In Psalm 25:11, it says “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” Several weeks ago I read over this verse in my quiet time giving it little thought. For some time now, I have been introduced to the idea that God is zealous for his name, and will display his great power in wrath and salvation, to receive glory for His name (read verses 1 Samuel 12:22; 1 Kings 8:41; 2 Chronicles 6:32, Psalm 23:3, 31:3,79:9, 106:8, 109:21, 115:1, 143:11; Isaiah 45:4, 48:8-11, 66:5, Jeremiah 14:7, 14:21; Ezekiel 20:9, 20:14, 20:22, 20:44, 36:22; Daniel 9:19; Matthew 10:22, 19:29). Maybe I have grown to comfortable in my complacency to recognize the weight of this truth; God is zealous for His name.
God Is Zealous For His Name
God is zealous for His name because His name is associated with His glory. Everything He ordains is for the glory of His name; that He may be known among the nations and the heavens as great. Great in power. Great in mercy. Great grace. When I meditate on the fullness of this truth I am compelled to see the God-centeredness of God. I am overwhelmed at the magnitude of the significance of this truth in my daily walk. If God is zealous for His glory, and his name represents that glory, than I, bearing the name of his Son, should also be zealous for that glory. And if my life does not reflect zeal for my fathers glory, then I bring shame upon his name.
God reminded me of this truth last week through one of life’s little parables. Last Thursday I made a decision with my football players that was not the wisest. It was not a major mistake, however, it did make a few parents upset. They, deciding not to come to me or my athletic director first, called my super intendment. He of course was not happy and called my athletic director. That Friday I walked into my AD's office and apologized for my mistake. I was wrong in my decision making and made no excuses for it. He was rightfully upset and told me to use a little more common sense when making decisions that are public. In so many words he said to me, “ Everything you do reflects on me. When you make a mistake, it is my name that gets dragged through the mud.” As I thought about our conversation in my car, I felt ashamed for causing my athletic director so much reproach and grief. Growing up in the military, our house was under the same rule; everything we did affected my father. I knew better and should not have been so careless. Then it dawned on me; this is no different than my walk with God.
Be Holy For I am Holy (1 Peter 1:15)
God has called me out of death to enjoy His goodness and majesty through Christ His Son. My heart has been given life and the ability to see the grandeur of Jesus. With that, my selfish ambitions have been afflicted with the constant barrage of soul satisfying truths of my sinful state and God’s greatness; so much so, that I desire to live a holy life. As these desires mount up like a volcano on the verge of eruption, I cannot help but to confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Every true believer cannot help but to go public with their love for their King. We are like Peter, who confidently confesses Jesus as “the Christ of God” before the disciples (Luke 9:18-22). We are the woman who interrupted Jesus’ dinner with a Pharisee, to publicly display her love for her Messiah, by washing His feet with her tears and anointing His head with a fragrant oil (John 7:36-39). Our hearts believe, our mouths confess, and our lives show whom we treasure; namely Jesus.
When we do that, the world looks on and can’t help but to marvel. Part of them is attracted, to some degree, by the mere mystery of the unrecognizable beauty pouring out of a redeemed heart. Their eyes can’t help but to be drawn to the blazing center of a Christians life. The other part of them is repulsed by it. When confronted with the holiness of God, they cannot stand to see who they truly are; totally depraved and without any righteousness. This shatters their self involved moral façade. This in turn brings enmity between those whom God have called into holiness and those who are unregenerate; just as Jesus promises in John 15:18-25.
What does this have to do with my poor decision making?
My athletic director is our head varsity football coach. Though he is over all athletics, football is his specialty. I am a football coach; one of his own, a disciple if you will. I am suppose to act as he would act. My judgments, relating to football, should be directly be in line with what he would do. When ever they are not, in the public eye, he is looked upon as incompetent and without authority. It shows his leadership is weak and unworthy. This gives the critical parents and community members prime opportunity to criticize and mock him. This in turn brings shame.
