Suffering

I thought I would just share this with everyone even though I’m only really writing it for one family, but I think some others might benefit from this. I would like everyone to pray for this family; for strength, peace, joy and for healing. And although you have no idea whose family it is or what the problem is, God does.

Suffering is a guaranteed fact of life. It’s everywhere we look. With a world full of diseases I’m sure every one of you can think of someone who is suffering, or you can see it in yourself. At times like these we are asked, ‘Where is your God?’ We either stand up for God and try to justify why he allows it or we fade away and we start to question his ways, as if we know best.

During suffering, our job is not to try and justify God. Nor is it to question him. Sometimes we may know what he is doing and why he is doing it, and others we might not have a clue. But don’t lose sight of what our job is. Our job is to worship the King who is worthy of praise. Our job is to believe that his ways are the best ways. Our job is to trust him with our lives and let him do what he does, no matter how bad things seem to get. Our job is to rest and find peace in his promises.

One of the greatest promises from scripture is found is Philippians 3:20-21. That Jesus is transforming our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. I find this promise so great because God is making us become more like him. Is that not something to rejoice over? This is an on-going thing in our life and we can be assured that no matter what happens in our lives, he is making us more like him. And he can use times of suffering to make us more like him. I know that the hardest times in my life have been the times I have grew stronger in Christ. Although the pain may seem unbearable at times and you may cry and struggle, you can rejoice about what God is doing in your life. And I know that it’s a lot easier to say than to do. So pray that God would help you to do it.

When the golf ball was first created is was completely round. Then after research scientists realised that the golf ball would travel further if it had dents in it. Sometimes God brings things into our lives that hurt us and leaves dents. The reason is so that we can go further in him and become more like him, that we can be better than we ever could be by ourselves.

In Romans 5:3-4 we are told that our sufferings produce endurance, and endurance produces character. And I’ve already pointed out Philippians, where we’re told that Christ is making us more like him. Do you believe this? Do you believe that God does not lie? Do you believe that he says what he means? Do you trust him? Do you trust him enough to stick with what he says? God is doing something wonderfully complex here; so complex that we do not understand. Continue to praise him, thank him and trust him, even though it can be every hard.

Now I’m not going to pretend i know all the answers. Maybe he’s working through your life to reach others through this. Maybe others will come to know God as they see your faith through this time. Maybe it will encourage other believers. Or maybe he is trying to bring you closer to him. Maybe he is bring you to a deeper understanding of trusting him and relaying on him.

I don’t have a clue what he is going to do through this situation but I can assure you of one thing. Through life he is making you more and more like his glorious body. I will ask the questions again; do you believe him? Do you trust him?

Lord, I give thanks to you that you would care for us enough to make us more like you. I thank you for you Holy Spirit, who works inside of us to help us. I pray more than anything that you would help this family to rejoice in this storm. I thank you that you are making them more and more like you through this, no matter what happens. I pray that you would heal this person and bring them back to full recovery. Though I do realise that you’re ways are not my ways and you’re thoughts are not my thoughts. I realise you do complex things in our lives that we do not understand. So I humbly ask for healing Lord, but may your will be done. May we not question your actions but understand that they are the best actions that can happen. Help us all to know your plan of Christ-likeness in everything that we suffer. In Jesus Christ’s name I ask these things, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Fire into Rain

In order to make a sword a man will take some metal and heat it in a fire. Then once the piece of metal is red hot he will take it out and hit it a few times. The man will do this a few times. Every so often the man will place the sword into water. This will cool the temperature of the metal.

They put the work-in-progress into the water to strengthen the metal. If the sword was not placed into the water then the molecular structure of the metal would be weaken. The man hitting the piece of metal would weaken the metal if it wasn’t for the coolness of the water.

We all love to have the fire of God within us. I’m sure we all experienced a time when we were so on fire for God. But remember, were a work-in-progress. We all like pieces of metal that look nothing like the finished product that God wants us to look like. We’re messed up and sinful.

God takes us at times and He puts a fire in our belly. He stirs up our spirit and we are so on fire for Him. Constantly we take hits from the devil and this weakens us. When were on fire they don’t hurt us or drag us down at all. But when were constantly hit down and down we get weak and finally crack. So God takes us and places us in the water. These times are the hardest and we seem to struggle with life. We suffer day and night but it’s all because of a plan that God has so we are not weaken by Satan, but strengthened for His glory and His works.

The water process is a period of time were God takes a step back and sees how we’re getting on. Just like a father trying to teach his son how to cycle. The father cannot hold onto the bike the whole time. The father must let go to test how well the child is learning. If the child falls the father is there to pick him up and dust him down; to tell him it’s okay and then to embrace him and help him back unto the bike. Therefore the water process is a test of strength to see how where doing and when we are tested we learn and grow stronger.

Romans 12:3-5

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.