THE DEFENDER OF THE AFFLICTED

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE For SATURDAY, 18TH MARCH, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l

Topic: THE DEFENDER OF THE AFFLICTED 

MEMORIZE: “I know that the LORD will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.” Psalm 140:12-13.

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 25:15-22.

“15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net. 16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! 18 Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins. 19 Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all their troubles!”   

EXPOSITION:

Affliction is used actively as that which causes or tends to cause bodily pain or mental distress, as "the bread of affliction " (Deuteronomy 16:3; 2 Chronicles 18:26 ); It is often used in plural, as "Many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Psalms 34:19); 

(2) passively as the state of being in pain or trouble, as "to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27 ).

The following are the chief forms of affliction referred to in the Bible: 

(1) Individual affliction, especially sickness, poverty, the oppression of the weak by the strong and rich, perverted justice. 

(2) National. A great place is given in the Old Testament to affliction as a national experience, due to calamities, such as war, invasion, conquest by foreign peoples, exile. These form the background of much of the prophetic writings, and largely determine their tone and character. 

(3) In the New Testament the chief form of affliction is that due to the fierce antagonism manifested to the religion of Jesus, resulting in persecution.

David, encouraged by the promises he had been meditating upon, here renews his addresses to God, and concludes the psalm, as he began, with professions of dependence upon God and desire towards him. He lays open before God the calamitous condition he was in. His feet were in the net, held fast and entangled, so that he could not extricate himself out of his difficulties, Ps 25:15. He was desolate and afflicted, Ps 25:16. It is common for those that are afflicted to be desolate; their friends desert them then, and they are themselves disposed to sit alone and keep silence, La 3:28. David calls himself desolate and solitary because he depended not upon his servants and soldiers, but relied as entirely upon God as if he had no prospect at all of help and succour from any creature. Being in distress, in many distresses, the troubles of his heart were enlarged (Ps 25:17), he grew more and more melancholy and troubled in mind. Sense of sin afflicted him more than any thing else: this it was that broke and wounded his spirit, and made his outward troubles lie heavily upon him. He was in affliction and pain, Ps 25:18. His enemies that persecuted him were many and malicious (they hated him), and very barbarous; it was with a cruel hatred that they hated him, Ps 25:19. Such were Christ's enemies and the persecutors of his church. 

He expresses the dependence he had upon God in these distresses (Ps 25:15): My eyes are ever towards the Lord. Idolaters were for gods that they could see with their bodily eyes, and they had their eyes ever towards their idols, Isa 17:7-8. But it is an eye of faith that we must have towards God, who is a Spirit, Zec 9:1. Our meditation of him must be sweet, and we must always set him before us: in all our ways we must acknowledge him and do all to his glory. Thus we must live a life of communion with God, not only in ordinances, but in providences, not only in acts of devotion, but in the whole course of our conversation. David had the comfort of this in his affliction; for, because his eyes were ever towards the Lord, he doubted not but he would pluck his feet out of the net, that he would deliver him from the corruptions of his own heart. Those that have their eye ever towards God shall not have their feet long in the net. He repeats his profession of dependence upon God (Ps 25:20)--Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee; and of expectation from him--I wait on thee, Ps 25:21. It is good thus to hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me in the days of trouble in Jesus name.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  1 Samuel 10 - 12.

********************************

ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide of ANCHOR OF LIFE & REDEMPTION MINISTRY (ALRM), written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.

Please share this message on all platform and let’s join hands together in proclaiming the kingdom of God. God bless you greatly in Jesus name. 

For special Seed Donation towards furtherance of spreading the word of God, kindly send to:  Ayorinde Samuel B.

Acct. No: 3014996967;  First Bank of Nigeria (FBN.

Acct. No: 0171946337; Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB)

For prayers, Counseling and further enquiries, call or whatsapp +2347032993319; +2348056130469. Or Email: anchoroflifeministry@gmail.com 

For more of our Daily Devotional Messages, visit our website: http://www.anchoroflifeintl.blogspot.com