Finding Hope and Justice in Times of Suffering

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Justice May Be Delayed, But It’s Never Denied

In times when evil seems to triumph and justice appears far off, it is easy to become discouraged or even question God’s sovereignty. Yet, Scripture assures us that God’s justice is sure, even if it does not come according to our timetable. The story of Saul, David, and Doeg reminds us that while evil may have its moment, God will ultimately right every wrong and vindicate those who trust in Him. We are called to wait patiently, knowing that God’s timing is perfect and that He will bring about justice in His way and in His time. [36:20]

1 Samuel 22:16-19 (ESV)
And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey, and sheep, he put to the sword.

Reflection: When you see injustice or evil prevailing, how can you remind yourself today that God’s justice is certain, even if it seems delayed?

Day 2: God’s Goodness Endures Forever, Even Amid Evil

When confronted with evil and suffering, it is natural to ask why God allows such things. Yet, David’s response in Psalm 52 is to focus on the enduring goodness of God, even as he laments the boasting of the wicked. God’s goodness is not diminished by the presence of evil; rather, it is a constant that we can cling to, especially in times of pain and confusion. His mercy and loyal love are renewed every morning, and His truth endures to all generations. [01:01:32]

Psalm 52:1-5 (ESV)
Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah. You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.

Reflection: In a moment of discouragement or when you see evil celebrated, what is one way you can intentionally focus on and thank God for His goodness today?

Day 3: God Is Sovereign—He Works All Things According to His Will

Even when life feels out of control, God is still on the throne, working all things according to the counsel of His will. Nothing surprises Him—not tragedy, loss, or the schemes of the wicked. In the midst of confusion and pain, we can rest in the assurance that God’s sovereignty encompasses every detail of our lives, and He is able to bring good even from the darkest circumstances. [01:01:32]

Ephesians 1:11 (ESV)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel out of control, and how can you surrender it to God’s sovereign care today?

Day 4: Don’t Harden Your Heart—Respond to God’s Warnings

Saul’s tragic downfall was marked by a hardened heart and a refusal to heed God’s warnings. When we ignore God’s voice or resist His correction, we risk becoming desensitized to evil and missing His best for our lives. God lovingly calls us to soften our hearts, to listen, and to turn back to Him before we go too far down a destructive path. [01:18:00]

Hebrews 3:12-15 (ESV)
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Reflection: Is there an area where you sense God warning or correcting you? What step can you take today to respond with a soft heart?

Day 5: In Christ, You Are Safe—Run to Him as Your Refuge

David’s invitation to Abiathar to “stay with me, for with me you will be safe” is a powerful picture of the safety and refuge we find in Jesus. No matter what dangers or sorrows we face, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, and those who run to Him are secure. In a world filled with trouble, Jesus has overcome, and He invites us to find our peace and safety in Him. [01:25:00]

Proverbs 18:10 (ESV)
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Reflection: When you feel threatened, anxious, or overwhelmed, what is one practical way you can “run to” Jesus as your refuge today?

Sermon Summary

In times of tragedy and uncertainty, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the evil and injustice we see around us. Yet, as we gather together, we are reminded that this world is not our home and that God’s justice, though it may seem delayed, is never denied. The events of recent weeks—loss, violence, and sorrow—press us to ask hard questions: Why does evil seem to triumph? Where is God in the midst of suffering? The Scriptures, particularly 1 Samuel 22 and Psalm 52, offer us both comfort and perspective.

David’s experience in the cave of Adullam is a powerful reminder that God often meets us in our lowest moments. Caves become classrooms where God teaches us, renews us, and gives us fresh context for our lives. These seasons are temporary, meant to recharge us before we re-enter the world’s challenges. David, surrounded by the distressed, indebted, and discontented, saw God transform these men into mighty warriors. In the same way, God can take our brokenness and make something beautiful out of it.

The story of Saul, Doeg, and the priests at Nob is a sobering illustration of how far a heart can stray when it hardens against God. Saul’s paranoia and self-pity led him to see conspiracies everywhere, ultimately resulting in the senseless slaughter of innocent priests. Doeg’s willingness to do evil for personal gain reminds us that there will always be those who boast in wickedness. Yet, Psalm 52 assures us that God sees, God knows, and God will act in His perfect timing.

