Many are “the paths of the Lord” which “drop fatness,” but an especial one is the path of prayer. No believer, who is much in the closet, will have need to cry, “My leanness, my leanness; woe unto me.”
C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).
We live in turbulent times, times when basic cultural norms like Concern, Ethics, and Respect have been put aside and replaced by the individualism that cries ‘What is in for me’ and demands “Respect me” no matter what.
As Christians, we should never be surprised by the attitudes and self-centered platitudes of those outside the faith. God’s word makes it plain we are not of this world and should expect afflictions and turmoil. The answer for this is as C.H. Spurgeon notes above PRAYER!!
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STUDY
CHAPTER OVERVIEW: The majority of these early modern exegetes understand the “last days” Paul refers to as the period of time between the first coming of Christ and his second. Some dissent, however, arguing that Paul is referring to the imminent end of the Jewish state in AD 70. All agree, however, that Paul’s description of the terrible times aligns with the present experience of the church, as corruption continues to abound and there is no hope of attaining perfection before Christ’s eschatological return. The need for Christians to set themselves apart is highlighted in the commentary, as is the need for watchfulness and perseverance in hope. The ungodly, it is argued, are distant from the truth and attack Christ’s flock, and so ministers should be on watch and the people of God should seek protection and safety in the Lord.
Lee Gatiss, Bradley G. Green, and Timothy George, eds., 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon: New Testament, vol. XII, Reformation Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2019), 241.
I do not know about you, but occasionally I get the poor poor pitiful me’s. I think you know what I am speaking about when life, sickness or whatever seems to be crushing our Spirit. I found the chart a while back from https://www.biblecharts.org/ and it reminds me that others have and likely are going through some for of afflcition far worse than I can even imagine.
PRAYER
TRUSTING GOD IN DIFFICULT TIMES
O Lord, cast us into whatever dangers you please, and we will cheerfully await the happy event which will at length prove the wisdom and kindness of even your most mysterious plans.
In the meantime, even as we travel in the bonds of affliction, may we see your hand in the expressions and encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Like Paul, let us thank you and take courage in the humble assurance that you will stand by us in every future unknown extreme.
You will either display your power and goodness by raising up those around us in support—or you will display your all-sufficiency in a yet more glorious way, bearing us up when everything else fails us. Amen.
– Philip Doddridge, “Trusting God in Difficult Times,” in Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans, ed. Robert Elmer (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019), 120.
DEVOTION
What the Apostle Paul Teaches Us about Suffering
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