How to Respond to Trials and Afflictions
Psalm 119:73-80
In his word God says we will all face trials. And it’s crucial that we learn how to respond to trials, because trials will either strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Christ, or weaken our faith and take us from Christ.
That’s what we see in God’s Word. In the parable of the four soils Jesus taught that trials can make your spiritual life shrivel up and die (Mark 4:17). But in Romans 5 we read that trials can increase our endurance, our character, and our hope in Christ (Romans 5:3-5).
So depending on our response, trials will either weaken our faith, or strengthen our faith. So it’s crucial that we learn how to respond to trials.
And that’s the point of Psalm 119:73-80. Let’s turn there together. If you need a Bible, please raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Psalm 119:73 is on the very bottom of page 513 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Last week we studied verses 65-72, which explained why God is good even when he allows trials and afflictions to come to us. And as I studied vv.73-80 I noticed that in these verses he’s continuing the topic of afflictions.
Let’s read these verses and I’ll show you where I saw that --
73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
75 I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me [So there he is talking about afflictions].
76 Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant [he’s asking for comfort in his afflictions; and that’s what he asks for in the next verse, with different words].
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
78 Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. [these are the same insolent people he mentioned back in v.69 who had smeared him with lies]
79 Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!
So in vv.65-72 he talks about afflictions, and in vv.73-80 he talks about afflictions. But there’s a difference.
In vv.65-72 the author talks about why, if God is good, he allows afflictions to come to us. And we saw two reasons. In v.67 he says that sometimes God will bring trials to us when we are willfully sinning, to wake us up so we receive the great joy of turning back to his word. And in v.71 he says that at other times God will bring afflictions to us so that as we are humbled and desperate for him he will give us the great joy of meeting him more powerfully in the word.
So in both cases God allows afflictions to come our way to bring us great joy in him – which is why, even though we go through afflictions, we know that God is good.
So in vv.65-72 the author shows us God’s loving purposes in allowing afflictions. And as I studied vv.73-80 I saw that he tells us how we should therefore respond to afflictions. And I saw him giving us seven ways we should respond when facing afflictions. So let’s go through these, and ask ourselves – is this how we respond to afflictions?
So how should we respond to affliction?
First, ask God to give you understanding so you can learn his word. The author has told us that God lovingly allowed his affliction in order to bring him back to God’s word and teach him more of God’s word.
This shows God’s goodness, because it’s in the Word that we meet the living God, know the living God, behold the living God.
So if we are not going to waste our afflictions, then when they come we should pray and ask God to teach us his word. And that’s exactly what he does in v.73 --
Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
See, left to ourselves, our sinfulness will blind us to God’s Word. We will be able to read the words – but we will not see or feel their truth. We will read that God is glorious, but we will not see his glory.
And to see and feel the truth of God’s word, we need the work of the Holy Spirit. And that’s what you are asking God for when you ask: “give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.”
So one crucial way to respond to afflictions is to ask God – give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. So when you go through afflictions, pray that – and then open God’s Word and prayerfully read until you meet him.
So that’s v.73. But then what’s he saying in v.74? Let’s read it --
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
Notice that he’s not asking God TO do this; he’s affirming to God that God WILL do this. So he’s telling God – I know that you will answer my prayer of v.73 – you will so enable me to hope in your word, that those who fear God will rejoice when they see me.
So the second response to afflictions is – affirm to God that he will give you such hope that other believers are encouraged.
When we go through afflictions, we are not usually full of hope. We are usually full of despair. But God promises that when we pray and ask for God’s help, and open up God’s Word -- he will so show himself to us that we are filled with hope.
So when you go through trials, affirm to God that he will fulfill his promise – “Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.”
I see two benefits that will come from this.
One is that your faith will be strengthened. As you agree with God that he will do what he has promised – and so fill you with hope that others are filled with joy – your faith will be strengthened.
But another benefit is that your vision will be enlarged. You will see how, as you are full of hope in God during your affliction, others will be encouraged. So your vision will be enlarged so you aren’t just thinking about yourself – but you are thinking of the benefit that will come to others.
That brings us to v.75. Let’s read it –
I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
He knows that God’s rules are righteous – that God is holy and good and loving in how he allows trials to come to us. And he knows that God afflicts him in faithfulness – that it will always bring us the great good of seeing his glory more clearly, displaying his glory more fully, enjoying his glory more passionately.
He knows these things – so why does he tell God that he knows them? It’s because this is a powerful way to strengthen his own faith. As he prayerfully affirms these truths to God – his own faith will be strengthened.
