Title

Turning Distress Into a Good Thing

Scripture
In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me.
(Psalm 120:1)
Devotional
Life’s tensions can be and are often a good thing to experience. They cause us to call on the Lord. When life is at its hardest, for example, I pray the most. When trials and temptations surround me, I find myself crying unto the Lord. In all honesty, I am the closest to Him in the hard times. How do you look at the trials of life? If they do nothing but bring you down, you have the wrong view. Life’s trials are to bring you to a higher level of spirituality and maturity. Quite simply, they are designed to bring you closer to the Lord. If we can learn to view them as a blessing from God, or a least a tool to draw us closer to Him, we will be blessed. I am not saying that they will be times of great joy and enthusiasm, but they can be times that bring great joy and enthusiasm. When you find yourself in distress, cry to the Lord, and He will hear you.
Thought For The Night
“Except under troubles, trials, and vexations, prayer cannot rightly be made. God says: ‘Call on Me in time of trouble’; without trouble it is only a bald prattling, and not from the heart; tis a common saying: ‘Need teaches to pray.’” Martin Luther, Table Talk (1483-1546), theologian, pastor, and father of the Protestant reformation.
Evening Text
Psalm 120:1: In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me.
Looking for Answers
 
Evening Study Guide
Defining: “Distress”: Pain, anguish, suffering, oppression, and the like, that which causes the believer to pray more passionately.
 
Referencing: “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: ‘I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me,’” Jonah 2:1-2.
 
Applying: Praise Him and be thankful to Him in the good times of life. Grab hold of His garment in the hard times.