THE BLESSING OF TROUBLE

                                                        

PSALM 27                                                           

Pastor Rick Jackson

Trouble is a blessing from God. “What? You like trouble?” I didn't say that. I said, "Trouble is a blessing from God." I don't like it any more than you do but I do try to recognize it for what it is. And what it is, is a blessing from God.

I. TROUBLE CAN HAVE VALUE

1. If it causes us to look up! [v. 1]

Psalm 121:1-2 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

2. If it leads us to the Book! [v. 2-3, 11, Rm. 10:17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Think about it, the Bible starts with: "In the beginning God" and ends with "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." We're covered from start to finish.

3. If it causes us to honestly appraise what we have! [v. 10]

Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

2:9-10 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Trouble can have value. It wasn't until after his wife left him, taking his little girl away, that Charles Weigle wrote No One Ever Cared Like Jesus -

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus, Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true. I would tell you how He changed my life completely; He did something no other friend could do.

Chorus: No one ever cared for me like Jesus; There's no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take the sin And darkness from me; O how much He cared for me.

All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me; All my heart was full of misery and woe, Jesus placed His strong arms about me And He led me in the way I ought to go.

Ev'ry day He comes to me with new assurance; More and more I understand His Word of Love. But I'll never know just why He came to save me, Till someday I see His blessed face above.

II. TROUBLE CAN IMPROVE OUR VISION

1. It can give you a goal in life [v. 4]

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ...Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [Ph. 3]

2. It can help us focus on God's purpose [v. 8, Jn. 16:5-7]

But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

3. It can remind us the best is yet to come [v. 5-6, Romans 8:18]

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Yes, trouble can improve our vision. George Matheson wrote a hymn. When asked about it he said:

My hymn was composed ...on the evening of the 6th of June, 1882, when I was 40 years of age. I was alone ...at that time. It was the night of my sister’s marriage, and the rest of the family were staying over­night in Glasgow. Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice rather than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a day­spring from on high.

What he wrote was this:

O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain, That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee; I lay in dust life’s glory dead, And from the ground there blossoms red Life that shall endless be.

III. TROUBLE CAN BE BORNE TRIUMPHANTLY!

1. Bear it with EXPECTANCY! [v. 7]

Jn. 16:19-22 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

2. Bear it with KNOWLEDGE! [v. 12-13]

I Th. 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

3. Bear it with FAITH! [v. 14]

After recounting his troubles Job triumphantly proclaims, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:" [19:25-26]

Rm. 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.