When evil seems to prevail, we must remember what we know about God: He is good, He is sovereign, and He is patient. His justice may not come according to our timetable, but it is certain. Our role is not to take vengeance into our own hands, but to trust in God’s ultimate justice and to stand firm in truth and righteousness. In the end, those who trust in the Lord will be like the olive tree—rooted, enduring, and fruitful—while those who persist in evil will be uprooted.

In the face of suffering and injustice, we are called to run to Jesus, our refuge and strong tower. He has overcome the world, and in Him, we find safety, hope, and the assurance that every wrong will one day be made right.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s Justice Is Sure, Even When Delayed When evil seems to have the upper hand, it’s tempting to despair or to question God’s goodness. Yet, history and Scripture remind us that God’s justice may grind slowly, but it is inevitable. No act of wickedness escapes His notice, and every wrong will ultimately be righted in His perfect timing. [36:20]
2. Caves Are Classrooms for Spiritual Growth Seasons of hardship and isolation—our “cave times”—are not wasted. God uses these moments to teach, refine, and renew us, preparing us for greater things ahead. These times are temporary, but the lessons learned can shape us for a lifetime, turning the distressed into the mighty. [44:10]
3. The Danger of a Hardened Heart Saul’s descent into paranoia and violence began with a refusal to heed God’s voice. When we ignore God’s warnings and harden our hearts, we become desensitized to evil and susceptible to destructive choices. Regular self-examination and repentance keep our hearts soft and responsive to God. [78:00]
4. Evil May Boast, But God’s Goodness Endures Doeg’s boasting in evil and the celebration of wickedness in the world can be deeply discouraging. Yet, Psalm 52 reminds us that God’s goodness outlasts every act of evil, and those who trust in Him will endure like the olive tree—long after the wicked are gone. [61:32]
5. Our Response: Trust, Stand, and Seek Refuge in Christ In the face of injustice, our calling is not to take vengeance, but to trust God’s justice, stand for truth, and seek refuge in Jesus. He is our strong tower, and in Him, we are safe. Even when we don’t understand the “why,” we can rest in the “Who”—the God who is good, sovereign, and faithful. [92:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:10] - Importance of Gathering and Hope in Grief
[06:30] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[14:00] - Serving and Using Your Gifts
[18:30] - Preparing for Worship and Giving
[22:00] - Opening Prayer and Worship
[27:00] - Introduction to 1 Samuel 22 and Psalm 52
[36:20] - The Problem of Evil and God’s Justice
[44:10] - Lessons from David’s Cave Experience
[51:00] - Saul’s Downward Spiral and Self-Pity
[58:00] - Doeg’s Betrayal and the Nature of Evil
[61:32] - God’s Sovereignty in Suffering
[70:00] - Psalm 52: God’s Perspective on Evil
[78:00] - The Consequences of a Hardened Heart
[85:00] - Standing for Truth and Refusing Evil
[92:00] - Refuge in Christ and Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Samuel 22** (David in the cave of Adullam, Saul’s pursuit, Doeg’s betrayal, and the massacre at Nob)<br>- **Psalm 52** (David’s response to Doeg’s evil and God’s justice)<br>- **Romans 12:19 (ESV): — Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Observation Questions

In 1 Samuel 22, what kind of people gathered around David in the cave, and how did God use them later in David’s life?
According to Psalm 52, how does David describe Doeg’s actions and attitude? What specific words does he use to talk about evil?
What was Saul’s attitude and behavior towards his own people and the priests at Nob? How did his heart and leadership change over time?
In Romans 12:19, what does Paul say about taking vengeance? How does this connect to David’s response to injustice?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God allows “cave times” or seasons of hardship in the lives of His people? What might He be teaching us during those times?
How does a hardened heart, like Saul’s, develop over time? What warning signs can we see in his story that might apply to us?
David describes those who trust in the Lord as being like an olive tree—rooted, enduring, and fruitful. What does this image mean for believers facing evil or injustice?
The sermon says, “God’s justice may be delayed, but it is never denied.” How does this truth help us when we see evil apparently winning in the world?

