Troubles, heartbreak, and disappointment come in many forms. We do not understand the Lord’s timing, the sickness, and suffering that we see and experience. Proverbs tells us “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; But a wounded spirit who can bear?” (18:14). This is encouraging, but also challenging. I have found both parts of the verse to be true in my life. When my spirit man is strong and at peace, I can bear other troubles. When my spirit is weighed down, all of life, even the small problems, is heavy.
Here are some tidbits I gathered from a commentary on Proverbs 18:14 from Matthew Henry; you can read its entirety here
- *Outward grievances are tolerable as long as the mind enjoys itself and is at ease. . . if the spirit of a man will sustain the infirmity, much more will the spirit of a Christian, or rather the Spirit of God witnessing and working with our spirits in a day of trouble.
- *The grievances of the spirit are of all others most heavy, and hardly to be borne; these make sore the shoulders which should sustain the other infirmities . . . Wounded spirits cannot help themselves, nor do others know how to help them. It is therefore wisdom to keep conscience void of offence.
I need my spirit to be in line with and not grieve THE Spirit in order to bear up under troubles. I have to choose not to satisfy my selfish, fleshly desires.
Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Tribulation cannot be avoided, but our Lord says we can have peace and be of good cheer. He has overcome! If I seek Him, keep my eyes on Him, I can be not so focused on my problem and thus find peace and cheer. Psalm 27:13 states “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” How can I keep from fainting? By believing that I will see the Lord’s goodness, and not just in the afterlife, but in this world! The next verse in Psalm 27 advises, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
I’ve had to learn to surrender my ways to His ways, my thoughts to His, to renew my mind (Romans 12:2), to give Him my broken spirit in the last few years. Struggles have taught me how crucial it is to keep my spirit in line with The Spirit, every single day. I can’t carry a broken spirit. I can’t make it without Him! The joy of the Lord can literally be your strength, my friends. It’s not just an encouraging word. The Lord sustains us through heartbreak and sickness if we turn to Him!
