The ninetieth Psalm is entitled: “A prayer of Moses the Man of God.” In this remarkable and solemn psalm, the man of God refers to the profound truth that God is from everlasting to everlasting and then proceeds to survey the brevity of man’s days upon earth. At the close of the psalm, he offers several particular petitions to the Lord which are appropriate in connection with the case of sinners and saints. One of these is to be found in verse 15: “Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us . . .”
Moses knew well by experience what affliction meant. His afflictions were many, varied and grievous. The Lord’s people have never been immune to affliction and adversity of one kind or another. The Lord Jesus Christ warned His people that in the world they would have tribulation. And back in the Old Testament Church, David proclaimed: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” In the portion quoted from the pen of Moses, the man of God recognises the government and the hand of God in the experience of affliction. And this will be the wisdom of God’s people, to discern and acknowledge that God is in their afflictions of a truth, whether their afflictions be of the nature of a trial or a chastisement.
It is most desirable and needful that the Christian in passing through affliction of whatever kind, and however severe and heavy, be deeply exercised at the divine throne, seeking a gracious and God-honouring frame of heart and mind. Job obtained a wonderful spirit God-ward at the very outset of his heavy losses and sorrows, and was enabled under it all to say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Nevertheless the strongest believer is liable to be unduly depressed and discouraged and to be in heaviness by reason of
affliction. They have really no help of man at all when they are tried inwardly. God is their refuge and strength and a very present help in all their troubles. Through their Redeemer they must needs turn to their divine refuge and help; and this Moses did when he prayed: “Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us . . .”
There are many ways in which God does answer this prayer from His poor and afflicted people and some of these we will briefly indicate.
He grants unto them renewed and fresh views of their suffering Saviour, as when Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples, behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. He said to them: “Peace be unto you,” and He also showed unto them His pierced hands and His side. What a wonderful effect all this had upon the troubled hearts of the disciples! “Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.” And so it can be now.
He also leads them at times to appreciate and understand that in their darkest troubles, His covenant love, in Christ, for them changes not; and that even when He chastens them, He loves them in so dealing with them for their profit.
They are indeed made glad in the midst of affliction, when favoured with a felt sense of God’s love toward them in their hearts and as His children. John in his 1st Epistle exclaims: “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” This love may thus be felt sensibly and adored, and elevate and rejoice the heart of the afflicted child of God.
Then it can be a great source of comfort to the believer, to be led by the Holy Spirit to believe and indeed feed upon the remarkable declaration in Romans, chapter 8: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” This is indeed an antidote to the soul ready to say: “All these things are against me.”
And then the tried believer is surely made glad, when God enables him by faith to lay hold firmly upon the revealed truth, that Christ and salvation shall never be taken away from him. Mary at the feet of Jesus was given this blessed assurance by her Lord: “Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
And finally, Paul and Silas, afflicted servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, prayed and sang praises to God, in the prison at Philippi. They were made glad in the midst of affliction by the God of all comfort.