Application Questions

Think about a recent “cave time” in your life—a season of hardship, loss, or isolation. How did God meet you there? What did you learn, and how can you use that lesson now?
Saul’s heart grew hard because he ignored God’s voice and warnings. Are there areas in your life where you might be ignoring God or resisting His leading? What would it look like to “soften your heart” this week?
When you see evil or injustice in the world, do you tend to despair, get angry, or try to take matters into your own hands? How can you practice trusting God’s justice instead of seeking your own revenge?
The sermon talks about Doeg “boasting in evil” and the temptation to be discouraged by the celebration of wickedness around us. How do you keep your hope and faith strong when it seems like evil is winning?
David surrounded himself with people who were distressed, indebted, and discontented, and God transformed them into mighty warriors. Who are the “distressed” people in your life right now? How can you encourage or walk alongside them?
The message says our response to injustice is to “trust, stand, and seek refuge in Christ.” What does it look like for you to seek refuge in Jesus this week? Is there a specific situation where you need to run to Him as your strong tower?
Is there someone you need to forgive or a situation where you need to let go of the desire for revenge? What step can you take this week to release that to God and trust His justice?

Sermon Clips

When evil seems invincible, we need to always remember this: God's justice may be delayed, but it's never denied. And as I've said, wherever you are in the word, that's where you are in life. That's where we find ourselves. You would think that I'm talking just about this week—it's not. It's in 1 Samuel chapter 22, because today we're going to look at how God still showed His power and His providence in light of a tragedy that marked a turning point in the life of a man who was fighting against God and how he went further and further down with this one act. It's unconscionable. And then how we can process the promise, or excuse me, the problem and the seeming advance of evil in our times. [00:38:23]

God turns caves into classrooms. It's in our cave times where God speaks to us and teaches us things that we need to learn. Maybe you've been walking away from the Lord lately and God has brought you into your own personal little cave, that own time where now He has your attention. Now He's speaking to you about things that you wouldn't otherwise listen to God about. Whether it's through the tragedies of this week, the remembering of 9-11, or whatever it might be in your own personal life, now God is saying there's things that you desperately need to hear, but you've been blowing me off for a while. And I love you, and you absolutely need to listen to this. [00:42:29]

Caves are temporary. We're not meant to live all of our lives in caves. There are brief times that we have those extra moments with God to be recharged, to be renewed as well. And then God sends us out once again. Sunday mornings, they last just an hour and a half, an hour and 35, 40 minutes if I'm teaching sometimes. But then they recharge us and we go back down into life and we encounter the demon possessed, the sad world, the evilness sometimes that we encounter in life. And then we come back and get charged again. [00:43:13]

From caves come fresh context. And so God wants us to allow Him to give us a fresh reset or a context or an objective narrative about what He's doing in your life in order to go forward. [00:44:35]

If you believe God is able to create the heavens and the earth, then it shouldn't be a problem for you to stand behind the authority of what God says, the love of what God says, the grace of how God reveals Himself to you. And that's where you see many pastors, many leaders no longer believe it. That's a hard thing to say, but the Bible tells us in Isaiah, I believe it's chapter 40 verse 8, the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God is gonna last forever. [00:53:23]

Listen, you might not believe it, but I guarantee you sin has massive consequences in our lives. And I've talked about that in weeks to pass, so I'm not gonna go down that very much. But if there's something going on in your life where you feel like, man, I'm spinning out, I have no hold on what's actually happening, ask yourself, God, are you and I good? Have I been feeding myself on the truth? If you do that, you'll be less susceptible to the lies as a result. [00:54:33]

When we're going through what we don't know, we rely upon what we do know. What do we know about God? Well, first and foremost, we know that God is good. Because many people who see evil in the world—and you see this coming from atheists many times—as they say, well, if there is a God, He either can be all powerful but not all good, or all good but not all powerful. That's the classic atheist argument. So in other words, God is all good but He's not powerful enough to stop evil, or He's all powerful and He's just not good, He doesn't care about evil. None of those things, neither of those premises are true. [01:03:16]

You know what, this doesn't just apply with radical things that we've seen like this past week, like remembering the anniversary of 9-11 or the school shooting or the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. It applies in times when you think things are going well and then all of a sudden you find out the doctor calls, I'm sorry, it's inoperable, you're at stage four cancer. It also happens when we go to work and we see all of our stuff in a box and they say we're downsizing, I'm sorry, we just don't have room for you, we can't afford you anymore with a bunch of other people. It also happens in those times when in your relationship that special someone says, I don't think it's working out for us anymore. These are times where we say, God, why are bad things happening when I'm trying to do the right thing? [01:04:19]