A believer in Christ is no different. God is our sovereign Lord who is all-knowing, all powerful, all wise, and utterly worthy of our complete adoration. When we live unholy and wretched lives before the lost, we tell the world that God is not all-knowing, not all-powerful, not all- wise, and is certainly not worthy of our complete adoration. When our mouths utter disgusting profanities, when our hearts commit adultery with idol worship and empty sensual promises, when our pursuits are inflated with self ego, when our reputations live only for the praises of men; we say to God, “ You are a liar!” And the world sings a resounding chorus, “Who is the Lord that we should acknowledge Him? Who is the Lord that we should adore Him? His people, whom he has called by His name, are not satisfied in him; why should we be?” This brings shame and mockery to our King.
His Name Is Wonderful!
O Lord, forgive me for being so reckless with your name. Your name, the name that is above all names. The name that every knee will bow to and every mouth will confess as Lord; the name at which the stars tremble at the sound of and the mountains melt like wax in the hearing of; the name at which demons submit to and quake by the authority of, and the name by which men are saved by. O Lord God, you are truth. You are our rock and there is no unrighteousness in You. (Psalm 92:8) O Lord God You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, You cover Yourself with light as with a garment, You who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. May Your glory endure forever; May You rejoice in Your works. You look on the earth, and it trembles; You touch the hills, and they smoke. I will sing to You as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be sweet to You. And may Your name reign gloriously exalted in my life and the lives of my family.(Psalm 104:1-2; 31-34; 19:6)
Brothers and sisters, take joy in the name of our God. It is glorious. Live your life in a manner worthy of the name of Jesus. He is our joy. Our obedience to him is not out of duty but of delight. May the world see him more clearly and preciously through the lenses of our lives.
It is amazing how God, in his infinite wisdom, chooses to reveal his word and my sin through many of my blunders. I am amazed at the ability of Gods word to apply itself to the abundant and diverse circumstances that arise every hour of my day. If the eyes of my heart could recognize the multitude of opportunities to taste and SEE God moving and working, they would never blink.
Be good and God bless.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Victory In Defeat
On Thursday, September 11, 2008, my Jr. High football team opened our season up against the 3rd ranked team in the state; Pilot Point. The boys knew that Pilot Point would be a hard team to overcome. They are disciplined and well coached. They have been playing together since they could walk. They are all athletic with speed and stamina. They are a good team. And we knew that if we were going to beat them that we would have to be all of that and more.
We practiced hard and worked on our strategy. The coaches relentlessly taught stance and start over and over; working on technique and assignments. They boys ran gassers across the field in blistering heat; I ran with them. I wanted to show the that I am committed to their success. I wanted them to know that I will walk with them through the pain and sacrifice. When they look to their left they will see their team mate. When they look to their right they will see me; struggling and persevering with them.
Thursday arrived with great anticipation. My stomach felt like little salamanders were scurrying in random directions. Ten minutes before the game I had the boys take a knee and we went over the plays we were going to run. We walked onto the field and warmed up. I spoke to them about courage and how it was not by mere coincidence that we were playing our first game on the 7th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies America has endured; 911.
I told them:
"On that day that many Americans were struck in the heart with a dagger of hate, with the poison of grief and fear dripping from its tip. Its affects were numbing at first, as shock made its way through the veins of America; causing our pulse to weaken. At that point we had a choice; lay down and die or stand and fight. It is easy to lay down and die. Fear cripples your mind and body and convinces you that you are weak and unable, and death is certain. America chose to stand and fight. We have chosen to risk all that we have to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have what we have; freedom, liberty, and the opportunity to pursue our dreams. That takes courage and determination. It takes endurance and perseverance. We must not loose heart. We must stay the course and not loose sight of the prize. Tonight, I’m not asking you to lay your life down for your country. I’m not asking you to sacrifice your comforts for the sake of your neighbors. I’m simply asking you to see what is before you. God has given us tonight as a parable; a time of teaching. Look on the past events of September 11, 2001 and learn from them. If we are to be victorious tonight we must stand and fight. We must have courage in the midst of fierce competition, determination in exhaustion, and endurance in the absence of vision."(paraphrase)
After the speech we knelt and prayed. I pleaded with God for Him to help us play to our potential and not beat ourselves. We prayed for safety for all players and broke out with a hardy amen. The young men ran through the tunnel to the excitement of the crowd. I reminded them that champions do not beat themselves and then broke them out onto the field. My team went out ready to play the game of football with some pride..... and hopefully a level head and heart.
