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”.
• He didn’t become sinical, rebellious, bitter, doubt God’s love, wisdom, or providence.
• He didn’t have a bunch of people that he told all his troubles to looking for sympathy.
David triumphed in troubling time because he did the following and we can be triumphant in troubling times if we do the same.
David brought his trouble before the Lord in prayer. In verse 2 David says, “I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble”. How do you pour out your troubles before God, that is prayer. Prayer is spiritual communication between us and God, it’s a two-way relationship in which we can not only talk to God but also listen to Him. Psalms 91:15 says, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him”.
So, the first thing we need to do is take it to the Lord in prayer. Hezekiah when he received the letter of threats from Sennacherib in 2 Kings 19 he immediately took the letter to the Temple and laid it on the altar and began to pray, he was desperate, he was in need, he knew what he was facing was to great for him to handle so he began to pray and God answered his prayer.
One song writer said it best when they wrote the words What a friend we have in Jesus. “What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and grieves to bear What a privilege it is to carry Everything to God in prayer Have we trials and temptations Is there trouble anywhere Our precious Savior He is still our refuge Take it to the Lord in prayer Oh what peace we often forfeit Oh what needless pain we bear We should never be discouraged when we Take it to the Lord in prayer”.
We don’t need to wallow in self-pity. We must not develop the Woe is me attitude. We don’t need to think it is the end of the world when trouble comes. James 1:3 says, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience”. All we need to do is like 1 Peter 5:7 states “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”. Take it to the Lord in Prayer and as Psalms 91:15 says, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him”.
The next thing that David did during trouble was his grow his faith. Verse 3 says, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path”. Verse 5 says, “I cried unto thee, O Lord. I said Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living”. He knew God is always in control. Isaiah 46:10 says, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure”. David understood that God’s will is going to be done, we may not understand His ways sometimes, but God is in control.
So, during troubles, we must stand on the Word of God, increase our faith in Him, trust that if He did it before He will do it again. Dig our spiritual feet in and stand and having done all to stand - stand saying my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
The final thing David did was he was filled with assurance, confidence, and hope. Verse 7 says, “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”. David had the blessed assurance that his future was going to be better than his present situation. You may be facing troubles right now, but I want you to know it won’t be this way always. Pretty soon after while this to shall pass and your future will be brighter than your day right now. That’s the assurance you need to stand on during troubles.
David had the confidence that God was going to bring him out victorious because he said bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy name. He had the confidence in knowing that in order to praise God that God was going to deliver him. When Isaiah told Hezekiah to get his house in order because he was going to die Hezekiah began to cry unto the Lord and said “Remember, Lord, that I have served you faithfully and loyally, and that I have always tried to do what you wanted me to do”. That’s a prayer of confidence after all that I have done in serving you faithfully and loyally Lord, I need you now. God answered his prayer and extended his life.
David had hope because he said, “The righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me”. That’s hope in knowing that everything will be alright. Understanding Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. I am reminded of a song that said, “Please be patient with me God is not through with me yet, but when God gets through with me I shall come forth as pure gold”. That’s hope. As long as we have hope we can make it without hope we become desolate, deprived, and defeated. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and righteousness.
CLOSING: - C.H. Spurgeon says on his commentary on Psalm 142, “The gloom of the cave is over the psalm, and yet, as if standing at the mouth of the cave itself, the prophet-poet David sees a bright light a little beyond.” If you are in trouble, in the cave, in the darkness of trial, remember this there is a bright light “a little beyond”. Do not lose hope; put your trust in God Himself, and all will be well.
Therefore, the way of being Triumphant in Trouble is this when trouble comes Pray, this will cause your Faith to Grow, then you will develop Assurance, Confidence, and Hope that everything will be alright. Remember in the midst of your trouble like Spurgeon said A little beyond, your Triumphant victory is just a little beyond where you are right now.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