Through the Lord's mercies we're not consumed, we're not overwhelmed. His compassions never fail, they're new every morning. Another word for that word mercy in the Hebrew, I believe, is the word loyal love—is it chesed, is that right? Chesed in Hebrew. That's God is faithfully loving you every single morning. That faithful love towards you from God is renewed. Can you imagine that? That's good God. That is a good God. [01:05:38]

The second thing is that God is in control. The biblical word for that is sovereign. He's in control over everything that happens in this world. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11, the Bible says that we are being predestined according to the purpose of Him, God, who works all things according to the counsel of His will. Think about that. In the Greek, that word all, guess what it means? All. Every single thing that happens, God is in control of. There's not a single thing that's going to happen in your life, there's not a single thing that happened in Charlie Kirk's life where God said, that was a surprise, I had no idea that was going to happen. [01:06:09]

We have to understand that the warfare that you see—so many people are saying it was a political assassination, so many people are talking about the ideology or the politics of it—I'm here to tell you, that is not the root of it. It is a spiritual war that we're in, going through right now. It's not a political assassination, it is a martyrdom. He said all his beliefs came from his biblical worldview but are supported by evidence and facts and science. You and I have a faith that is proved, a faith, a Bible, a truth that is backed by those things. [01:08:23]

It's been said over and over again, the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. The Bible tells us we're not wrestling against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness. The ideology, the political agenda, those have spiritual origins in them and so we have to understand that. [01:09:05]

God says, don't be deceived. I have a timing for my justice to come through. My own purposes are going to come through at the right time. I am all good and I am all powerful. I'm also very patient. Keep that in mind. God will have the final say when all is said and done. You can bank your entire life on that. [01:10:07]

All the Doegs in the world, all the haters of truth in God, everyone who stands against what is right and those who stand for it and run headlong towards evil, forget God has a timetable that will not be escaped. [01:11:18]

Anyone who trusts in the goodness of God and His mercy is going to understand how God is working out His plan. Romans 12:19 said, beloved, don't avenge yourself, but rather give place to wrath or your anger, because it is written, vengeance is mine, I am going to take care of it, I'm going to repay, says the Lord. [01:14:21]

The Bible also says in 2 Peter 2:9, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and, listen to this, to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment. There's coming a time. Look at how He ultimately delivered the Jews from Egypt. Look at how He delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. He doesn't always deliver, but He always holds people accountable. [01:14:41]

When you see people who are innocent and you're accusing them of evil, maybe you need to kind of check your heart unless you have proof. Saul is doing none of those things. He didn't call for a second witness, which the Mosaic law, the Old Testament law, requires that they do so that people have due process in the courts, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. The Bible tells us Saul doesn't care about any of that. [01:17:06]

The Bible tells you and I, he who is often reproved and yet hardens his neck will be destroyed suddenly and that without remedy. That's a scary place to be. I don't know where you are this morning in your relationship with God, but if God has been reaching out to you and reaching out to you, don't harden your heart but soften it. [01:18:46]

It is so important for you and I, when people who are in power tell us to do things that we know are wrong, to be able to stand up to power and not just stand up to power, but it would have been good for them to speak the truth as well. Tell them what you're doing is wrong, you need to restrain this madness. [01:21:05]

How do you know that you've come to the kingdom for such a time as this? How do you know that God hasn't called you to stand up and speak power, speak truth to power, stand up to people who, though they're in positions, are leading people to do the wrong thing? Christians, we need to stand up and speak the truth. We need to stand up when people are doing wrong things. [01:22:30]

Are you trying to push away those reminders that God is trying to speak to you or God is trying to encourage you to draw closer to Him? If you do that, there's very little left over. Watch out and don't allow your heart to grow hard through that. [01:24:14]

David is an Old Testament symbol of Jesus Christ. Christ, the Bible tells you and I, David's phrase here: stay with me, because with me you will be safe. The Bible tells you and I that the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe. In this world, Jesus said in John 6:33, you'll have tribulation, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world. You can have two choices in this life: try and live it on your own, or you can live it with Jesus. Jesus is the one who is overcoming the world, and through you He'll overcome your circumstances as well. [01:25:11]

Why do the righteous suffer? Why does evil triumph? Is God in control? Does He know what's going on? Does He care? Absolutely. God's justice may be delayed, but I promise you it will never be denied. [01:25:55]

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