But now, O LORD, You
are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work
of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8
As I write, facilitate support groups, council, and discuss
my own situation, the subject of God’s work to refine, shape and equip is always
a significant topic. While I certainly
don’t enjoy the pain and suffering associated with my health issues or the
negative impacts of them on my family members, I rejoice in what I have endured
due to the changes that they have brought in my life…especially my spiritual
life. Whether it is physical, spiritual
or mental pain, I know that God is at work refining me and perfecting
me…especially when I choose to cooperate with the process rather than fighting
it. I rejoice because God desires that I
be more like Christ and adequately equipped for each task that He has planned
for me. God in His love and mercy is
continually at work to mold me into the man that He envisioned before
time. (Ephesians 1:4) I also trust that He is doing the same for
you.
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Reading God’s Word and meditating on its truth will have a purifying effect upon your mind and heart, and will be demonstrated in your life. Let nothing take the place of this daily privilege.
The Spirit Himself
testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs
also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him
so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17
As I continue to facilitate another support group, I have
the benefit of being reminded of (or in some cases, relearning) past lessons regarding
the roll of suffering in faith and in my relationship with God. I’ve been going to church since I was born
and I’ve been a Christian most of my life.
Much of my childhood was spent being instructed in or listening to the
finer points of faith being discussed or debated. As an adult, I’ve participated in many such
discussions and led a few. These are the
things of religion. While I have had a
relationship with God since my youth and recognize periods of significant
spiritual growth throughout my life, that relationship has been significantly altered
by my illness. In that regard, my
suffering has been my greatest blessing in that has matured my faith and pushed
me to a deeper relationship with our Lord.
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God is God. He knows what he is doing. When you can’t trace his hand, trust his heart.
Now may the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
When I got out of bed this morning it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Anyone who knows me understands that I hate
winter. Having confessed that fact, God
is also working to remove my complaining spirit with respect to cold weather as
He has convicted me that the weather is ordained by Him and is one of those
things that requires that I trust His wisdom.
That said, this time of year I still long for warmer weather and look
for indications that it’s coming. The
first sign that gives me hope of more agreeable temperatures is the appearance
of snowdrops (shown above). They are the
very first flowers to blossom and snow does not bother them. My Aunt Margaret was the first to introduce
me to them and they have been a staple in my garden since then as they provide
the hope of spring and a reminder of the loving relationship that I had with
her. The next hopeful sign is the sound of birds
chirping in the early morning and the appearance of Robins. Finally, the crocuses and daffodils not only
allude to warmer weather but provide color that lifts the spirit. As much happiness as the expectation of
spring brings with it, there is no lasting joy or peace as I know that winter
will in fact come again. In contrast, my
spiritual hope is a different matter altogether as my hope in God brings with
it joy and peace.
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We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
Merriam-Webster defines encumbered as impeded, hampered or
hindered with respect to functions or activities. A reality of my life and the lives of others
dealing with chronic illness and pain is that we are encumbered in everything
we do. Those of us are encumbered with
respect to our ability to function are also, by definition, encumbered in our
activities. Often it’s not just the
physical issues but also the mental ones.
It takes so much energy to accept and manage our physical problems and
limitations that we are also mentally encumbered. Further, the problem is not limited to those
with physical or mental problems, but also extends to those who are grieving,
have relationship problems or are enduring some other trial. These may also find themselves encumbered as
they attempt to accomplish the tasks set before them. Despite our struggles, God still calls us to
complete tasks for Him. It is not ours
to question or deny but rather to complete with aide of our Heavenly Father.
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If we do anything to further the kingdom of God, we may expect to find what Christ found on that road – abuse, indifference, injustice, misunderstanding, trouble of some kind. Take it. Why not? To that you were called. In Latin America someone who feels sorry for himself is said to look like a donkey in a downpour. If we think of the glorious fact that we are on the same path with Jesus, we might see a rainbow.
Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Reasonableness is a common thread of our culture. In law, the reasonable man is used as a
starting point to determine negligence and liability. In accounting, a reasonableness test is used to
evaluate the various line items of the financial statements to determine how
much needs to be reviewed or tested. In
culture, we use “average behaviors” to determine what is reasonable. Christ tells us to lay all of our concerns
before our Lord and Paul adds that we should come boldly before God. While our church culture or past experiences
may encourage us to be reasonable or polite in our prayers, scripture dictates
both by instruction and example that we should, in fact, take a bold approach.
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If you believe in prayer at all, expect God to hear you. If you do not expect, you will not have. God will not hear you unless you believe He will hear you; but if you believe He will, He will be as good as your faith.
The thankful heart sees the best part of every situation. It sees problems and weaknesses as opportunities, struggles as refining tools, and sinners as saints in progress.
