Hard Things Needed

“Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy beloved may be delivered; save [with] thy right hand, and hear me.” (Ps 60:3-5 AV)

Experience is a hard teacher.  In the context, David is referring to competing priorities.  There are two weaknesses which he was trying to address even though he had resources for only one.  He was spread too thin.  His hard lesson was one of practicality and maybe even a little pride.  Could have been an issue of over commitment, not realizing just how limited he was.  Pride will do that to a man.  Nevertheless, the LORD allowed David to learn a lesson here.  A lesson the people learned and could only learn be experience.

There are many lesson, hard lessons, we can only learn by experience.  There are mistakes of misjudgment because of our lack of wisdom or experience.  As in making a well-informed decision, but not well informed enough.  We thought it was the right thing to do at the time. And, if there was no other information, it probably was the right thing to do.  We come to find out later there were questions we should have asked.  There are other hard lessons we need to learn.  Lessons of the consequences of sin.  Lessons that have to be learned because we ignore rebuke when offered.  Lessons that are hard enough that we will not pursue the sin again.  Then there are hard lessons of faith.  Lessons that can only be learned by trusting the LORD even though it seems it cannot possibly go right.  These lessons are often some of the hardest.  Lessons that, at the time, seem to have no rhyme or reason.  Lessons that push us to our limits only to have the LORD come through and make us feel ashamed for our lack of faith in Him!

These hard things are not easy.  That is why they are called hard.  However, these hard things are necessary.  Reading of them in the Bible is not sufficient.  The wisdom, rebukes, and challenges of the Bible are only information unless they are applied.  They are mere facts on a page.  Eternal truths which lay unused and unproven.  Truth must be lived.  And when it is, it is often a hard thing.