This week has had so many ups and downs. My own personal emotional roller coaster could certainly win prizes at any fair ground. The only thing that is keeping me sane is the word of God and frequent naps.
From Psalm 34
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (fears about houses, babies, children, schooling and finances are included in the word all). Those who look to him are radian; thier faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
Did you catch that, the righteous man may have MANY troubles. I have not yet found a place in scripture that says we Christians get to have a rosy life without any trials in it. However, I find that God promises himself, his Holy Spirit and angels to walk with us through each and every difficulty. So what kind of gospel are we preaching? Do we tell people that their life will be fine once they have Jesus? The Bible doesn't say that. I think we expect that - Jesus, the magic wand waves his hand over our life and everything will go exactly the way WE want it too. Ooops, think there might be a problem there.
II Corinthians 4
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
The purpose behind all of this is glory that outshines the trouble. I'm thinking I may be getting shined up!
5 comments:
Yes! I've been wondering the same thing, lately... What exactly is the gospel we are preaching? I've seen people come expecting everything to become easy and then seen them run when the fire comes that is meant to rid them of impurities and make them stronger. Are we preaching the fire of trials as something to be expected and embraced? Are we even saying it to those who are IN the body, nevermind those who are perishing?
I'm not sure where it happened in my own life (grew up in the church). But I know I've only now been wrestling with this idea that this is the normal Christian life - to walk the road of suffering. It's been preached to me all summer and it's really begun to sink in...
I hear you. God just started highlighting this for me this last spring when I started blogging about it - thinking out loud. Although I guess that Phil Keaggy song "Chalice" was a trigger that's been simmering for awhile. I loved it when I first heard it, but it made me uncomfortable at the same time.
I wish I had God's sense of timing....
Life remains full of struggles and trials but I know that I am NEVER alone! It is so comforting to know that I am by God's side at all times!
Flowerlady, I could write a book to respond to you and cindy, but I will simply state that I believe the problem lies with those who have gone before us.
I say this not as a condemnation but as a conclusion drawn from the writings of A.W. Tozer. He was warning his generation of the dangers of a "soft" gospel. Much of what is amiss, or the errant teaching, in Christendom today can be traced back to what was happening in his day.
I suppose what I am really saying is we were raised on bad teaching.
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