Suffering and difficulty

I won’t claim to have experienced the greatest suffering and difficulty that life may bring.  I know that I am far from it.  Sure I have had difficulty and frustration in life but I know that there are many others who experience daily physical, emotional and spiritual pain and even persecution for the cause of Christ.

But the more I think about it, I am becoming convinced that God intends for pain to act as a cleansing agent for those who are His.  We are not of this world.  We are aliens and sojourners.  But sometimes we forget this.  Sometimes we are persuaded to think of this life as our sole reason for existence.  We think of this world as our home and its joys as the greatest or best that there is…

But, beloved, God has promised us so much more than that.  He has promised us an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, unfading and which is reserved for us in Heaven, an inheritance which He has promised to keep us safe in order to receive, according to 1 Peter.  That is what we have to look forward to.   That is our hope.  We do not hope like the rest of the world that things will “just turn out okay.”  We do not hope against hope or hope in hope…whatever that means.  We hope in the eternal rest and blessing that is promised to those of us who are in the Son whom the Father has given all things.  We hope in Christ and His return.  We hope in the day that He ushers in Peace, Justice, Righteousness, Prosperity; the time where there will be no more wars, no more turmoil, no more uncertainty, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more sickness and no more death.  That time will not happen until after our Lord returns for us.  Therefore that is what we hope for.  We hope for His return and we look forward to it.  We have no other hope.   We have no greater thing to look forward to.

When suffering and difficulty come…do not fret…be not anxious, nor be afraid.  Think of it as the Lord’s way of continuing to prepare you for His rest.  If you are sick or dying, do not fear.  Think of it as the Lord’s way of shedding you of your earthly tent so that you may finally put on your heavenly one.  If you are without…fill in the blank…in this life; think of it as the Lord preparing your heart to desire more the riches that are imperishable, not defiled by sin and everlasting.

Maranatha!

Do you desire rest?

I am tired.  I think I’m getting sick too.  Shame really.  I just missed the last family cold…I guess I didn’t really miss it, it was just lying in wait for me until it had run its course in the others.  Oh well.  I’ve been thinking about rest a lot lately.  Probably for the above reasons.  Why do we prize rest so much?  We do we prize relaxation and enjoyment?  Why do we work so hard for it?  Why do we think that we deserve it?

I think about Jesus’ life.  He worked tirelessly.  He hardly slept…and hardly slept comfortably I’m sure.  He hardly had a moments peace, with multitudes constantly coming to Him for healing and such.  He was constantly working with ill attitudes and misunderstandings from the crowds, the religious leaders and His own disciples (one of which was a traitor which He knew).

What about others?  Think about the “hall of faith.”  People had their possesions confiscated, were tortured, sawn in two, fed to lions, beheaded, crucified and other such things.  Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, persecuted beyond measure, imprisoned, abandoned and all for the sake of the gospel.  What have you had to endure?  Really?  What have you had to endure for the sake of the gospel?  I’m not talking about everyday, ordinary trials.  I’m not talking about those things common to men (believer and unbeliever alike – sickness, disease, financial hardship, loss of a job, family desertion, etc.).  Those things are not necessarily because you name the name of Christ.  Plenty of unbelievers suffer from these things.  What have you really had to endure for the sake of the gospel?  I think that those guys who had it much harder than we did, for the sake of the gospel, had a lot more of a reason to want to take it easy.  They had a lot more of a reason to want to slow down and take a rest.  But they didn’t.  They were not largely concerned with taking a rest now.

The reason why is because they were looking forward to something better.  They were looking forward to a greater time of rest.  They were looking forward to a greater reward.  A city not made with human hands.

Rest is promised for the people of God.  But not now.  Peace, yes.  Joy, yes.  Contentment, yes.  Rest…no.  Rest comes later.  It may tarry, but it will come.  And I believe that it will be so much sweeter to those who through trial, tribulation and distress have persevered with joy and love for God and the appearance of Christ.  Those of us who are lazy and sluggish, quick to seek recreation and rest in this life will not love the appearing of Christ; nor will they truly look forward to His rest.  Because they have their fill here, or at least what they think will fill.

