My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:2-3
God's Glory in the Midst of Trials
Beloved, I so appreciate what the late Charles Spurgeon says below because it humbly reminds me that God's glory in Christ is the solution and the only true cure for all of our problems! I have often worried that the folks who receive our publications might not see & enjoy fully the glories of Christ revealed in all that He has made as Creator; our natural pride is such a thick, dark cloud dimming our sight of Christ's majesty (thus the Apostle's command & plea for us to fix our eyes on Jesus—Hebrews 12:2). This is why pain & suffering & difficulties are absolutely necessary for those of us who love Him. Trials do one of two things: 1) they blow away the clouds of our pride, thus allowing us to see Jesus better, or 2) they drive us away from Christ in bitterness & unbelief. May 2) never be true for you & me! Humbled by Christ, Rick (Isaiah 57:15)
The Lord our God has shown us his glory. Deuteronomy 5:24
God's great design in all His works is the manifestation of His own glory. Any aim less than this would be unworthy of Himself.
But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man's eye is not single in its focus; he always has a side glance toward his own honor, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted. And this is the reason why He often brings His people into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when He comes to work their deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying and hence but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks know but little of the God of tempests; but they who are "doing business on the great waters"1 see "his wondrous works in the deep.2 Among the huge waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man.
Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: It is this that has given you your experience of God's greatness and loving-kindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: Your trials have been the crevice of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance that continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction you have been qualified for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you.
Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission.