I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:
TO GIVE REST IN ADVERSITY
Psalm 94:13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. 14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
We have been discussing “adversity”. The Hebrew word for adversity in this verse means bad or evil, affliction, calamity, distress, grief, harm, heavy, hurt, misery, sorrow, and trouble. That certainly covers a number of things. It is interesting that just after mentioning that adversity will be in our life, God leads the author here to remind us that God will never cast us away, and He will never forsake His inheritance. It is because God certainly knows us. God knows how we feel about things. God knows our weaknesses. One thing that you and I tend to do, is to think that when adversity hits us, that God has forgotten or forsaken us. I guess it is a natural human tendency, this can cause major issues in our Christian life.
Here is how it normally happens in our life. Adversity comes into our life. When that happens, we struggle to stay strong, to stay encouraged, and to stay faithful. As we struggle, we begin to wear down and become frustrated. Remember, God has made rest available, but we often do not access it. As we wear down, we begin to question why these things have happened. As we begin to question, we begin to think some very untrue things about God. Satan will make sure of that. We begin to ask ourselves things like, ‘why would God do that?’, ‘why would God allow that?”, and the dreaded question, ‘If God really loved me, why would He have done this’. I guess we all have struggled with questions at times because we were frustrated. That is why God makes it clear here that He will never forget, and He will never forsake his children. That is what Satan will tell you but don’t believe it. That is what bitter, angry Christians will tell you, but do not believe them.
Even when you seem to see individuals thriving that are not serving God, are not in God’s house, and do not have Godly priorities in their life, do not let that discourage you. That is why God tells us in this verse that the pit will, “be digged for the wicked”. It may look to you and I like they have no problems, but their problems are really just beginning. When you get bitter and angry with God, and distance yourself from His will, you are digging a pit for yourself. In time, an individual like that will fall into it. This is what can happen when “days of adversity” come. All of us are just one difficult circumstance away from being bitter, angry, and distant with God. I encourage you today, don’t let that happen. Take advantage of the “rest” that God has provided, promised, and made possible. He is able to give rest in the midst of adversity.