Afflictions: Divine Purpose and Spiritual Growth

Devotional

Day 1: Afflictions Engrave God's Statutes on Our Hearts

Afflictions, though often painful and challenging, serve a divine purpose in our lives. They are not merely tests but opportunities for spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of God's love. Through these trials, God's statutes are engraved upon our hearts, not as superficial writings but as deep, indelible marks that shape our character and faith. This engraving process refines us, helping us to internalize God's laws and love more profoundly. As we navigate our struggles, we are reminded that these experiences are shaping us into the image of Christ, allowing us to reflect His character more clearly. [02:03]

Psalm 66:10-12 (ESV): "For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance."

Reflection: Think of a recent trial you faced. How did it shape your understanding of God's love and statutes?

Day 2: God's Compassion in Our Struggles

Our struggles, whether seemingly small or overwhelming, are significant to God. He is deeply involved in our healing and deliverance, and we should not compare our afflictions to others but trust in His compassion. By recognizing that God is equally concerned with all our troubles, we can find comfort in knowing that He is intimately aware of our pain and desires to deliver us. This understanding encourages us to trust Him more fully, seek Him earnestly, and believe in His promises, knowing that He is working for our good in every situation. [12:54]

Isaiah 49:15-16 (ESV): "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me."

Reflection: In what ways can you remind yourself of God's compassion during your current struggles?

Day 3: Trusting in God's Deliverance

Deliverance from afflictions is God's work, not ours. We cannot extricate ourselves from our troubles through human effort alone. Our role is to trust in God's promises and seek Him earnestly. By acknowledging that deliverance is a divine act, we are invited to surrender our burdens to God, trusting that He is orchestrating our deliverance even when we cannot see it. This trust requires faith and patience, knowing that God is faithful to His promises and will bring us through our trials in His perfect timing. [14:07]

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 (ESV): "Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust God for deliverance? How can you actively surrender this to Him today?

Day 4: The Intensification of Afflictions Before Deliverance

Afflictions often intensify just before deliverance, indicating that God is at work and the enemy is aware of the impending victory. This intensification is a sign that God is orchestrating our deliverance, and we must hold on to faith, knowing that He is working behind the scenes. During these times, it is crucial to remain steadfast in our faith, trusting that God is bringing us to a place of victory and freedom. By recognizing the spiritual dynamics at play, we can find strength and encouragement to persevere through the darkest moments, confident in God's ultimate deliverance. [39:00]

1 Peter 5:8-10 (ESV): "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Reflection: How can you prepare yourself spiritually for the intensification of afflictions, knowing that deliverance is near?

Day 5: Refinement into Precious Jewels

God uses afflictions to refine us into precious jewels, shaping our character to reflect the image of Christ. Through these trials, we gain clear vision, discernment, and a deeper understanding of His love. This refining process is not always easy, but it is necessary for our spiritual growth and maturity. As we endure afflictions, we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ, becoming more radiant and beautiful in His sight. By embracing this process, we can find joy and purpose in our trials, knowing that God is working all things together for our good and His glory. [44:59]

Malachi 3:3 (ESV): "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord."

Reflection: In what ways can you embrace the refining process of your current afflictions, allowing God to shape you into a precious jewel?

Sermon Summary

In today's reflection, we explored the profound truth that afflictions, though painful, serve a divine purpose in our lives. Drawing from Psalm 119:71, we considered the psalmist's declaration that it is good to be afflicted because through these trials, God's statutes are engraved upon our hearts. This engraving is not merely a superficial writing but a deep, indelible mark that shapes our character and faith. Afflictions are not just tests; they are opportunities for spiritual growth and deeper understanding of God's laws and love.

We examined the stark contrast between our struggles and the severe afflictions faced by others, such as those in war-torn Mozambique. This comparison is not to trivialize our own challenges but to gain perspective and recognize that God is equally concerned with all our troubles, whether they seem small or insurmountable. Our afflictions, whether they be depression, financial woes, or personal conflicts, are significant to God, and He is deeply involved in our healing and deliverance.