We practiced hard and worked on our strategy. The coaches relentlessly taught stance and start over and over; working on technique and assignments. They boys ran gassers across the field in blistering heat; I ran with them. I wanted to show the that I am committed to their success. I wanted them to know that I will walk with them through the pain and sacrifice. When they look to their left they will see their team mate. When they look to their right they will see me; struggling and persevering with them.
Thursday arrived with great anticipation. My stomach felt like little salamanders were scurrying in random directions. Ten minutes before the game I had the boys take a knee and we went over the plays we were going to run. We walked onto the field and warmed up. I spoke to them about courage and how it was not by mere coincidence that we were playing our first game on the 7th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies America has endured; 911.
I told them:
"On that day that many Americans were struck in the heart with a dagger of hate, with the poison of grief and fear dripping from its tip. Its affects were numbing at first, as shock made its way through the veins of America; causing our pulse to weaken. At that point we had a choice; lay down and die or stand and fight. It is easy to lay down and die. Fear cripples your mind and body and convinces you that you are weak and unable, and death is certain. America chose to stand and fight. We have chosen to risk all that we have to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have what we have; freedom, liberty, and the opportunity to pursue our dreams. That takes courage and determination. It takes endurance and perseverance. We must not loose heart. We must stay the course and not loose sight of the prize. Tonight, I’m not asking you to lay your life down for your country. I’m not asking you to sacrifice your comforts for the sake of your neighbors. I’m simply asking you to see what is before you. God has given us tonight as a parable; a time of teaching. Look on the past events of September 11, 2001 and learn from them. If we are to be victorious tonight we must stand and fight. We must have courage in the midst of fierce competition, determination in exhaustion, and endurance in the absence of vision."(paraphrase)
After the speech we knelt and prayed. I pleaded with God for Him to help us play to our potential and not beat ourselves. We prayed for safety for all players and broke out with a hardy amen. The young men ran through the tunnel to the excitement of the crowd. I reminded them that champions do not beat themselves and then broke them out onto the field. My team went out ready to play the game of football with some pride..... and hopefully a level head and heart.
Unfortunately, we lost 28-0. We fought hard for two quarters. Our defense played well, bending but not breaking. However, our offense could not move the ball. My linemen would not fire off the ball. Eventually we were overcome by a persistent thrust of Pilot Point's buck sweep. After the second touchdown everything I had mentioned above was lost. We lost sight of the prize, our determination drizzled, and our heart was to empty to endure.
After the game I spoke to them about what I saw on the field. I had some disappointment and I let them know it. Nonetheless, Lord willing there will be tomorrow and as long as we are willing to get better, we will be ok. Needless to say, after the game I was heart broken. I desperately wanted my boys to win that night. I felt like they needed it to show them that they are capable of doing great things. However, I’m not so sure that is what God felt was in their best interest.
An hour or so after the game I was walking to my car and noticed two of my players (brothers) waiting in the parking lot. I asked why they had not left. They told me that they were waiting for their mother to get off work. Many of my boys have parents that work both shifts to make ends meet. I put my stuff on the steps and decided to wait with them. I was concerned that they were all alone in the school parking lot at 10:30 at night. I sat in between the two boys and began chit chatting about the game. The oldest brother is passionate about football and looked very disappointed. His head was hanging low and he would not look me in the eyes. His voice was soft and his sentences were fragmented. He obviously was upset. He seemed to be humiliated. I tried to encourage him in that he will get better in practice and so will the team. He nodded respectfully and the conversation ended.
