in which we can prepare.

B. Meditate on God’s Word consistently

The psalmist, during the night watches, meditated on God’s Word. We have discussed this aspect before, but it is like a cow ruminating. They chew up a big mouthful of grass and chew for a while, then they swallow. Then, they regurgitate it and follow the same process. Metaphorically, that is what we should do. We should “chew the cud” of God’s Word.

How do you prepare for difficulty? By prayer and meditation. Consider these wise words of Matthew Henry,

“The more intimately we converse with the Word of God, the more we dwell upon it in our thoughts, the better able we shall be to speak to God in his own language and the better we shall know what to pray for as we ought.”—Matthew Henry

This has profound implications for how we face difficulty. When we meditate on Scripture, not only does it correct and enhance our prayer life, it also provides us with examples of individuals who faced the same situations and responded in a Christ-honoring way. Furthermore, it provides windows into other humans who failed to respond right. But by prioritizing God and meditating on His Word, we prepare to face those difficulties. A fourth aspect of difficult, and one that may strike us as odd, is that...

DIFFICULTY REVEALS A BIBLICAL SENSE OF JUSTICE- 119:149-150

As he has done so numerous times, the psalmist contrasts the wicked with the righteous. In these two verses, we see that the psalmist prays according to God’s justice and then witnesses the approaching wicked geared toward evil for the psalmist.

This form of difficulty centers around human relationships. In particular, it is deals with the unjust persecution of the believer. The thoughts are incredibly helpful for all times, but particular in these times when the term justice is used frequently but with different definitions.

A. The psalmist centers his focus on God’s justice

This is a primary point of importance, especially when we are dealing with interpersonal conflict (i.e., persecution), is that the psalmist’s focus in prayer is for God’s justice. But his prayer is built upon God’s “steadfast love,” His goodness. When we face difficult situations, we must remember that God is just. If, as Calvin reminds us, a drop of rain does not fall without His express command, then how can we question what is going on in our lives? How can we wonder if God is just? And His justice for believers stems from his steadfast, covenantal love, therefore He deals with us in the most loving and just way possible.

This enables us to face those times when persecution comes our way. When we face difficulty, it reveals to us what biblical justice is. At times, this can be frustrating, can it not? Think about watching someone commit a crime and then they seem to get away with it. Perhaps they do not face justice in this life. Is God unjust? Has God somehow failed to punish properly those who violate His law? I definitively state, no, He has not failed. His justice will prevail. All wrongs will be held accountable. We should follow the psalmist’s focus on God’s justice, not ours. But this leads us to the next aspect of developing a biblical sense of justice in the midst of difficulty, and it is...

B. The psalmist anchors his views in God’s Word

When dealing with matters of personal conflict, it is easy to allow our emotions to take over rational thought. Someone offends us, and perhaps even deeply, and we blow up. Or, we hold certain views to be inherently right, and when people violate or offend that we become enraged.

These are not examples that float around in hypothetical heaven, these are real life examples. And I am sure that if we were to spend the time we could find many more demonstrations of the anger that can come from these sorts of situations.

The psalmist does not find conflict in any other areas but in relation to the Word of God. These individuals with whom the psalmist has conflict centers on the response to the Word of God, specifically their rejection of it. Difficulty will come, and many times it will come in the form of interpersonal conflict, and we should view this conflict through the lens of God’s Word. It sharpens our focus in accordance with the Scripture, not our emotions or hurts or pains or views. Can I say how important this would be, particular in our current season of political upheaval? We need to remember that difficulty can reveal a biblical sense of justice, but only when viewed in light of God’s loving justice and His discerning word. But this brings us to our final point, and one that is hard to swallow but sweet to the belly.

DIFFICULTY OFFERS US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INTIMACY WITH GOD- 119:151-152

Have you ever considered this thought? Difficulty offers us with an opportunity for intimacy with God. This is biblical truth. These two verses provide us with a glimpse into why this is the case.

A. Difficulty reminds us how close God is

The first statement is, “But you are near.” In the midst of his conflict, he is reminded that God is near. When we face those dark times we tend to remember that God is with us, either through a reorientation of our thoughts, or through Spirit-provided reminders. The armies surrounding Elisha’s house was an opportunity to remind Elisha’s servant that God was with them (2 Kings 6:16). Peter, sinking into the waves of the sea of Galilea, was reminded of how close Jesus was when he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matt. 14:28-33).

Difficulty has a way of brushing aside things that clutter our minds and our hearts that drown out our views of God. Its like a work bench. You may have a vice with which to sharpen your saw, but when it is crowded you cannot see it, let alone use it properly. It is only when you remove all the other tools and debris that you can see and utilize the vice.

So too, our lives are often crowded by appointments, commitments, entertainments, and distractions that steal our focus away from God. When the difficult times come, view it as a spring cleaning of your heart and mind to be able to see the Lord at work in your life.

B. Difficulty reminds us how trustworthy God is

The psalmist plainly states, “all your commandments are true.” This comes in the context of difficulty, and how often in my own life has the trustworthiness of God been displayed in difficulty.

I remember when I was in Bible college how my bill came, and I did not have the money to pay for the semester. I worked my tail off to pay my school bill, but I could not afford it. I prayed and asked God to provide, and money never came. School came and started, and I did not attend the first day of classes. I got a call from the office telling me that I received demerits for missing the first chapel. I replied that I was not enrolled that semester, and come to find out, someone paid my entire semester! I was floored. Since that time, whenever I am faced with a financial hardship, I do not doubt that God, in His good time, will provide. That difficulty provided a reminder that God is trustworthy.

What difficulties have come into your life that remind you God is trustworthy?

C. Difficulty reminds us how faithful God is

This last verse captures the faithfulness of God. His Word stands true for all times. How can this increase our intimacy? Well, to begin with, it broadens our love for His Word. When we experience multiple difficulties, we increase and expand our view of how faithful God is in providing us with the riches of His Word. Whatever the challenge we face, God’s Word provides the answer. He is faithful.

It also stands the test of time. God’s Word is as faithful now as it was then. Thinking about how the Lord provided for my school bill, I wrote that in the front of the Bible I was using. Every once in a while, when I am feeling discouraged by a difficulty, I open that up and think about God’s provision. God has not changed since then, and He hasn’t changed since Genesis or Revelation, or any where in between. He is faithful, and difficulties are an excellent reminder of how intimacy with God can be enjoyed.

Application

So, are you in a difficult circumstance? I am not referring to having to listen to me preach. But seriously, what is going on in your life? Are you responding in a Christ-honoring way, or in a sinful way?

We only have two responses. The grace of God allows us to pick up where we left off. So, what lessons can you learn during your difficulty?

Perhaps you are just coming from a difficulty. Depending upon your response, you may need to repent, or you may rejoice. Either way, this portion of Psalm 119 can provide additional support.

And there is no doubt that we will eventually head into difficult times. Let us covenant together to build these principles into our hearts and lives before it comes so that we may respond in a Christlike way. To God be the glory!