Psalm 35:27

“But give great joy to those who have stood with me in my defense. Let them continually say, ‘Great is the Lord, who enjoys helping his servant.’”

In the first 26 verses of this psalm, David writes about his enemies and asks God for help. Today’s verse shifts the focus from his enemies to his defenders. He has an unselfish desire that his friends would see God’s greatness in his trial.

This summer I read the book 90 Minutes in Heaven. I was surprised that most of the book did not describe the pastor’s mystical experience, but his long and grueling recovery process after a terrible auto accident. After several months he was finally able to return home from the hospital. Eventually he returned to his church to the first time as a visitor, confined to a wheelchair and still in severe pain. He really would have preferred to stay home; he was still feeling sorry for himself. As his family wheeled him to the front of church, the whole congregation clapped for a long time. In the midst of this feel-good moment, God whispered to him, “They aren’t clapping for you.”

It takes humility and maturity for us to realize our most difficult trials aren’t only about us—they are custom-designed for others to see God’s glory. This kind of maturity comes from experience of trial after trial in the Christian faith. But it is truly developed as we take time to get to know God personally, and learn about who he is through individual study of his Word.

I am right in the middle of a trial that seems pointless from a human perspective. But because I have drawn closer to the Lord during this trial and I’ve studied how Jesus handled unfair situations, God has helped me see how my trial can give both friends and enemies an opportunity to see Christ working through me. My part of the trial is to pray for my enemies and put on the attitude of Jesus, and also to give God the glory in front of my friends so they will say “Great is the Lord, who enjoys helping his servant Sarah.” Not “Sarah’s so great at handling this” but “Great is the Lord who works in Sarah’s life.”

How can you give God glory for your trial today? And will you tell at least one friend about it, so they can give God praise too?

Copyright 2009