A few minutes later he began talking about Roger Garcia. Roger was a student of mine who died on February 8, 2008 suddenly from Community Acquired Pneumonia and the flu. Roger was also a very close friend of this boy. He spoke very fondly of Roger as a friend. I spoke fondly of him as a student. This young man was obviously still grieving the sudden loss of his friend and had a lot of questions. While we were talking I realized that an opportunity was on the horizon; an opportunity to share the most loving thing I could share, the gospel.
I asked the young man that if he and Roger were switched, where would he be right now. He said heaven. I asked him how he knew that for sure. He could not give me an answer. I went over the law with him and asked him if he had broken any of the ten commandments. He confessed to lying, stealing, and using the Lords name in vain. So I told him that if he died tonight, by his own confession, he would be a lying, thieving, blasphemer at heart. He agreed. Then I asked him how he thought God would judge him. The young man replied that he would go to hell. I asked him if that concerned him. He said "Yes...a lot." I then went into the grace of God through Christ and encouraged him to think about his need for Jesus and to commit his life to Christ.
Looking back on that night I see victory in a completely different way. On the field God allowed us to get handled pretty roughly. The boys were very disappointed in their play and the outcome of the game. We were humiliated. However, behind the scenes God was using that humiliation to prepare this young man’s heart to hear the gospel. He was humble and broken. This brokenesss caused him to reflect on weighty matters, such as his friend Roger. It is amazing how loss, no matter how major or minute causes the soul to reflect. This reflection was a sign of divine opporutnity.
Had we won he might have been proud and haughty. Instead, the loss tilled up fertile ground for the gospel to be planted and watered. Therefore, our game against Pilot Point was a success. Though we lost, a soul may have been won. And that soul is worth far more than a “W” in the win column. Please pray for this young man. Pray that his heart took in the seed of the gospel and that Satan will not be able to take it away. Pray that he will be saved and committed to live a life of radical love for Jesus.
Obviously that night many lessons were taught on the football field. If you don't mind, after reading this blog, leave a comment on a lesson you could have possibly learned that night on the field. I'm curious of what you may see that I did not catch. Thanks. Be good and God bless.
Obviously that night many lessons were taught on the football field. If you don't mind, after reading this blog, leave a comment on a lesson you could have possibly learned that night on the field. I'm curious of what you may see that I did not catch. Thanks. Be good and God bless.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Comfortable In Conforming
Our church, as a whole, is dealing with a season of suffering. We have several members either personally dealing with a devastating illness or have family members who are suffering a terminal illness. And it is not just the old but the young as well. There are several children associated with members of our church who are dealing with leukemia. There is a 25 year old grand daughter of one of our flock who is battling terminal brain cancer while having to care for 2 young children. Suffering seems not to discriminate by age. And the pain felt by those who are caring for the sick seems just as intense, in some ways, as those who are dealing with the sickness themselves.
A week ago Sunday pastor Dave, being sensitive to the current atmosphere in the church, preached a message on the comfort of God out of 2 Corinthians 1:1-11. The message was faithful to Gods word and weighty to my soul. Pastor Dave pointed out some misconceptions about suffering we tend to hold to in our society. He then reconstructed our worldview of suffering by putting a biblical context to words like comfort and troubles. In this blog I want to share two things I gleaned from my meditation of the sermon with you.
