As Summer ends and another Fall begins I'm reminded once again of just how fast time flies from one season to the next. And just how quickly violence and hatred can spread. While at the same time it also seems that some adversities in life can linger on and on with no apparent end in sight. Especially for those who are afflicted with some sort of chronic illness or maybe depression or possibly an ongoing financial crises. Or worse. You name it none of us is totally exempt. And as if that's not enough we're all dealing constantly now with the threat of WWIII. For years now my dear Mother-In-Law unfortunately has been fighting MS, a very debilitating disease as you may know, that can slowly and steadily diminish one's quality of life and ultimately cut a life all too short. We've personally seen the devastating affects of this disease first hand now for years but in spite of it all she is keeping the faith trusting God day by day to somehow see her through. Please pray that God would continue to sustain her and ultimately heal her. She is very special and needs prayer as the disease unfortunately has recently progressed. Maybe you or someone you know is also dealing with something similar and you wonder where God is in all of this? Or maybe you've lost a job a friend or a loved one recently and you can't help but wonder if God's still there and if so does he even care?
Living in a fallen world as humans we all have questions at times about just why things are the way they are. Especially in the midst of overwhelming circumstances and suffering that seems to never end. And if God loves us like he says why does he allow suffering in our lives anyway? The answer is of course I don't know for sure but what I do know is that God obviously allows affliction in all of our lives for a reason but often he doesn't reveal the exact purpose for our pain. But as his children we know that for one reason or another he will always use it for our benefit. If we let him. Remember the sufferings of Job and the patience he possessed while losing everything that was once near and dear to him? If you know the story then you know how in the end God eventually restored him and ultimately blessed him again with more than he could ever imagine. Another example of this of course is from the life of the apostle Paul himself. Paul as you may know also suffered greatly in life and once in his affliction sought the Lord three times asking God to remove his infamous "thorn" in the flesh. What this thorn was we don't exactly know for certain but I suspect that along with many Bible scholars that he suffered constantly from sort of nagging eye condition constantly lingering on in his life well after his conversion on the road to Damascus (See Acts 9).
After all when Paul then Saul met the Lord Jesus face to face he was literally blinded by the light for three whole days! Yes he received his sight again but it appears that he still had difficulty writing his many letters. Others have suggested that his thorn was a relentless persecution from the enemy which Paul himself often referred to in his own epistles. This is certainly quite possible as well. The truth is we can't know for certain but either way here's how Paul handled his lifelong affliction, "AND LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE THROUGH THE ABUNDANCE OF THE REVELATIONS THERE WAS GIVEN TO ME A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME, LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE. FOR THIS THING I BESOUGHT THE LORD THRICE THAT IT MIGHT DEPART FROM ME. AND HE SAID UNTO ME MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. MOST GLADLY THEREFORE WILL I RATHER GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME. THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST'S SAKE FOR WHEN I AM WEAK THEN AM I STRONG (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)."
What's that Paul did you say you take PLEASURE in all this? Wow now that's taking no pain no gain to a whole new level! Obviously the key to Paul's attitude and insight was his relationship with the Lord. And his faith in him. He was truly given much and to whom much is given much is required. Notice that Paul besought the Lord three times to remove his thorn whatever exactly indeed it was. You'd think that this apostle if anyone would get his prayer answered. And he did. Just not the one he was looking for. But notice that once he did receive his answer he simply learned to live with it and let God use it no matter just how difficult his adversity in life truly was. And the truth is Jesus never actually said no as some believe but simply told Paul that his grace was enough. And by faith you and I can also know today that no matter what our lot in life God is always faithful in the life of the believer to complete the work he begins in us. Always. It's just that you and I simply don't understand exactly how he's using our suffering along the way. Or why. Especially when it just seems to last and last and never seems to ever pass. But it will one day and the truth is he always is because the purpose and plan in our lives is always his. Later when writing from prison to believers one day here's what the great apostle also had to say, "BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING THAT HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS (Philippians 1:6)." God is faithful and his love is true no matter what it looks like now or what you're going through. So keep the faith my friend it's true just like Paul he'll finish his work in you too!
Living in a fallen world as humans we all have questions at times about just why things are the way they are. Especially in the midst of overwhelming circumstances and suffering that seems to never end. And if God loves us like he says why does he allow suffering in our lives anyway? The answer is of course I don't know for sure but what I do know is that God obviously allows affliction in all of our lives for a reason but often he doesn't reveal the exact purpose for our pain. But as his children we know that for one reason or another he will always use it for our benefit. If we let him. Remember the sufferings of Job and the patience he possessed while losing everything that was once near and dear to him? If you know the story then you know how in the end God eventually restored him and ultimately blessed him again with more than he could ever imagine. Another example of this of course is from the life of the apostle Paul himself. Paul as you may know also suffered greatly in life and once in his affliction sought the Lord three times asking God to remove his infamous "thorn" in the flesh. What this thorn was we don't exactly know for certain but I suspect that along with many Bible scholars that he suffered constantly from sort of nagging eye condition constantly lingering on in his life well after his conversion on the road to Damascus (See Acts 9).
After all when Paul then Saul met the Lord Jesus face to face he was literally blinded by the light for three whole days! Yes he received his sight again but it appears that he still had difficulty writing his many letters. Others have suggested that his thorn was a relentless persecution from the enemy which Paul himself often referred to in his own epistles. This is certainly quite possible as well. The truth is we can't know for certain but either way here's how Paul handled his lifelong affliction, "AND LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE THROUGH THE ABUNDANCE OF THE REVELATIONS THERE WAS GIVEN TO ME A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME, LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE. FOR THIS THING I BESOUGHT THE LORD THRICE THAT IT MIGHT DEPART FROM ME. AND HE SAID UNTO ME MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. MOST GLADLY THEREFORE WILL I RATHER GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME. THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST'S SAKE FOR WHEN I AM WEAK THEN AM I STRONG (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)."
What's that Paul did you say you take PLEASURE in all this? Wow now that's taking no pain no gain to a whole new level! Obviously the key to Paul's attitude and insight was his relationship with the Lord. And his faith in him. He was truly given much and to whom much is given much is required. Notice that Paul besought the Lord three times to remove his thorn whatever exactly indeed it was. You'd think that this apostle if anyone would get his prayer answered. And he did. Just not the one he was looking for. But notice that once he did receive his answer he simply learned to live with it and let God use it no matter just how difficult his adversity in life truly was. And the truth is Jesus never actually said no as some believe but simply told Paul that his grace was enough. And by faith you and I can also know today that no matter what our lot in life God is always faithful in the life of the believer to complete the work he begins in us. Always. It's just that you and I simply don't understand exactly how he's using our suffering along the way. Or why. Especially when it just seems to last and last and never seems to ever pass. But it will one day and the truth is he always is because the purpose and plan in our lives is always his. Later when writing from prison to believers one day here's what the great apostle also had to say, "BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING THAT HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS (Philippians 1:6)." God is faithful and his love is true no matter what it looks like now or what you're going through. So keep the faith my friend it's true just like Paul he'll finish his work in you too!
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