You, beloved, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” whom we “eagerly await [because He will] “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” and “let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall…for the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword and piercing as far tas the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do…[and] let us hold fast our confession…for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin…[and] let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  (2 Pet 3; Phil 3; Heb 4)

Psalm 4 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 4)

God is faithful to those who are His for it says “know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself…”  God is not concerned with the inclinations of foolish and sinful men.  He is not bothered or taken off guard by the mockery of men destined to reap the wages of their wickedness.  We may sometimes wonder why we are persecuted and afflicted by godless men, thus the Psalmists cry “o sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?”  But God is not moved by it.

He is gracious to those who are His regardless of the foolisness of others.  God’s graciousness to those who are His has motivated the Psalmist to plead with the ungodly that they cease their foolish ponderings and turn to the Lord, for he says “meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still.  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and trust in the Lord.”  Turn to the Lord.  Do not continue to trust in your own wisdom and your own right-ness.

Many are saying today “who will show us any good” in this dark and dismal world.  Many are looking to the wisdom of this age and the men of this age to do thus.  Many look to politicians, military leaders, self help gurus and other seemingly wise men to guide them to prosperity and peace.  They look to these men but are inevitably disappointed.  Because it is only in the countenance of the Lord that we truly find “light.”

You who have not trusted in the Lord, repent.  Turn from whatever or whomever you are trusting in to guide you  and turn to the Lord.  Let the Light of the Creator of Heaven and Earth be your guide.  It is only in Him that we will truly find “peace” that will enable us to “lie down and sleep…[and] to dwell in safety.”  You will find peace in no other way.  God is not inclined to grant it to you in any other way.  In fact, all you should expect from God is unrest.

You who already know the Lord.  Do not be deceived.  Do not be cheated of your reward.  Do not be robbed of the blessing of truly resting in the Lord.  They may mock.  They may chide.  They may even offer you other alternatives that seem right.  But remain faithful in your dependence upon the Lord.  Call unto Him who has “set apart the godly for Himself.”  Rest in the “gladness” that only He provides which is a “peace which passes all understanding” and which is greater than any rest or joy (“more than when their grain and new wine abound”) that they can conjure.

Have you found contentment?

What is it to be content?  People often talk about “finding contentment,” but I don’t think that they can find it in the way that it is commonly defined.  You don’t just happen upon it and it is generally not something that is imposed on or thrust on you.  So what then?  Paul commented that he had learned to be content in his circumstances.  Contentment is something then that we learn and actively do.

That we learn it is significant because there appears to be no other way to “gain” or to be content other than to have a situation presented to us in which we either have alack or abundance.  (Even in abundance we can be content.  Just ask so many billionaires, athletes and celebrities if they are content to understand that).  So it must be learned through difficulty.

That we must do contentment is significant because Paul didn’t say that he was automatically content just because of the difficulty.  Difficulty was the catalyst for him to learn how to be content.  In other words, he had to respond to his difficulty in a particular way in order for it to be said that he was content in that situation.

So then how could he respond with contentment in any situation that he faced?  How did he learn to be content when he had an abundance and when he was in need?

Well, here is the crux of the matter.  And the problem arises when a Christian looks for contentment outside of himself in Christ.  Contentment may only be a description of you as you are yielded to the peace which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit within you.  The Holy Spirit gives peace.  He gives that sort of peace that is incomprehensible at times.  Paul called it the “peace which surpasses all understanding.”  It is this peace which may stay the heart in uncertain times.  It is this peace that will humble the heart in times of abundance.  And this peace is certainly available to every born again believer, being itself a part of the fruit that the Spirit bears in the life of every believer according to Galatians.

What more shall I say then?  Contentment is an attitude which expresses the peace that the Spirit gives to a believer who is yielded to Him in difficulty and abundance.  Regardless of the situation.  So then you can never truly “find” contentment apart from the person of Christ.

If this is totally foreign to you, then perhaps you have never heard of the Peace Giver.  Perhaps you have never been made a partaker of the Holy Spirit to which my earlier comments alluded to.  Is it possible for you to be content in every circumstance?  Yes.  But only by knowing the Prince of Peace and by having His grace through the Holy Spirit which He freely gives to those who love Him.

And for you believer, should you find this thought of complete contentment in every circumstance a foreign or even a lost goal.  Remember in whom you have trusted.  For He Himself is “our peace” with God, and certainly if He can bring to us peace with God; then He can bring to us peace in any other circumstance.

Have you found contentment?  Well, He is waiting.