Yesterday we had a discussion about offenses, specifically about how we react to them. We discussed the purpose behind offense, which we saw was a tool the enemy used to turn us away from God. This morning I read Psalm 51 - David's plea for God's forgiveness. Verse 8 struck me as interesting. It says, "Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice."
My mind went to the story of Job and how God allowed the enemy to break Job down. God allowed Job to lose his wealth, health, and children. What was the purpose behind this? I believe the purpose was to show us how to respond to hardship. No matter how much hard stuff comes our way, we should never allow our hardships to turn us away from God. God went to the extremes to make this point by showing how Satan was given clear permission to wreck havoc in Job's life. (Job 1)
I also thought of the story of Peter's denial of Jesus in Luke 22. Jesus told Peter that Satan had asked permission to pull Peter away from God. Though Peter emphasized that he would never betray Jesus, when the time came, he did just that. Basically, Satan wanted to create an offense between Peter and God. Why did this temptation, this situation, need to be placed upon Peter?
In the first scenario, we have a man of God purposely attacked by the enemy and, though he didn't deny God, he questioned God. In the second scenario, we have a man of God that is, again, purposely attacked by the enemy and he denies God. Here we see God is allowing their bones to be broken. What was the purpose behind allowing the enemy to cause this offense? I think Jesus said it best in his honest conversation with Peter. Jesus said, "But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32)
David was caught up in an elaborate and complicated situation of adultery and murder over Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11) Some may say David's situation was completely David's own doing - no need to wonder if it was Satan's doing. I would argue that Satan was in the background orchestrating offense and that David's situation looks like what we experience today. We don't normally get a warning or preview of the enemy's plan to trap us through our weakness, like we see with Job and Peter. Just like David, we simply mess up and experience hardships.
I'm thankful God gave us David's example to look at because it reinforces the purpose and directive Jesus has for all of us. David recognized his weakness/failings and drew close to God. His faith did not waver. David asked God to purge and clean his heart so that he could go on to "teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." (Psalm 51:13) David recognized God's higher purpose for the hardship he went through. Just as Jesus did when he prayed for Peter to "strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32) after repenting. Just as Job can be seen as doing when he prayed over his friends to remove God's anger against them for misconstruing the purpose behind Job's hardship. (Job 42:7-10)
As hard as offense is to experience, it can sometimes be seen as God's tool for sifting out some weakness within us. God sifts it out so we can become stronger and help believers and unbelievers draw close to God. I recently experienced offense and though it was hurtful, I can see its value. My weakness is failing to love people who frustrate me. My human solution is to put up a wall between myself and those who frustrate me. It works for a little while, but sometimes (as it had) that solution creates havoc. The enemy used my lack of love to create an atmosphere of hostility. The Lord laid it on my heart to go back to Romans 12:9-21 and see how I should properly respond to these people. It took the chaos I experienced, my bones broken, to see my weakness and turn to God to change my heart.
The bones which God has broken.
This phrasing was so curious to me because here I am thinking, what did God do? How did he break David's bones, or rather, how did God cause David to suffer? Does God allow us to suffer?My mind went to the story of Job and how God allowed the enemy to break Job down. God allowed Job to lose his wealth, health, and children. What was the purpose behind this? I believe the purpose was to show us how to respond to hardship. No matter how much hard stuff comes our way, we should never allow our hardships to turn us away from God. God went to the extremes to make this point by showing how Satan was given clear permission to wreck havoc in Job's life. (Job 1)
I also thought of the story of Peter's denial of Jesus in Luke 22. Jesus told Peter that Satan had asked permission to pull Peter away from God. Though Peter emphasized that he would never betray Jesus, when the time came, he did just that. Basically, Satan wanted to create an offense between Peter and God. Why did this temptation, this situation, need to be placed upon Peter?
In the first scenario, we have a man of God purposely attacked by the enemy and, though he didn't deny God, he questioned God. In the second scenario, we have a man of God that is, again, purposely attacked by the enemy and he denies God. Here we see God is allowing their bones to be broken. What was the purpose behind allowing the enemy to cause this offense? I think Jesus said it best in his honest conversation with Peter. Jesus said, "But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32)
Strengthen your brothers.
When considering these questions with our small group I suggested that maybe sometimes offenses hurt so much because they point to a tiny grain of truth that shows our weak spot. For Job, it may have been his questioning of, or trying to rationalize and understand God. In Job's case it's unclear as Job did not sin. Peter's case is more clear, as we can see he lacked humility by thinking he could bear the burdens of Jesus and follow him all the way. Though he claimed he would go to prison and death with Jesus, the enemy proved that Peter was just too afraid to do that. I think the enemy is sometimes permitted to create an offense in our life so that God can expose, to ourselves, an area of weakness that God wants us to overcome. Once we get past the hurt and shame and past the lies and confusion the enemy creates in his elaborate scheme of offense, we can overcome our weakness and draw closer to God.David was caught up in an elaborate and complicated situation of adultery and murder over Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11) Some may say David's situation was completely David's own doing - no need to wonder if it was Satan's doing. I would argue that Satan was in the background orchestrating offense and that David's situation looks like what we experience today. We don't normally get a warning or preview of the enemy's plan to trap us through our weakness, like we see with Job and Peter. Just like David, we simply mess up and experience hardships.
I'm thankful God gave us David's example to look at because it reinforces the purpose and directive Jesus has for all of us. David recognized his weakness/failings and drew close to God. His faith did not waver. David asked God to purge and clean his heart so that he could go on to "teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." (Psalm 51:13) David recognized God's higher purpose for the hardship he went through. Just as Jesus did when he prayed for Peter to "strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32) after repenting. Just as Job can be seen as doing when he prayed over his friends to remove God's anger against them for misconstruing the purpose behind Job's hardship. (Job 42:7-10)
As hard as offense is to experience, it can sometimes be seen as God's tool for sifting out some weakness within us. God sifts it out so we can become stronger and help believers and unbelievers draw close to God. I recently experienced offense and though it was hurtful, I can see its value. My weakness is failing to love people who frustrate me. My human solution is to put up a wall between myself and those who frustrate me. It works for a little while, but sometimes (as it had) that solution creates havoc. The enemy used my lack of love to create an atmosphere of hostility. The Lord laid it on my heart to go back to Romans 12:9-21 and see how I should properly respond to these people. It took the chaos I experienced, my bones broken, to see my weakness and turn to God to change my heart.
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