Being Triumphant In Troubling Times

Being Triumphant in Troubling Times

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING: - Life has a way of hitting you at times that will break your heart, crush your spirit, cause you to question God, and even wonder is it even worth going forward. The thing about this Christian journey is that God never said it was going to be smooth sailing. In fact, the Bible lets us know without a shadow of a doubt that we will have troubles. John16:33 says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. John 15:18-19 says, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”.

There will be troubles in this life, how we respond to the trouble will determine if you will be triumphant or defeated.

PRAYER

SCRIPTURE: - Psalms 142:1-7 says, A Prayer when he was in the cave of Adullam. “I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me”.

Background: - David currently was a fugitive running for his life from Saul. He was hiding in the cave of Adullam, he was living in fear, his reputation had been messed up, he was an outcast of society. Saul was attempting to kill David, although he had some followers who believed had been chosen by God to succeed King Saul. David had opportunity to kill Saul but refused because Saul was anointed by God. God honored David's high ethical standards and soon King David and his men, who had once hidden in the Cave of Adullam, were known throughout Israel for their deeds of valor.

Verses 1-3 says, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path”.

We do not know exactly what the trouble was that he is talking about, but we know he was overwhelmed. That means he is totally wrapped up, engulfed, and weighed down with this trouble. He continues and says in verse 6 “for I am brought very low”. This indicates that he felt as though he was sinking deeper and deeper in this trouble.

Have you ever felt like you were sinking deeper and deeper in a situation that you felt like David, overwhelmed, you cried and poured your complaint out before the Lord. You felt like no-one understands or cares, then there are those that seem to want to destroy you, your reputation. You are troubled and feel like you are being defeated.

This is what David is facing here in Psalms 142 troubled, cast out, assassination attempts, lonely, sinking deeper and deeper in trouble, but what is of most importance is what David does and how he reacted because how we react in times of trouble will determine if we are defeated or Triumphant.

Let’s look at what he didn’t do.

• He didn’t wallow in self-pity and do nothingness. So often when we face trouble, we do nothing, become inactive, depressed and discouraged because we are being troubled. We often will begin to wallow self-pity, we begin to feel sorry for ourselves developing the woe is me attitude. Acting like it is only you that has ever gone through this or any other issue. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy”.