WINNERS AND LOSERS

Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

THIS IS TABLE ROCK FELLOWSHIP – PASTOR RYAN LADEN (DEVOTIONALS)

Winners & Losers

Yesterday, the world watched two groups of amazing athletes compete against one another in one of the most anticipated Superbowl experiences in my lifetime. Going into the game, I was conflicted. I like many of the people on both teams, and would normally have been 100% behind either of these teams if they had been playing other people. But, in the end, there was a winner and a loser to this game, as there always is.

Life

As in sports, so it is in life. Our team does not always win, and similarly, neither do we always win in life. For all of us, there have been days of victory and success, as well as days of unimaginable loss and sorrow.

When the believer in Jesus Christ encounters times of loss, struggle, pain, and uncertainty, how do we respond? Do our losses lead us to become imbittered and angry with the Lord? When we face trials and hardships as Christians, does our faith in Christ make an impact on the way that we respond? Should it?

In the passage that follows, we can hear how the Psalmist (King David) addresses his frustration and sorrow during a time of real pain and setback.

If you are able, why not read this Psalm aloud, listening to how the words hit you as you say and hear them:

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’S praise, for he has been good to me.”

Psalms 13:1-6 NIV11

How Long?

One of the best things about the Psalms for me is the fact that I can identify with the real-life emotions, frustrations, sorrow, depression, anxiety, and struggles that are experienced and expressed by these people of great faith.

Here, David does not hold back from the Lord. He is in a place of trial and sadness over his situation, and over the situation being experienced by his people. And in the same way that you and I might struggle to keep all of our emotions and expectations in check, David too lets the Lord know that life is not working out in a way that brings David joy or success.

And so, David asks of the Lord, “How long, Lord?” David wants the Lord to intervene, to bring correction to the imbalance that is found in the world around us. David is ready for God to bring victory to the faithful and judgement to the corrupt. And so, he laments, “How long, Lord?”

Justice

While we are on the subject, David was calling for justice from the Lord in this Psalm. True, the Lord is a God of justice, but as David’s life unfolds, we see that his own heart was corrupted by lust, envy, and the sin of murder. If the Lord were to bring true justice as David demanded, he would find that the world would be a pretty empty place if only the perfect were left behind.

Praise

The reason that I shared this Psalm with you today can be found in verses 5-6: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’S praise, for he has been good to me.”

David sets us a good example of returning to the truth about God when we are feeling discontented with how we feel the Lord is or is not meeting our expectations. Regardless of David’s circumstances, he returns to a place of praise and worship.

Start with Praise

David got his complaint out and he gave it all over to the Lord. That is good and right. We are free to do the same. However, perhaps we could learn from the model prayer given by our Lord, Jesus Christ, and start our time of prayer with praise and worship.

In Jesus’ prayer, He called us to begin with:

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'”

Matthew 6:9-10 NIV11

Right Priorities

Starting your time of prayer or personal worship by spending a few minutes reflecting on what is real and true about God – before we get lost in the particulars of our circumstances, will help us change how we respond to the tough stuff.

Choose to give praise to God first, then you will be ready to give him the hard stuff you are carrying around. Give it a try today.

In Christ,

Ryan Laden

OUR MISSION AS A CHURCH

“TO ENCOURAGE AND EQUIP EACH OTHER IN LOVE TO KNOW JESUS AND MAKE HIM KNOWN”

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