Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. — Psalm 119:143 KJV
Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight. — Psalm 119:143 NIV
Reflection
This verse is challenging for me since I am aware of the many blessings I have been given. At this point in time, the words “trouble” and “distress” do not appear in my language at all.
But I know that in many parts of the world, this phrase is accurate for Christians who are the target of hostility and who are forced to live with the possibility that they will be persecuted or even killed. But their love for God and their will to obey are bigger than Satan’s threats because they delight in doing God’s will.
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray that you will bless and set free your church, which is currently suffering from persecution. But Father, I also beg that if physical deliverance is not what is coming, I pray for my brothers and sisters and I, that we may be found faithful in death before yielding to compromise in life.
If physical deliverance is not what is coming, I pray that we may be found faithful in death. Please bolster our faith; although we do believe, we need your assistance in our disbelief. Give us the ability to be obedient by the power of your Spirit, and forgive us when we fail. Most importantly, bring us faultlessly into your lovely presence. I pray this in the name of Jesus, in whom I have salvation and a sense of complete and utter confidence. Amen.