Can we acknowledge God in our darkest trials? This "hallowed sorrow" has many lessons for us, as we learn from David in this psalm.
"I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it." God's ways are clearly not our ways. We think of Joseph; his brothers meant evil upon him, but God used it for good, not only in his life, but in the life of his brethren and father.
The lesson learned here, of silence before God's doings in our trials, comes at a very high price. This treasure can only be attained by "selling everything." We must submit all to God. We need to be persuaded that the "pearl" is indeed "of great price." When we fail in this area of trusting God and being silent before Him, we buckle under, we run, we become inconsistent in our lives because we are not convinced that it is God behind our trials, working His good pleasure.
Today there are few courageous Christians we will stay and fight for the right. We cannot be like the spies, who discouraged the hearts of their brethren. We must, as the children of Israel at the Red Sea, at the same time "stand still" and "go forward." |