1 February 2016 - the lord will look upon our affliction

Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”

David learns humility from his failure. He no longer regards himself as deserving. He no longer sees the world around him as something which he has the right to use however he wants. Old David would be ready to agree with Abishai when he asks "Let me go over, please, and lop off his head." Old David is all to ready to trample over anyone who gets in his way. But that way of living ultimately fails him. It leaves him empty and enables his heart to repent.

But there is something equally important here that we might miss. We might interpret this whole affair as divine sanction for feeling sorry for ourselves. But this is not the point.

Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day.

The point is that we need to continue to trust in the LORD even when all else is stripped from us. When life humbles us our own powers and abilities fail us the LORD is still there. He may allow us to fall if we need to be humbled but he does not wish to leave us in the dirt.

When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.

If we fall let us look to the LORD to lift up our heads. If we don't look to Jesus what started off as a valuable lesson in humility might become an affliction which we endure that he does not will.

The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.

Jesus lets us learn lessons. But he doesn't leave us chained to affliction if we just turn to him for freedom.

And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.

We are often like this demoniac, beating ourselves up beyond what the LORD intends, beyond any value as a lesson. But Jesus has the power to set us free from these demons and to restore us to our "right mind."

As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.

So let us have the humility of David which never forgets the LORD. Let us learn the lessons of humility and turn to Jesus so that we can come into the newer and greater freedom he intends for us.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (see Galatians 5:1).