“You will keep in perfect peace those whose purpose is steadfast, because they trust in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
Certain trials and failures in our lives only take on a truly divine character when they become impossible to overcome by our own strength. It is when all resistance is exhausted and human hope disappears that we finally surrender. The great difficulty, however, lies in fighting against the pains and losses of life while we still have hope—treating them as enemies—and, after being overcome, accepting them with faith as if they were blessings sent by the hand of God.
It is at this point that the glorious Law of the Lord becomes essential. The majestic commandments given to the prophets of the Old Testament and to Jesus teach us to trust even when we do not understand. Obeying this Law is what allows us to go through suffering without rebellion and to embrace what once seemed like a blow as part of the divine plan. Obedience to the will of God, revealed in His extraordinary commandments, helps us discern that even pain can be an instrument of transformation and blessing.
Do not fight against what God has already allowed. The Father blesses and sends the obedient to the Son for forgiveness and salvation. May the splendid commandments of the Lord be your guide when strength fails and hope falters. Obedience brings us blessings, deliverance, and salvation—and enables us to accept, with faith, even that which we did not ask for. -Adapted from James Martineau. Until tomorrow, if the Lord allows us.
Pray with me: Sovereign Father, when my strength is gone and hope fades away, teach me to surrender completely to You. May I not resist Your working, even when it comes in the form of pain.
Strengthen me through Your magnificent Law. May Your commandments help me accept with humility that which I cannot change, trusting that everything that comes from You has a purpose.
Oh, beloved Lord, I thank You because even what wounds me can be transformed by You into something good. Your beloved Son is my eternal Prince and Savior. Your mighty Law is like a rock where my surrender finds rest. Your commandments are like beacons that illuminate even the darkest valleys of the soul. I pray in the precious name of Jesus, amen.
