Your Troubles and God's Global Purpose
Series: Miscellaneous
Preacher: mcl
Sunday Morning
Date: 3rd August 2025
Passage: Psalm 86:1-17
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Psalm 86 presents David's heartfelt cry to God during a time when ruthless men sought his life. Throughout his fifteen petitions, David reveals a profound understanding that transcends his immediate circumstances - God's ultimate purpose is to make His name great and spread His glory to all peoples of the world. This isn't a peripheral theme but the central narrative of Scripture and the answer to why we exist on this planet.When facing troubles, we often seek God's help for self-centered reasons, forgetting His passion for all nations. We become distracted by idols like self-glory, nationalism, or the pursuit of comfort. Jesus, however, perfectly modeled God's purpose by consistently glorifying His Father. From His childhood in the temple to His ultimate sacrifice on the cross, Jesus never saw His life as a self-contained story but as part of God's grand narrative. The cross became the ultimate display of God's glory as Jesus took the penalty for our glory-stealing sin.Through our union with Christ, we can now participate in God's purpose even amid suffering. Like Paul and Silas who sang praises after being beaten and imprisoned, we can allow God's glory to be revealed through our difficulties. The Holy Spirit empowers us to bear fruit that brings glory to God, turning our personal struggles into opportunities for God's name to be magnified among all peoples.