We are so frail
And yet in all our frailty
He loves us "As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he
flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its
place acknowledges it no longer." -Psalm103:15-16
Our bodies though magnificent are temporary
The strength of our youth soon fades
Then we are hooked to support systems
Our bodies are opened up to replace parts that are dysfunctional
Yet in all our weakness
We dare think that we do not need the Eternal One
"For dust you are and to dust you will return." -Genesis 3:19 But He loves us still And died so that one day This tent of ours will Be replaced by a house far more beautiful
"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." -2Cor.5:1
Obeying the voice of
God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit is an important aspect in our daily
walk with Christ. We need this continuous and unwavering communication to
navigate every aspect in our lives, especially when making decisions that
affect us, such as whether or not to do that degree, whether or not to take
that job offer and so on. Many a time we find ourselves in situations that
would not have occurred had we chosen to obey. We pay that price by making a
sacrifice of another element in our life such as our joy, time and perhaps happiness.
There are instances also where the voice of God in our hearts is as clear as
day and yet we choose to do what we want regardless of the unconcealed guidance
and direction of God. This brings me to Saul and his disobedience which he paid
a dear price for. In 1 Samuel 15- God clearly instructed Saul to attack
Amalek and utterly destroy it. Saul chose to use his discretion, blatantly
ignoring the voice of God, by sparing the best of the sheep, the oxen, the
fatlings and the lambs and all that was good even though God had set out a
clear directive which was to destroy everything.
God then said“I greatly regret that
I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has
not performed My commandments.”1 Samuel
15:11.
Does God speak the same of you?
1 Samuel 15:22
“So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than
sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”
In response to Samuel, Saul said 1 Samuel 15:24“I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment
of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their
voice.”
We need to learn to hear more of God and less of people around us and
to do things out of the fear of God as opposed to doing things because we are
scared of people and their opinions no matter how important these people may be
to us. It is also important to be able to discern when God is speaking to you
through another person. That is why we need to pray for God to teach us to obey
and help us to know when it is Him talking, to be able to recognize His voice.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power,
love and of a sound mind”
This should be one of the guiding principles when discerning the voice
of God.
Hebrews 5:8 “though He was a Son, yet he learned obedience by the
things he suffered.”
This is a clear
illustration of one of the ways on which obedience is learned. Sometimes
choosing the path of disobedience seems like a more appealing and less
rocky-route in the terrains of life. However even though it seems easier and
takes less of our time and effort at first glance it costs more in the long
run. The path of obedience on the other hand is not an easy one, because it is
not that we follow in our own strength therefore we need to ask God to teach us
to obey Him and enable us to obey Him. This path is worthwhile because God is
our Father and He loves us and has our best interests at heart.
Matthew 7:11 ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things
to those who ask Him!”
“But when we position ourselves under the headship
of Christ and learn to do what He requires of us, there is a flow of the Holy
Spirit that will carry us wherever we need to go.” (Stormie Omartian- The Power of a Praying Woman).
A few Sundays ago, I watched Inside Out with a special someone. Overall, it is a great movie because I love animations and also because it has some good life lessons. One of the things I learned was that even though we think that sadness is irrelevant, it actually plays an important role in our lives. If I were to ask a couple people to choose between sadness and joy, many would opt for joy. I probably would too, after all joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and I am definitely thankful for it. But sadness and all it encompasses has a purpose beyond what we think or often hear of.
Trials,injustices and suffering can result in sadness, grief and sorrow. But these are not the only results, apart from the gloomy and negative stuff, we have the some positive stuff too. The Bible encourages us to take on a different aspect, to see beyond the obvious and common results. How does the Bible do this? I have thought of short list with many verses :)
1. We are not the only ones
The Bible is filled with real people that have faced real heart-breaking situations just like us. Take Joseph for example, he was a teenager when he was sold into slavery by his own brothers, then thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit and then forgotten in prison. Then Job, the classic example of suffering. Joel lost everything! His children, his possessions, his social status, his health. Basically everything we regard dear in today's society. And Jesus, our Lord, the ultimate example of suffering. He was crucified for our sin. He did no wrong, but He willingly lay down His life so that we may be reconciled to God. Apart from the Bible, the news or in our neighborhoods and cities we see others suffering too,we are not alone.
2. They are opportunities to grow, to be identified with Christ and to depend upon Him “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope
maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:3–5,KJV).
"Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. Be
glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you
for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return.Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God’s glorious Spirit is with you.But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. Don’t be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to him." (1 Peter 4:12-16, CEV)
For we do not want you
to be unaware, brothers,of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we
were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life
itself.Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (2Cor1:8-11) 3. God is with us
For
he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me
under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now
my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will
offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make
melody to the LORD.
(Psalms 27:5,6)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,who
comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God.For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. (2Cor1:3-5)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.(Psalm 46:1-3)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
When you go through deep waters,I will be with you...Do not be afraid, for I am with you. (Isa43:1,5)
4. One day it will all be over
For I
consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation
waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the
creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him
who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from
its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the
children of God. (Romans 8:18-21)
So
we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner
self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is
preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as
we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are
unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that
are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling
place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his
people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe
away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither
shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former
things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3,4)
When
grief and setbacks come, it is not the end of the world. God is in
control and He is able to bring something beautiful out of it. He is
able to use it to refine us thus making us more Christ-like. I encourage
you to see not only the negative stuff but the positive stuff too, it's
worth it!
“The taste of restoration is sweet. There is nothing so great. Do not allow the bitter taste of past failures and defeat leave you with unresolved issues both in your mind and in your life that will weigh you down as time passes if you allow it. Give them over to God. Take those old wounds – the worries and heartaches about your wasted years, and let God restore to you the very years that were taken away. Then press on confidently in joy, He is your hope and your future.” Darell Creswell
