Growing in Grace ... Blessings in Affliction

Need a 5 minute break? You are invited to rest up, and for a mere 5 minutes read through my daily learnings gleaned from God's Word.

Welcome to your blog post. Today's #biblereading and sharing is taken from Psalm 34 and Psalm 35. Here are a couple of nuggets of useful, Godly wisdom I gleaned during today's study:

3 Blessings From Affliction

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles ..." Psalm 34:17

As I mature in Christ, one thing I have come to know, that affliction (hardship) will come into our lives - I will be as bold to say that, it is un-biblical to declare otherwise to anyone. I won't go into why we as Christians can expect hardships, trials and tribulations in our lives (another post for this) - but, suffice to say that they will occur at some point in time. As the Masters often advise, if you are NOT experiencing any conflict in your lives, then you should examine your walk with Jesus.

What blessings can we expect during a time of affliction or hardship:

They make us #pray.
They bring us the Lord's hearing ear and
They provide opportunity for joyful deliverance and praise.

I love that we can, at anytime and any place, pray to our Father and plead that hears our requests and be strengthened during hard times whilst we read God's Holy Word. Persistent prayer and faith in a merciful God takes us a long way.

"Vessels of honour are made of that clay which is 'broken' into the smallest parts" Anon.

Note: See a few scriptures below to hang onto and proclaim during your hard times.

6 Ways God Can Speak to Us

In Psalm 35:3b, David implores to the LORD ... "Say to me, "I am your salvation". From this verse, #spurgeon explains the ways God can speak to us:

By his own voice. Personally, I have only heard the LORDs voice audibly once in my life, and that when I was coming to Christ many years ago - it was a critical turning point in my walk of faith. We, my husband and I, have had many examples of how God has "spoken" to us in the following ways below.
By His works and mercies to us. We, my husband and I, have had many examples of how God has "spoken" to us in this way.
By His Son Jesus Christ. "Come to Me (Jesus) , all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." a promise found in Matthew 11:28.
By His Word. The Bible will reveal many answers to our prayers, dilemmas or questions on life - this is why it is so vital we read the Word and think on it every day.
By our Preachers. Solid teachings from solid Men of God are an important link in our walk of faith. Warning: you need to be discerning who and what messages you listen to, never take for granted what our Preachers say, go into God's Word and check that he is teaching, and you are hearing the godly truth.
By His Spirit. "And because you are sons (and daughters), God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts ..." Galations 4:6

How wonderful that our Father in heaven, would open up SO many options and opportunities to be able to "hear" His voice. Glory be!

Useful Resources

An inspirational read on how God blesses abundantly, despite allowing the most tragic of circumstances to occur in a young girls life - a HIGHLY recommended read. Miracle for Jen.
Read the Book of Job in tandem with a reliable commentary. My go-to Bible Commentator is David Guzik in the Blue Letter Bible App.

Related Bible Verses to Pray and Confess

James 1:12 ESV - Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
1 Peter 5:10 ESV - And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Romans 12:12 ESV - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

I would love to hear your story. How and in what ways has God spoken to you?

Graciously Yours

Mandy