1. There is purpose in our pain.
There are many texts in the bible that would support this conclusion. For example, the book of Job is a powerful illustration of Gods sovereign hand in ordaining suffering to fulfill a greater purpose. Also, the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-52 where he suffers tremendously at the hands of his brothers and spends most of his life a slave in captivity. Only in the end to say “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20).” However, one of the strongest verses that supports that our pain has purpose is Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” It is hard for us to understand that the word “all” in this verse really encompasses absolutely everything. In America at least, we are more inclined to try to get God off the hook when it comes to the evil that floods our life at times. However, this verse, as well as the mentioned above, shows that God does not want to get of the hook. Instead He has a purpose in brining the rain to our souls. In this verse, the purpose is to bring good. What is this good might you say? The answer is in verse 29, that we might be conformed to His Son Jesus.
It is every believers desire to conform to the image of Christ. God gives us this desire when He transforms our hearts from stone to flesh, when He breathes life into our dead souls, when He shatters the scales from our eyes as they fall into a million pieces and our souls can behold the beauty of Jesus. From that moment on, our heart has one desire; that is to be like Jesus. Why? Because He is the radiance of Gods glory. He is perfect in every way. There is none like him. He is the essence of what is good, what is beautiful, what is powerful, and noble, and pure, and loving, etc. Just as a flower needs the rain to bring its beauty to life, so our souls need suffering to help us conform to the beauty of Christ.
In order to become like Christ we must go through a transformation. The word conformed in verse twenty nine is the Greek word “symmorphous”. This word is made up of the prefix “sym” which means the adjustment of parts; and the suffix “morphous,” which is to shape or to make resemble. The idea here is to fashion together to have the same form. Everyday we are conforming to Christ. Sometimes that conforming is painful. Paul alludes to that when he says “ I have counted those things as loss for the sake of Christ… I may know him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.” (Philippians 3: 7-11)
The word symmorphous is only used one other time in the bible; Philippians 3:21 “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Here we see a transformation happening. Our old vile bodies will be conformed into new glorious bodies; a morphous if you will. God uses suffering to aid in this transformation process and to make us able to see the surpassing value and worth of Christ.
2. My Idea of Comfortable Is Not God’s Idea of Comfortable
Something I really took note of in the sermon was when Pastor Dave defined the word
comfortable in the text. My idea of comfort or comfortable is to have ease. When I think
of comfort I think of a soft chair or a firm mattress. I think of a cool breeze on an autumn
day. And when it comes to trials I want my comfort to give me ease. Unfortunately, that
is not what the bible says. The word comfort in this text is the word “paraclete.” It
means to come along side or to brave with. It is the word that describes the “comforter”
that Jesus promised the disciples. The promise that comes with the text is that God will
brave what ever you are going through with you. It coincides with the promise that God
will never leave or forsake you. That in and of itself is comforting. You will never walk
through the fire alone. You are never abandoned. Your not an orphan left to the streets.
God will always be with you.
However, it does not mean that He will lift the pain. He does not promise ease. Many
times in our pain we, rightfully, ask for the pain to be lifted. And if God does not lift it,
we are not comforted. Therefore, we get disgruntle and question God’s faithfulness. This
is sin. God does not promise to always take away your pain while you are on earth. That
promise is reserved for heaven. On earth we will walk through trials and tribulations,
pain and suffering, sickness and dismay. And as stated before, God uses pain as an
instructor and reformer to transform us into the glory of His Son. This process is painful
at times and will stretch us beyond our capacity. However, God will never abandon His
work. He is faithful to complete the good work He began in you. Our God is a faithful
God, keeping His convent of love to a thousand generations to those who love Him. This is in itself a comfort.
I see Gods presence as a comfort is a couple of ways. First, not to be redundant, we are not alone. In our suffering, we tend to believe we are the only ones who have suffered. Being in that state of mind leads us to believe we are all by ourselves. And sometimes it seems
that way. Sometimes our friends and family do not know how to handle certain tragedies
and seem to distance themselves from us. God will never do that. By His hand he brings
us to the river. By His hand He walks us into the river. And by His hand we are
delivered from the river.