Through personal testimony, I shared an experience of unexpected depression, which taught me empathy and the importance of not dismissing others' struggles as trivial. This experience reinforced the truth that God is compassionate and intimately aware of our pain. He desires to deliver us, and our role is to trust Him, seek Him earnestly, and believe in His promises.

We also learned that afflictions often intensify just before deliverance. This is a sign that God is at work, and the enemy is aware of the impending victory. Therefore, we must hold on to faith, knowing that God is orchestrating our deliverance even when we cannot see it. Our afflictions are shaping us into precious jewels, refining our character to reflect the image of Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. Afflictions serve a divine purpose, engraving God's statutes on our hearts and shaping our character. They are not merely tests but opportunities for spiritual growth and deeper understanding of God's love. [02:03]
2. Our struggles, whether seemingly small or overwhelming, are significant to God. He is deeply involved in our healing and deliverance, and we should not compare our afflictions to others but trust in His compassion. [12:54]
3. Deliverance from afflictions is God's work, not ours. We cannot extricate ourselves from our troubles through human effort alone. Our role is to trust in God's promises and seek Him earnestly. [14:07]
4. Afflictions often intensify just before deliverance, indicating that God is at work and the enemy is aware of the impending victory. We must hold on to faith, knowing that God is orchestrating our deliverance. [39:00]
5. God uses afflictions to refine us into precious jewels, shaping our character to reflect the image of Christ. Through these trials, we gain clear vision, discernment, and a deeper understanding of His love. [44:59]
** [44:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Invocation and Prayer
[01:17] - Introduction to Psalm 119:71
[02:03] - Learning Through Afflictions
[03:16] - The Nature of Afflictions
[04:04] - The Pettiness of American Religion
[05:12] - Mozambique's Struggles
[06:49] - Divine Intervention in Mozambique
[08:23] - Comparing Afflictions
[10:09] - Personal Experience with Depression
[12:07] - God's Compassion in Our Struggles
[14:07] - Deliverance is God's Work
[18:32] - God's Promise of Deliverance
[23:50] - Afflictions Drive Us to God
[26:11] - God's Shared Affliction
[29:40] - God's Immediate Response
[33:28] - Afflictions Intensify Before Deliverance
[39:00] - The Enemy's Last Stand
[43:42] - God is Working on a Jewel
[47:59] - Revelation of God's Work
[50:23] - Invitation to Seek Deliverance

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Psalm 119:71
- Exodus 6:6-7
- Isaiah 63:9

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Observation Questions:

What does Psalm 119:71 suggest about the purpose of afflictions in the life of a believer? How does this align with the sermon’s message about afflictions engraving God's statutes on our hearts? [02:03]
In Exodus 6:6-7, what promises does God make to the Israelites regarding their deliverance from Egypt? How does this passage illustrate the concept that deliverance is God's work, not ours? [14:07]
According to Isaiah 63:9, how does God respond to the afflictions of His people? How does this reflect the sermon’s emphasis on God’s compassion and involvement in our struggles? [12:54]
How does the pastor’s personal experience with depression illustrate the sermon’s point that God is deeply involved in our healing and deliverance? [10:09]

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Interpretation Questions:

How might the psalmist's view in Psalm 119:71 challenge our typical understanding of suffering and affliction? What does it mean for afflictions to be "good" for us? [02:03]
In what ways does the story of the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt in Exodus 6:6-7 serve as a pattern for understanding spiritual deliverance in our own lives? [15:15]
How does the pastor’s story about Mozambique help us gain perspective on our own struggles? What does this teach us about comparing our afflictions to those of others? [08:23]
What does the sermon suggest about the timing of afflictions intensifying just before deliverance? How can this understanding impact our faith during difficult times? [39:00]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a recent affliction or challenge in your life. How might viewing it as an opportunity for spiritual growth change your perspective or response to it? [02:03]
The pastor shared a personal experience with depression that taught him empathy. How can you use your own struggles to develop empathy and compassion for others? [10:09]
Consider a time when you felt overwhelmed by your circumstances. How can the promise of God’s deliverance in Exodus 6:6-7 encourage you to trust Him more fully in your current situation? [14:07]
The sermon mentioned that afflictions often intensify before deliverance. How can you prepare yourself spiritually and emotionally for such times, knowing that God is at work? [39:00]
How can you actively seek God’s statutes to be engraved on your heart during times of affliction, as suggested by Psalm 119:71? What practical steps can you take to deepen your understanding of His laws and love? [02:03]
In what ways can you remind yourself of God’s compassion and involvement in your life, especially when facing trials that seem insurmountable? [12:54]
Identify a specific area in your life where you need to relinquish control and trust in God’s deliverance. What steps can you take this week to surrender that area to Him? [14:07]

Sermon Clips

It is good for me that I've been browbeaten, troubled, and debased and chastened and defiled and hurt and humbled and weakened and depressed. It's all been good for me so that I can learn the Lord's statutes, and the word statutes here means an engraved law. [00:02:34]

I also learned that in the eyes of God, it doesn't matter whether it's homelessness, it doesn't matter whether it's a maimed arm or anything else, if it's depression, whatever it is, He's touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and He's a compassionate Lord. [00:12:32]

You can't deliver yourself out of any affliction. That's God's work. You cannot deliver yourself out of any affliction. I don't care what kind of trouble you're in this morning. You can't extricate yourself from it on your own human power. [00:13:47]

Afflictions come to drive us to the Lord, to bend our knees, to teach us to learn to pray and cry out to God in all of our problems. Psalm 77:2 says, "In the day of my trouble," David said, "I sought the Lord." [00:23:50]

He hurts when you hurt. When you're afflicted, He's afflicted, the Bible says. Whatever you're going through right now, He is going through it with you. Now folks, how can you understand that God so mighty is to say this? [00:26:11]

You may not know it, you may not see it now, but God started your deliverance the first moment you cried. The first time you got on your knees and cried out, "Oh God, deliver me," God went in motion. [00:29:40]

Afflictions get much worse just before the deliverance comes. Oh, you better believe this. Look at chapter 3, verse 14. And God said unto Moses, "I am that I am," and He said, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children, I am hath sent me unto you." [00:33:28]

The sure sign that deliverance is at the door is that things get worse. That's a sure sign. You know the devil's mad because he knows you coming out. He knows that weeping endures for a night, but your joy is coming, and it's morning. [00:39:00]

You are being afflicted because God is working on a jewel. He's working on a jewel. There's a prophecy from Isaiah. I want you to do this before I close. Isaiah 54. I want to show you this, why God's taking you through this. [00:43:42]

A diamond used to be a piece of coal. In fact, every time I go, Lord, and pray, I support, I'm Dean, looks of just a piece of coal, and God looks down, said, "No, he's a jewel," because He's working on me. [00:44:59]

Through affliction, you're going to see things you never say. I see better now than I've ever seen through affliction, and so do you. Then he goes on, and the gates of carbuncles, and most scholars believe that should read gates of pearl. [00:47:59]

God's purpose is to refine us, to make us jewels, and that's that city that's coming down out of heaven, precious jewels, hallelujah, clear-eyed people, transparent, and they're living, no part dark, trusting in the Lord, no confidence in the flesh. [00:49:33]

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Afflictions: Divine Purpose and Spiritual Growth

Devotional

Day 1: Afflictions Engrave God's Statutes on Our Hearts

Day 2: God's Compassion in Our Struggles

Day 3: Trusting in God's Deliverance

Day 4: The Intensification of Afflictions Before Deliverance

Day 5: Refinement into Precious Jewels

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Afflictions: Divine Purpose and Spiritual Growth

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