Redemption in the Face of Tribulation

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
— Job 19:25-27 NKJV

Despite the storms that rage against me, Lord God, I will not become embittered against You. Would that I respond to hardship like Job who refused to doubt Your goodness in the face of relentless tragedy and loss.

For I know that my Redeemer lives. You are my Redeemer. You transform the crude sketches in my life into priceless works of art. In Your time, You make all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11), including my life. Perform Your redemptive work — but give me Your strength to hold on until the end.

• My heart’s desire is to be more like You.

As gold is refined in the fire, purge me of the dross that tarnishes your character in me (Romans 5:1-4). I look forward to the day when I will be able to see the changes You have made in my life.

You see the big picture — the forest — while I can see only the trees.

Although I may not fully understand the reason why I’m in this situation, one thing I do know: You are good, and Your mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1).

Therefore, I will not give up. I will not allow the hardships I face to dictate to me my emotions and responses. Lord, I rest myself in Your care. I trust You. You are in control, and You know what You’re doing.

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Magnifying the Lord

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears. — Psalm 34:1-4 NKJV

This day, O God, I choose to bless Your name. I bless You because You are great, and Your greatness does not depend upon my circumstances. The problems of this world are mere child’s play in comparison to Your ability to overcome. So, I choose to focus on the Problem Solver rather than any problem. I will boast in You, O God, because nothing is impossible for You (Matthew 19:26). Only You can make the impossible possible.

I proclaim Your name, O Lord. I ascribe greatness to You, my God, for You are the Rock. Your work is perfect and all Your ways are just (Deuteronomy 32:3-4). For this reason, I place my trust in You with confidence. You are greater than my problems; greater than my sins; greater than my sickness; greater than those who oppose me; greater than the powers of darkness; greater than my own shortcomings; greater than the failings of Your people; greater than the powers of human government; greater than my limited conceptions of how big You really are. My God You are greater!

My power to overcome any situation comes only from You, because greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). My heart’s desire is that Your great name will be made known throughout the earth, beginning in my life.

• I lift my arms in surrender to the One who reigns above the heavens and the earth.

There is no power on earth greater than Yours. No love stronger. No wisdom deeper. You alone stand above the earth, but You have willingly chosen to also stand beside me.

The fact that You are great, yet You choose to reveal Yourself to me through Your Son, Jesus, through Your Word, and through Your Holy Spirit, drives me to my knees in gratitude. You didn’t have to reveal Yourself to me, but You did. Now may Your greatness be revealed in my life so that others may see Your glory as well (Ezekiel 38:23).

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Meditating on His Omnipotence and Omnipresence

And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the LORD God Omnipotent reigns!” — Revelation 19:6 NKJV

Hallelujah! For the Lord God almighty reigns! The heavens and the earth are no match for Your awesome power and might. As You spoke through Your prophet Jeremiah,

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? — Jeremiah 32:27 NKJV

There is no mountain or battle too great that Your might cannot cast it into the deepest sea. Nothing is too hard for You.

Despite Your great power, I have nothing to fear. I revere Your great name, but I need not be afraid of You because Your love is as great as Your power.

Through Your Son, Jesus, Emmanuel, You are “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Clothing Yourself in human flesh, You prove Your love and willingness to meet me at the point of my need. Jesus, You are God’s power and presence revealed. Only through You can I truly be freed from my bondage to sin.

God, where can I go to outrun Your love (Romans 8:35)? You have positioned Yourself right beside me, carrying me, encouraging me, believing in me. At the end of my rope, when I feel all alone, Your Word promises that You are with me (Hebrews 13:5) and that no one can snatch me from Your hand (John 10:28-29).

And because I cannot escape Your love, I also know I can go to You in prayer. You alone have the ability to answer my requests according to Your power and might.

Because You are all powerful, all present, all wise, and all loving, I can entrust the control of my life to You without fear of being unloved and uncared for. You have raised up Your people for the express purpose that You would show Your power in us, and that Your name would be declared in all the earth (Exodus 9:16). And so here I am Lord, willingly giving to You the praise and honor befitting only You.

Excerpted with permission from Battle Prayers by Michael Klassen & Thomas Freiling, copyright Michael Klassen and Thomas Freiling.

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Your Turn

Struggle comes to us all, doesn’t it? Let’s face it with worship and adoration remembering that God is so much bigger and powerful than any trial we endure. He is with us! ~ Devotionals Daily