Adversity and Our Weakness
“I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:
For thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.”
As we are in the thick of March madness, we have all seen a team that is very sure of its chances of moving on to the next round. (Here’s looking at you Kentucky.) Suddenly they are in the thick of a tight game, adversity comes along, and they discover the strength they thought they had was not enough to win the game.
Just like the team that discovers a little too late in the tournament they had a fatal flaw; we also find in scripture this truth David recognized which was that God makes known to us things about ourselves in adversity that otherwise we would not know were a problem. God allows adversity to come in order to convince us that He is right. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” it is only when we are placed in situations out of our control (adversity) that God uses it to pull to our attention the deceit, sin, and moral weakness of our own heart. Though it is difficult, we should welcome these times in order to grow spiritually, but often we continue to resist and the lesson is prolonged.
The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” David is saying that it took adversity and affliction for him to see his weakness, and how he was not right with God. But after it had occurred, he could see the error of his ways and through it God was able to correct his path.
If you follow March Madness very much, you recognize some teams are always back in the mix each year even if they did not have a successful finish the year previous. These teams go back to their home court, and because of what they have learned in the tournament, they begin to work on strengthening that area of their game for the next year. Though they are disappointed, they recognize the value that is gained in the revelation of their weakness. On the other hand, there are teams you rarely see in the tournament, even after having a strong year. The difference is how they respond to adversity. The Bible is encouraging us to respond to adversity in a positive way. When the sinful flaws of our heart are revealed in the challenges of life, we are to submit to the Word of God, and allow the Holy Spirit to change us into someone who is useful for the cause and glory of Christ. How are you handling the adversity that is touching your life? Be sure to respond in a correct way and let God do His greatest work.