God had given Moses and Israel ironclad promises of deliverance, so Moses went to the people with the good news. He performed signs for them, and scripture says they believed. “Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that he had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exodus 4:29-31, NKJV).

Afflictions teach us to bend our knees, to cry out to the Lord in all our problems and troubles.

“I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75, NKJV). David is saying, “Lord, I know why you afflicted me. You saw that when all was going well, I went astray, becoming careless, so you allowed trouble to come upon me. You knew it would drive me to my knees and bring me back to brokenness. My affliction was evidence of your faithfulness to me!”

No matter what kind of trouble you are in, you simply cannot extricate yourself from it in your own power. God is the only one who can redeem us from our hardships. 

The Lord allows trials to come our way to test us, but that is not his primary purpose. Rather, our afflictions are to teach us to walk rightly before him. 

John warned believers in scripture that those who still love the things of this world have opened themselves to the spirit of antichrist. 

If God loves the most wicked, vile sinner on the street, how much more does he love the Christian who has hurt you? The Lord takes no delight in judgment.

Let the spirit of antichrist come. God’s people will not be moved because we will be firmly established on the truth of God’s Word.

There are many righteous people who are enduring awful trials because of other believers’ sin, but God withholds judgment because of his great love.

The knowledge of God’s heart for his children and pain at their judgment should move us, as it did Moses, to worship and serve the Lord even more passionately.

Christ saved, pardoned and accepted you in the beloved. God sees you now only in Jesus Christ, and that is why we must come to our Savior every time we fall.