A Place Of Growth

Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. (Psalm 4:1, ESV)

EARLY CHRISTIANS FOUND themselves in a lot of tight spots. From time to time in various places, they were persecuted harshly. In the marketplace of ideas, they were often shouted down. They came from all social strata but were often dismissed as outsiders or fools. Though there were certainly exceptions—in some cities and times they were accepted or even admired—for the most part, life as a Christian wasn’t easy in the first three centuries after Jesus’ death and resurrection. God allowed his people to endure quite a bit of distress.

That was nothing new for his people, of course. Hebrew Scripture describes God’s people enduring numerous difficult and dangerous situations. But as this psalm of David attests, God is with his people in those places. In fact, the literal meaning of the Hebrew words translated as “you have given me relief” takes the concept a step further and suggests that God actually widens the places or enlarges the influence of his people in their most difficult times. We may not feel as if God is strengthening us, positioning us, or expanding our potential for influence in such times, but he is. He allows us to be in situations of dependence on him, knowing that if we learn dependence well, we can manage anything. Like exercise that tears muscles apart in order to rebuild them even stronger, God pulls our spirits in uncomfortable ways in order to strengthen our capacity to love and believe. We receive the substance of life in life’s most trying times.

Don’t resist the process. God is preparing you for greater fruitfulness. His work in you will not always be comfortable, but it will be purposeful. He is laying foundations to build on in your future. You need what he is accomplishing now. Nothing in your life is being wasted; you are not spinning your wheels or losing ground. God is enlarging your place.

{Father, you have never abandoned me. You are not ignoring my needs. Give me eyes of faith to see how you are preparing me for greater fruitfulness. May I never give up, always endure, and see the fullness of your blessings in time. Amen.