FURROWS OF JOY!!

Verse for Today: Sunday, February 19, 2012

Psalms 129:3 – Ploughmen have ploughed my back and made their furrows long.

The realization that we live and serve our God in enemy territory explains all our painful experiences in their proper perspective. Our environment is controlled by the enemy. His agents are always on the move to create brutal circumstances to cause us to suffer to challenge our faith. If an iota of doubt is cast into our hearts, he feels successful because to that extent he is able to prevent our God from receiving praise from our hearts. The enemy looks for opportunities to inflict physical and emotional distress to cause us pain and weaken our faith. He tried this strategy with Job, Paul and other servants of God. He caused unexplainable emotional distress to Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Daniel and Paul. It was like plowing on their emotions with long furrows. But God used those experiences to strengthen their faith. It is true that God’s people are battered by the enemy from all sides. Their lives are never a bed of roses, but of thorns and thistles. Down through the ages, scores of God’s servants had to go through tremendous physical and emotional torture from the world. Our enemy is sadistic and brutal like a wild animal. He shows no mercy, but only cruelty. Sometimes we create opportunities for the enemy to inflict distress to us. Our human vulnerabilities are well utilized by the enemy through the world system. We face gossip, misunderstandings and distortions even from the household of faith. When we are thus inflicted and bruised, and as we endure tremendous trauma, the enemy will only add insult to our injuries to totally devastate us. But there is a Balm in Gilead which is the panacea to heal the furrows in our emotions and bodies. We are healed by the stripes of our Lord who was also mistreated by the enemy. If the enemy has not spared our Lord, will he spare us? But there is glory after we go through the cross. As we face brutal attacks from the enemy, we would come out like jewels which have undergone tremendous pressure and heat.

Dear reader, are you going through bitter experiences in life which cause tremendous emotional and physical pain? Are you being battered with unfair criticism, character assassination, loss of dignity and reputation, misrepresentation and misinterpretation of your words or deeds? When the enemy uses people who are dear to you, the pain seem to increase without leaps and bounds. But your greatest comfort today comes your Lord who endured the same treatment form this world. If you are under the attack of the enemy, it is an indication that you truly follow the Lord. The enemy will use all possible means to weaken your faith, pull you back and make you stumble from your spiritual walk. His cruel attack will be like plowing on your emotions with long and deep furrows. It takes longer to heal an emotional wound as compared to a physical bruise. But our Lord will be with us as we go through such experiences to strengthen us. He will minister unto our emotional and spiritual needs and give us strength and grace to endure the pain caused by bitter experiences. He is the Balm of Gilead and will soothe and heal our broken heart. He was in the dungeon to soothe the heart of Joseph and Paul. He was with Daniel while he was in the lion’s den. He was with Jacob when he thought all was lost. He was with the Hebrew youth when they were in the fiery furnace. He was with Job when he endured unexplainable physical and emotional trauma. Yes, there are times when we are plowed with long furrows. But our Lord will make channels of blessings out of the furrows. He will help us to sing songs of deliverance in the midst of our dungeon experiences. He will heal us of all our emotional injuries and make us whole. The enemy will not have victory over us because our future is secure in the Lord. He has already planned a wonderful eternity for us where the tactics of the enemy will not enter. This hope is sufficient for us to keep moving forward with praise in our hearts and smile on our faces.

Psalms 129:2 – They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained victory over me.

Thought for Today