I was having a tough day, today. I was being coaxed into making a huge decision that would impact the rest of my life, and it was a choice that I didn't even want to make. I came back to my room the first chance I got, and let all the emotion out. And after I had relieved some of that buildup in my chest, I remembered John 13:8, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me". I had remembered it a few weeks ago, when I was praying, and again today. And by the time I washed my face and blew my nose, this entire thing fell into place.
As God says in Isaiah 48:10, "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." The fact of the matter is: God allows trouble in our lives, and although that might sounds rude or harsh to some, it's not very different from a mother allowing her infant to touch the outside of a hot cup of tea so that the child will learn what "hot" means. The experience, although painful, teaches us something. In my case, it is to teach me to trust God more - to have more faith in Him - because it is only by this faith that I will be able to draw closer to Him. In Luke 22:31, Jesus says to Simon, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail".
The beautiful thing about trials and troubles is that it is the perfect opportunity for us to actually see how "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose", as written in Romans 8:28. Looking back, now, on some of the other troubles I've had earlier in my life, it's simply breath-taking to see how situations and people were redirected and led such that everything worked out, entirely for my good. In some cases, all we need is a week for the plan to fall into place and for our human minds to fathom what He has done for us, but in other cases, it may take years, or even decades, and it is only by faith that we endure. But the sweet realization, beyond all doubt, that God loves us enough to spend time to create elaborate plans for our well-being is well-worth the wait. The knowledge that at the end of all of this, God will lift me up is all I need to help me to rejoice, even in the midst of my current troubles.
As God says in Isaiah 48:10, "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." The fact of the matter is: God allows trouble in our lives, and although that might sounds rude or harsh to some, it's not very different from a mother allowing her infant to touch the outside of a hot cup of tea so that the child will learn what "hot" means. The experience, although painful, teaches us something. In my case, it is to teach me to trust God more - to have more faith in Him - because it is only by this faith that I will be able to draw closer to Him. In Luke 22:31, Jesus says to Simon, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail".
The beautiful thing about trials and troubles is that it is the perfect opportunity for us to actually see how "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose", as written in Romans 8:28. Looking back, now, on some of the other troubles I've had earlier in my life, it's simply breath-taking to see how situations and people were redirected and led such that everything worked out, entirely for my good. In some cases, all we need is a week for the plan to fall into place and for our human minds to fathom what He has done for us, but in other cases, it may take years, or even decades, and it is only by faith that we endure. But the sweet realization, beyond all doubt, that God loves us enough to spend time to create elaborate plans for our well-being is well-worth the wait. The knowledge that at the end of all of this, God will lift me up is all I need to help me to rejoice, even in the midst of my current troubles.
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