Secondly, God is able to deliver us from any and all trouble. Because He is sovereign
and all powerful, He is able to overcome every obstacle in our way. When the Psalmist
says, “I lift my eyes up to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from
the Lord, the Maker of the heavens and the earth (Psalm 121:8),” his comfort and hope lies in the power of His maker. We have the same hope. Our trials are not bigger than our God. He
ordains them for His purpose. Therefore, when they are fulfilled He will end them with
certainty, accomplishing all that He intended. Again, Job suffered a great deal without
ever knowing why. But as we know, God was in the middle of it all from beginning to
end; orchestrating a magnificent display of His glory for many generations to see.
Knowing that there is purpose in every ounce of pain gives me tremendous hope.
Nothing is ever wasted. God is incredibly efficient in His sovereignty. If there is purpose in my pain, then pain has been allotted to me to serve me as an instructor. Ease would negate my learning and ultimately my intimacy with God. Very rarely am I as intimate with God on the mountain top than I am in the valley. My comfort is in the knowing that God is with me and will never leave me. He is sovereign over every second of my life and will only let things go this far and no further.
Charles Spurgeon was an incrediable pastor ans teacher. He suffered many physical ailments as well as depression. He has said many amazing insights to suffering with the experience to validate them. Here is one that speaks volumes to the soul.
“If you would find out the cause of most of your sorrows, dig at the root of your self-will, for that is where it lies. When your heart is wholly sanctified unto God and your will is entirely subdued to Him, the bitter becomes sweet, pain is changed to pleasure and suffering is turned into joy. It is not possible for that man’s mind to be disturbed whose will is wholly resigned to the will of God.”
Charles Spurgeon
A week ago Sunday pastor Dave, being sensitive to the current atmosphere in the church, preached a message on the comfort of God out of 2 Corinthians 1:1-11. The message was faithful to Gods word and weighty to my soul. Pastor Dave pointed out some misconceptions about suffering we tend to hold to in our society. He then reconstructed our worldview of suffering by putting a biblical context to words like comfort and troubles. In this blog I want to share two things I gleaned from my meditation of the sermon with you.
1. There is purpose in our pain.
There are many texts in the bible that would support this conclusion. For example, the book of Job is a powerful illustration of Gods sovereign hand in ordaining suffering to fulfill a greater purpose. Also, the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-52 where he suffers tremendously at the hands of his brothers and spends most of his life a slave in captivity. Only in the end to say “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20).” However, one of the strongest verses that supports that our pain has purpose is Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” It is hard for us to understand that the word “all” in this verse really encompasses absolutely everything. In America at least, we are more inclined to try to get God off the hook when it comes to the evil that floods our life at times. However, this verse, as well as the mentioned above, shows that God does not want to get of the hook. Instead He has a purpose in brining the rain to our souls. In this verse, the purpose is to bring good. What is this good might you say? The answer is in verse 29, that we might be conformed to His Son Jesus.
It is every believers desire to conform to the image of Christ. God gives us this desire when He transforms our hearts from stone to flesh, when He breathes life into our dead souls, when He shatters the scales from our eyes as they fall into a million pieces and our souls can behold the beauty of Jesus. From that moment on, our heart has one desire; that is to be like Jesus. Why? Because He is the radiance of Gods glory. He is perfect in every way. There is none like him. He is the essence of what is good, what is beautiful, what is powerful, and noble, and pure, and loving, etc. Just as a flower needs the rain to bring its beauty to life, so our souls need suffering to help us conform to the beauty of Christ.
In order to become like Christ we must go through a transformation. The word conformed in verse twenty nine is the Greek word “symmorphous”. This word is made up of the prefix “sym” which means the adjustment of parts; and the suffix “morphous,” which is to shape or to make resemble. The idea here is to fashion together to have the same form. Everyday we are conforming to Christ. Sometimes that conforming is painful. Paul alludes to that when he says “ I have counted those things as loss for the sake of Christ… I may know him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.” (Philippians 3: 7-11)
The word symmorphous is only used one other time in the bible; Philippians 3:21 “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Here we see a transformation happening. Our old vile bodies will be conformed into new glorious bodies; a morphous if you will. God uses suffering to aid in this transformation process and to make us able to see the surpassing value and worth of Christ.
