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You have preserved my life because I am innocent; you have brought me into your presence forever. – Psalm 41:12

 

David’s words relate how important it is to know that your conscience is clear when you go through a trial. Satan, the accuser, is quick to send others to question your motives, character, and conduct. But even if all three areas are pure, you still can come under attack from the enemy.

No amount of accusation from Job’s friends could sway his conscience. He declared, “I will never concede that you are right; until I die, I will defend my innocence. I will maintain my innocence without wavering. My conscience is clear for as long as I live” (Job 27:5-6).

Paul, also an object of accusation, wrote to the Corinthian church, “We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have been honest and sincere in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own earthly wisdom. This is how we have acted toward everyone, and especially toward you” (2 Corinthians 1:12).

Of course, neither Job nor David nor Paul was claiming perfection, only godly sincerity of heart. Never let the devil slander your conscience if you have walked in integrity. A weak or wounded conscience will destroy you. Stand up to the accuser, and wait for the vindication of the Lord!

2020-12-31T10:53:21-07:00

For troubles surround me—too many to count! They pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They are more numerous than the hairs on my head. I have lost all my courage. – Psalm 40:12

In his depression, David had obviously reached a point of such despair that he was sure his troubles numbered more than the hairs of his head. Paul was in a similar position in the battles he faced in Asia.

“I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it” (2 Corinthians 1:8).

Even in that kind of pressure, Paul found a secret that sustained him. He discovered God as the “source of every mercy and the God who comforts us” (2 Corinthians 1:3). When God comforts us and shows us His mercy, it has a double effect: we learn to rely more on Him, and others learn from our deliverance. We can never totally identify with others until we have walked their paths, and God will use our troubles to become a testimony to others in need.

Lift up your head and let the God of all comfort minister to you right now. Then “many will give thanks” (2 Corinthians 1:11) to God on your behalf, and God will be glorified in it all.

2020-08-26T00:00:00-06:00
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