“I was mute, I did not open my mouth, because it was You who did it.” Psalm 39:9
The fourth way we humble ourselves before the Lord in our trials says Boston is through, “silent submission under the hand of God.” Silent submission doesn’t mean we are forbidden to pour out our heart in prayer before the Lord concerning our trial. It doesn’t mean we respond to suffering like an unfeeling zombie. Silent submission means we understand our suffering is the Lord’s doing and He is good. It means we refuse to fall into the sin of complaining about our situation. It means acceptance yes, but not from a heart of despair or inevitability, rather acceptance from a heart of trust in the will of our loving Father.
In Psalm 39 David has sinned and is suffering from the chastisement God has brought upon him. It is unclear what specific sin David committed but it is clear he understands God has given him the punishment he deserves. Boston would have us understand that biblical humility means that every trial God brings us is for our edification whether it is clearly punishment for a specific sin or seemingly random suffering.
For example, say a Christian man gets caught stealing and goes to jail. The embarrassment and suffering he is experiencing in prison is clearly a result of his sin. Even if he is repentant, or rather especially if he is repentant, he should silently submit to the hand of God. Like David in Psalm 39 he should pray, “deliver me from my transgressions,” “do not make me a reproach of the foolish,” “remove Your plague from me,” praying to the Lord to bring His suffering to an end. But never falling into the sin of pleading his cause, making excuses, or complaining.
The same thing is true for the Christian man who comes into a trial with no obvious sin as the reason for his suffering. Say a Christian man gets diagnosed with cancer, or loses his job, or some other trial not resulting from a specific sin of his. He can pray the same prayers as David in Psalm 39 understanding that God brought him this trial to hasten the passing away of his sinful, fallen human nature and to more greatly transform him into the nature/image of Christ (II Corinthians 3:18). And just like the first example, he does not fall into the sin of pleading his cause, making excuses, or complaining.
There is glory in both examples, but the second example results in far greater glory. As 1 Peter 1:20 says, “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.” This makes the second example a more desirable situation for why are we here except to bring glory to God?
His mercy endures forever!
Pastor Flynn
Photo by Brian Wangenheim