This podcast is a message from 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18.
PREMISE # 1 – Every person has experienced, is experiencing, or will experience great suffering in this life. Most people do not handle that suffering well.
PREMISE # 2 – Every Biblically informed Christian believes in the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God.
PREMISE # 3 – For many Christians, that creates a seeming contradiction between the God’s control over all things and His good character versus all the sufferings, pains, griefs, losses, trials, and horrors of this world. THE GAP
FOUNDATION: Every Christian can successfully endure suffering and hardships by holding fast to six core convictions
1. The Lord is my safety (vs. 2-3)
2. Prayer is my necessity (vs. 4-7)
3. The Most High is my invincibility (vs. 8-19)
4. The gospel is my security (vs. 20-25)
5. The Scriptures are my sufficiency (vs 29-31)
“God’s Word is the only sure, infallible, inerrant, and completely sufficient authority by which to face, deal with, and endure every test and trial of life.”
6. God’s loyal love is my certainty (vs. 50-51)
Dr. James Long Jr. is pastor of The Chapel at Warren Valley, a professor at a Christian university, and a Board-Certified Counselor and Certified Biblical Counselor. For nearly 35 years, he has equipped individuals and families to pursue emotional strength, relational wisdom, and spiritual clarity. He is the founder of Lessons for Life, an online coaching community designed to help people take actionable steps toward lasting change through Christ-centered teaching, practical tools, and guided coaching pathways. Explore courses, resources, and coaching opportunities at JamesLongJr.org.
