Daily Manna 23 July
KEY VERSE: “For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.” – (Psalm 102:3)
TEXT: Psalm 102:1-11
Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And let my cry come to You.
2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.
3 For my days [a]are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my [b]skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
8 My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Pains from sufferings and troubles are known to have serious effect on people. The voice is broken, the emotions are drained, and the heart is weak. In some cases, memory is lost, the skin becomes dry; the tear ducts are emptied and strength becomes totally drained. In such condition, the person detests life completely and even wishes to die. It is truly a very sorry situation.
The passage today gives us a picture of someone in great affliction. He, like other people in his situation, blames God for his sufferings. His cry in this Psalm is a desperate appeal to God for relief and total deliverance from his sufferings. And so, he cries out to Him to answer speedily. He most obviously must have come to the conclusion that only God has the power to put an end to all his pains and sufferings.
One truth about life is that none is immune from pain. Christians too suffer pain! What is important is to know how to handle our pain so that it does not completely break us. Those who have become broken by pain no longer see reasons to live. They become so bitter about life and are easily irritated. They ascribe the cause of their sufferings to God and lose faith in Him. Desperate to get relief for their sufferings, they are willing to do anything even to the point of sacrificing their faith and worshipping at the shrines of devils. And unfortunately, many in so doing suffer the ultimate loss!
We must not allow our pains to break us. There is no suffering that does not have a life span. Troubles do not continue forever. We should hold on tenaciously to our faith in God. He is faithful; when we cry to Him, He will hear and deliver us. We need to also stay positive in life. Do not allow your pain make you bitter towards others. Keep your faith strong; for the end of your pains is near!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Don’t let your pains break you; let them build you!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 13-17
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Broken by trouble? – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 23 July 2021