So that’s the third crucial response to afflictions – strengthen your faith by speaking to God the truth of God’s Word. Let me share with you how James Fraser did this. James Fraser was a missionary to the Lisu people in southwest China in the early 1900’s. And he often had times of great discouragement, deep fear, terrible anxiety.
But he learned that if he would repeat Scriptures out loud, the Holy Spirit would strengthen his faith, and he would be deeply encouraged. Here’s how he put it –
In times of conflict I … find deliverance through repeating Scripture out loud, appropriate Scripture, brought to my mind through the Holy Spirit. It is like crashing through opposition. ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [James 4:7] (Behind the Ranges, p.92)
So when you are going through afflictions, fight the fight of faith by talking to God out loud, affirming the truth of God’s Word. You can use v.75 --
I know that your rules are righteous!
I know that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
And you can use other verses –
Like Lamentations 3 – Father, I know that your lovingkindnesses indeed never cease.
Or 2 Corinthians 4 – Father, I know that this is momentary, light affliction through which you are producing for me an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.
This will powerfully strengthen your faith.
Then fourth, ask God for experiential comfort in his presence. Many Christians don’t understand that when we go through trials God promises to give us real, experiential, heart-felt comfort. Not just – “I’m supposed to feel comforted.” But – “God is comforting me!”
And that’s what the psalmist is asking God for in vv.76-77. Start with v.76 --
Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
When we open God’s Word and read about his steadfast love, and trust his steadfast love, he will give us times when he pours into our hearts his steadfast love – and we will be deeply comforted.
Then v.77 ---
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
Why ask for God’s mercy to come to us? Don’t we already have God’s mercy in Christ? Yes, we do. So what is he asking God to do, when he asks God to have his mercy come to him?
What he’s asking God to do is to help him see God’s mercy so clearly in the Scriptures, that by the Spirit’s power he feels God’s very mercy. And God’s mercy is so beautiful, so pure, so majestic – that when you see and feel God’s mercy you will be completely comforted no matter what trial you face.
So when you go through afflictions, ask God to give you experiential comfort, through the Word, by the Holy Spirit. He will.
Fifth, ask God to stop the affliction and bring justice. You can see that in v.78 –
78 Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
Sometimes Christians think that because God allows afflictions, that we should just endure them, and not ask God to remove them. But that’s not biblical. David prayed that his sick son would be healed. Hezekiah prayed that God would heal him and not let him die. Paul prayed three times that God would remove his thorn in the flesh.
And that’s what the author is doing here. We saw in v.69 that these insolent men have been smearing him with lies – they have been publicly slandering him. So the author prays and asks God to have them be put to shame, which could mean –
- Change their hearts so they stop slandering me,
- Change their hearts so they turn to you,
- Or -- Put them to shame by judging them.
But the point is that he’s asking God to stop the affliction and bring about justice. So when you face an affliction pray and ask God to remove it. Ask him earnestly and passionately –
- Deliver me from unemployment
- Heal my sickness
- Change my boss’s heart
But that’s not all we do. Notice again the end of v.78 – “as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.”
I think he’s saying – God, please stop the affliction. But whether you do or you don’t, I’m going to keep meditating on your word, because I know that’s part of your purpose for these trials – to teach me more of your word.
Then sixth, ask God to impact others through your hope. You can see that in v.79 –
Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.
In v.74 he said he knows that God is going to fill him with hope, and that his fellow believers will see that and rejoice. He knows that – but now in v.79 he prays that that would happen –
Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.
Have you ever prayed that? This was a new thought for me; I don’t think I’ve ever prayed this. But think of the benefits –
- You will be encouraged, because you will see others helped through your trials,
- others will be encouraged as they see your hope during your trials,
- and God will be glorified.
So ask God to impact others through your hope.
And finally, seventh, pray that you will be blameless through your afflictions. That’s in v.80 –
80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!
He’s asking God – help me to be faithful to you through these afflictions, keep me from sin, help me keep walking in your ways.
So why does he pray that? It’s because it won’t happen just by you choosing to do it. Your will-power isn’t enough to pull this off. You need God’s power, through Jesus Christ, to do it.
And here’s the good news. As you turn to the Father, through Jesus Christ, and ask that your heart would be blameless through these trials – he will answer. He will strengthen you. He will comfort you. He will help you. He will fill you. And you will bring him great glory in the way you walk through these afflictions.
Questions?
Let’s have those who are going through trials come forward so we can pray for you.