When we come to Psalm 129 a very different note is sounded and we could subtitle these verses, "Embracing suffering, the balancing factor". When it speaks of 'they' in the opening verse, who are they?

They hurt me. They oppressed me. They said this and they said that.

Who are the 'theys' in our lives? Leaders need to be very clear concerning this matter and teach it in a way that will be helpful.

The Psalmist was victorious. He was able to overcome. He was an overcomer.

In verse 3, who did this ploughing? Was it men while these people were in Babylon, or, was it God?

Sometimes you hear the preaching of the Word of God, or you read a passage, and it can be like a plough going right up your back.

Whoever had been giving the writer a painful time? Whoever it was, he is now able to see God in it!

Whatever the situation, he had that spiritual maturity to see God in this thing.

We have read about the 'Turning of the Tide' and 'Spiritual Usefulness' and 'Spiritual Maturity', and we grow, and we can become a little cocky, and almost too sure of ourselves and confident in what we might be able to do, possibly verging on even becoming arrogant, and God provides a little suffering.

You may feel at times you wish to omit the word "little".

If it were all blessing, do you think that some of us might be tempted into becoming over self-confident? Do you think some of us might become unbalanced?

When everything looks as if it is all going so very smoothly, God sends His Plough in some form.

When someone gives me a row, or draws my attention to something I did not want to see, or allows a problem to arise, it is normally because I need that at that particular moment.

It acts like a plough. It does what a plough does, and it can be sore, but it is preparing our life for seed.

The Lord God is righteous. God knows what He is doing. The blessing of the Lord elsewhere is called rain, like the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and that happens to soften up the ground for the plough. Then someone receives the ministry of the plough, and they may not like it.

It is sore and can be prolonged, as everything is overturned, shaken, disturbed and challenged.

You hear it said, "I can take no more. I can take no more. I'll worship elsewhere." And they discover that they have ploughs there too.

Verse 5 is a salutary verse, and so relevant in these days. Do reach for your Bible and read this piercing and penetrating and profound Psalm.

They are like grass on the roof of a house, where there is no moisture, and they wither and perish. What a picture! There will be no harvest there, and verse 8 is a very difficult verse even to read. There is no use asking God to bless such people because in His Word He has already told us not to do that.

Jeremiah speaks very clearly of this.

The lesson is "Embrace Suffering - the Balancing Factor". Accept the ministry of the plough and see the Hand of God in it.

Jesus did. Jesus did not get a fair trial in the human sense. We accept that because it may also happen to us, and is happening to many of our brothers and sister in Christ around the world.

I have never heard any complaints from the persecuted Church. I have never heard of, "If that is the way Christians are going to be treated I am giving up!"

"So and so said such and such a thing years ago, and I will never go back there."

Some people never let that thing go, and they go through their whole lives holding on to it. It is called a bitter root!

When we are challenged by the Word or directly by Jesus Himself, we usually see, "I needed that, O Lord!"

Jesus got such a bad deal. Read the details of the trial where there were so many laws were broken, and yet, Jesus was under the dealing of God His Father, and He was silent. Jesus embraced suffering, setting such an example for each of us.

God drops a little bit of suffering in our lives when we need it. It is prophetic.

Sometimes we think we do not need that, but He sees what we need, and at the appropriate moment He comes and lifts you up.

This is how the Father dealt with Jesus, and our experiences follow a very similar pattern. Leadership should not only teach this but demonstrate it clearly for others to learn and understand.

Sandy Shaw