He Conquers You to Bless You: Understand Trials that Purify

Lord, give us understanding. His ways are not our ways. We read in Psalm 107 how the Lord glorifies His name and accomplishes salvation. In this Psalm we see the methods that

God uses to draw us to Himself. But first, this powerful scripture that sums it up well.

Isaiah 29:18

"Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him, so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them."

This verse follows a long explanation of the blows that God allows to fall on His people Israel because of their idolatry and their inattention to Him. They are full of hatred, oppression of the poor, and deceit. No judgment is found in them; only lies, betrayal, and boastful pride. Because of their sin, He allows trouble to bring them to their knees. Psalm 27 also shows us how God uses trouble to invite us into His presence. Have you ever been in trouble? Have you ever been in so much agony, sorrow, and pain that nothing in this world could help you? Such trouble is a divine invitation to seek God's face.

In this, God waits for us to cry out to Him in our distress, just as the prodigal father waited for his son to want to come home. God waits for our wills to want Him, to need Him, to trust Him alone so that He can pour out His blessings on us. Psalm 107 says this:

"Who are these that sit in darkness in the shadow of death, crushed by misery and slavery? They rebelled against the Lord, scorning him who is the God above all gods. That is why he broke them with hard labor: they fell and none could help them rise again. Therefore they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and he rescued them! He led them from the darkness and shadow of death and snapped their chains. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his lovingkindness and his wonderful works deeds!"

God allows us to be led away by our lustful rebellion. He waits for us to want him again. He waits for the moment that the pleasures of sin become vomit on the table, until we wake up in the pigpen one day and long for home. This was my story, so I know it well. His tender mercies were right there just waiting for my cry. He comes and breaks our chains asunder, and then we have a testimony. His faithfulness in the face of our faithlessness breaks our hard hearts, humbles us, and brings us to our knees in pure worship. We see the Lamb slain for us, in our worst failure...there is no worship as sweet as the worship that flows from that place. There is no perfume like the perfume of a heart buried under the weight and stench of sin that looks up into the tender, loving eyes of the crucified Lamb of God. And then to never forget how He tenderly reached down to lift us up from that place. He patiently dries our tears, mends our wounds, washes away the dirt, and filth and grime and covers us with heavenly gifts, and jewels of His presence. He bestows purpose and shares intimately with us, despite our former rebellion and from this place our praise never runs dry. (Ez 15)

The security and peace that is found in this place, where all striving and fear of condemnation ceases, no man can tell of it. God wants to root us in this place of humility and the exquisite charms of Divine love from where all true righteousness springs forth.

God has to conquer us to bless us. Peter had to be conquered to be blessed. He was full of self and pride though he also loved the Lord. Have you ever been there? Without even realizing it, you had confidence in yourself. Maybe you thought you would never do a certain thing-you thought you were above that. It may not have been overt pride or a strong sense of superiority, rather, it was just a sense that you were pretty ok in your own strength. It is a subtle, quiet confidence born of ignorance as to what really lies beneath the surface more than it is akin to an overt strutting peacock pride. It is subtle, and God aims to break it off of us.

Peter's Betrayal of Christ

God allowed Peter to be conquered so that He would really know that he too needed forgiveness, and that God's strength, not man's, was his only strength.

As we see the nations reeling under the Lord's discipline, may we understand that God is simply calling mankind to Himself. These light and momentary afflictions will turn for our eternal prosperity if we will let them humble and tenderize us to our need of God. What good does it do to prosper a man who is heading to hell? God is looking at us through the lens of eternity. God sees our eternal state of reward or lack thereof. He is interested in something much, much greater than our temporary state of being. He is outside of time, and as He searches our hearts, He sees who is at risk of being a heavenly pauper. The Lord told one of the churches that while they had earthly goods and seemed spiritually content, they were actually poor and naked! He truly desires that we partake in His glory. My friend, God is making saints of light, and He desires that we inherit many crowns in our eternal dwelling! It is time to see that which is unseen, for that which is unseen is eternal, and that which is seen is here for but a moment-and then it is gone.

We are much too preoccupied with that which is quickly passing away. Jesus warned us to not be as Lot's wife, who looked back as God was destroying her hometown. It is time to look up, not back. God is prying our hands off of the love of the world so we will love His Kingdom and His purposes more than these things. We are in a Kairos season. Not all times are the same. Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything. Anna spent all of her time seeking God because she was ushering in her Messiah. God's salvation plan has distinct seasons with a unique purpose in each season. God wants us to recognize the season to understand what He is doing so we will overcome in His will and power.

God is going forth to conquer, so that He can bless us.

He waits for Israel to come to Him.

He waits for his church to come to Him until we learn to "stay" ourselves upon Him.

Selah. He conquers us to bless us.

Psalm 107. It's all there.

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