2. My Idea of Comfortable Is Not God’s Idea of Comfortable
Something I really took note of in the sermon was when Pastor Dave defined the word
comfortable in the text. My idea of comfort or comfortable is to have ease. When I think
of comfort I think of a soft chair or a firm mattress. I think of a cool breeze on an autumn
day. And when it comes to trials I want my comfort to give me ease. Unfortunately, that
is not what the bible says. The word comfort in this text is the word “paraclete.” It
means to come along side or to brave with. It is the word that describes the “comforter”
that Jesus promised the disciples. The promise that comes with the text is that God will
brave what ever you are going through with you. It coincides with the promise that God
will never leave or forsake you. That in and of itself is comforting. You will never walk
through the fire alone. You are never abandoned. Your not an orphan left to the streets.
God will always be with you.
However, it does not mean that He will lift the pain. He does not promise ease. Many
times in our pain we, rightfully, ask for the pain to be lifted. And if God does not lift it,
we are not comforted. Therefore, we get disgruntle and question God’s faithfulness. This
is sin. God does not promise to always take away your pain while you are on earth. That
promise is reserved for heaven. On earth we will walk through trials and tribulations,
pain and suffering, sickness and dismay. And as stated before, God uses pain as an
instructor and reformer to transform us into the glory of His Son. This process is painful
at times and will stretch us beyond our capacity. However, God will never abandon His
work. He is faithful to complete the good work He began in you. Our God is a faithful
God, keeping His convent of love to a thousand generations to those who love Him. This is in itself a comfort.
I see Gods presence as a comfort is a couple of ways. First, not to be redundant, we are not alone. In our suffering, we tend to believe we are the only ones who have suffered. Being in that state of mind leads us to believe we are all by ourselves. And sometimes it seems
that way. Sometimes our friends and family do not know how to handle certain tragedies
and seem to distance themselves from us. God will never do that. By His hand he brings
us to the river. By His hand He walks us into the river. And by His hand we are
delivered from the river.
Secondly, God is able to deliver us from any and all trouble. Because He is sovereign
and all powerful, He is able to overcome every obstacle in our way. When the Psalmist
says, “I lift my eyes up to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from
the Lord, the Maker of the heavens and the earth (Psalm 121:8),” his comfort and hope lies in the power of His maker. We have the same hope. Our trials are not bigger than our God. He
ordains them for His purpose. Therefore, when they are fulfilled He will end them with
certainty, accomplishing all that He intended. Again, Job suffered a great deal without
ever knowing why. But as we know, God was in the middle of it all from beginning to
end; orchestrating a magnificent display of His glory for many generations to see.
Knowing that there is purpose in every ounce of pain gives me tremendous hope.
Nothing is ever wasted. God is incredibly efficient in His sovereignty. If there is purpose in my pain, then pain has been allotted to me to serve me as an instructor. Ease would negate my learning and ultimately my intimacy with God. Very rarely am I as intimate with God on the mountain top than I am in the valley. My comfort is in the knowing that God is with me and will never leave me. He is sovereign over every second of my life and will only let things go this far and no further.
Charles Spurgeon was an incrediable pastor ans teacher. He suffered many physical ailments as well as depression. He has said many amazing insights to suffering with the experience to validate them. Here is one that speaks volumes to the soul.
“If you would find out the cause of most of your sorrows, dig at the root of your self-will, for that is where it lies. When your heart is wholly sanctified unto God and your will is entirely subdued to Him, the bitter becomes sweet, pain is changed to pleasure and suffering is turned into joy. It is not possible for that man’s mind to be disturbed whose will is wholly resigned to the will of God.”
Charles Spurgeon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)