The Deepest Spiritual Lessons Can Come From the Most Difficult Times

What can be gleaned from a Psalm that complains to God, questions God and asks for judgment upon the enemies of God? Psalm 79 is such a Psalm, yet there are choice nuggets of spiritual truth that can enrich our lives immensely.

Let us look together at some of these truths. Let us also not only inspect these truths as though they were bangles or theological trinkets to be admired, let us also allow these truths to change our lives as we APPLY these truths.

Some say that it is unacceptable to complain to the Lord about one’s lot in life. This is only partially true; the most important issue is the attitude with which we complain. Do we complain to the Lord as though we are blaming Him or do we complain to Him as being the ONLY ONE who can render redress to us? At the very least, in verse one, the Psalmist is complaining TO the Lord regarding his plight instead of complaining ABOUT the Lord to others, thus dishonoring the Lord’s name.

Verses two through four find the Psalmist describing the savagery of those who were brutalizing the people of God. His faith was not a “magical mystery tour” kind of faith that denies objective reality, rather, he calls things for what they are. In a similar vein, we can learn that in order to have genuine deliverance from the Lord, we must fully face the unpleasant realities of our lives. Everything hinges upon nomenclature. Real victories presuppose real needs for those victories.

In verses five through eight, we are reminded of the frailties of our human nature when we face suffering. At least the Psalmist was addressing his question of “How long Lord?” to the only one who knew the answer to that heartfelt aching question. In our pain and suffering, we are often tempted to question the legitimacy of the Lord’s seeming delay in giving relief by comparing ourselves with others who seem to be much more deserving of judgment than we are. While it is true that not all suffering is the result of our sinful choices and that suffering can be the result of the sinful choices of others, sometimes our suffering is the result of our own sinful choices. Comparing our brokenness with the brokenness of others leads us away from healing rather than toward healing.

Verses eight through eleven reminds us that in our frailty, we must not lose hope regardless of whether or not our suffering is the result of our own disobedience. Crying out for forgiveness and restoration to the Lord is the ONLY hope that the people of God have. Recognizing His heart of compassion encourages us to press on in prayer for deliverance, cleansing and forgiveness of sin which also reflects the Glory of God even as does His judgment.

Verse twelve reminds us that we are imperfect people who rightfully are the recipients of the jealous judgment of the Lord that is designed to call us back to reliance upon the Lord’s mercy and grace as the foundation of our relationship with Him. Because we belong to the Lord, those who are oppressing and belittling us are also opposing the One unto whom we belong. This sense of ETERNALLY belonging to Him regardless of TEMPORAL circumstances encourages us to return quickly (REPENT) and as often as we need to do so.

Verse thirteen instructs us that as vital as our deliverance, cleansing and forgiveness is, we are called to maximize the value of what we’ve been graced with by declaring with great thanksgiving and praise the glorious work of God on our behalf to those generations that are to follow the Lord into the future He also has for them. May we not waste that potential by selfishly misperceiving that the sole purpose of our deliverance, cleansing and forgiveness is for our sake only! May we realize that stewardship of our deliverance, cleansing and forgiveness includes concern for the next generations as well as for the glory of the Lord in both our histories and theirs!