For thought and meditation

[rl69]

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.—Romans 5:3–4 (http://harvest.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4f108f827aed8d503b5fca9fa&id=08bd3f72bd&e=3dd732485b)Years ago I had a friend who was very sick and asked me to pray for him. I did. He got worse. He said, "I don't ever want you to pray for me again."

In our estimation, sometimes things go the wrong way. We may pray, "Lord, heal this person. Be glorified through this."

But the Lord might say, "I will be glorified, but I'm not going to do it the way you want Me to. I'm going to do this other thing instead."

Sometimes God will remove the affliction. Sometimes God will heal the illness. Sometimes God will take away the cancer. But sometimes the person will get worse.

We don't usually like that. But it is in these times that God can be glorified. Everyone suffers in life. Christians suffer too. When a Christian is suffering and can still glorify God, that is a powerful testimony to a lost world. When non-Christians see us honoring the Lord through our suffering, it shows them how real our faith is. And guess what? It shows us how real our faith is too.

Do you think your faith would get stronger if everything were easy in life? No, your faith will get stronger through hardship. Here's something that might surprise you: You even will develop more hope through tribulation. Romans 5:3–4 says, "But we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Hope grows in the garden of pain. It doesn't grow without challenges or difficulty. It grows in hard times. It's sort of like building muscle. You build it up by breaking it down. Then, as you keep working out, that muscle will get stronger. You develop strength through your weaknesses. This is true of Christians in their spiritual lives as well.

[square butte]

Thanks for the study rl. I dare say that there may not be a member here who is not in the middle of some trouble of one sort or another - Or has something worrisome on the horizon.

[Blackwater]

Amen to all above. Often, it's just a difference in our and God's point of view. We tend to just simply want what we think will make us happy, or make our lives easier and more pleasant. And God provides us all with those times. But He also recognizes we need to keep growing, lest we fall into the assumption that He'll do it all for us. I can't count how many times I've heard believers say, "I'll just turn it over to God and let Him work it out," when all the while, they had the solution in hand if they'd just take it up. I personally can't imagine God's having given us all the qualities, talents and blessings He's given us and His expecting we're to just wait on Him to do everything for us. We may be His children, but don't we parents try hard to teach our kids how to go in life? Why would He do any less, when we have all we need to achieve our needs?

When help is beyond us, as when we or loved ones are dealing with deadly disease or very serious problems we have no personal control over, He's our only hope, and He does indeed reach down His mighty hand and grant our prayers often. But when He doesn't, He ALWAYS has a plan in it. He is NEVER arbitrary when granting or denying our prayers as we render them. Sometimes, like any good "parent," He knows more than we do, like maybe what's ahead that we can't know about, and He grants us what we need, even if it's not always what we want.

So He ALWAYS answers our prayers. And He always answers them with much greater wisdom and love and care than we are capable of. Mostly, all we know usually is what we want, and what we want is usually for things to not change, or that we not be challenged. But God knows what each of us individually needs, and what's best for us in the long run. "Count it all a blessing" sure means a lot more when we realize this simple truth. Our God is so much greater than we often give Him credit for being! And in all things, more loving than we can conceive of.

We tend to be willful, lazy, and concerned only with what's before us "right now." God sees the past, present and future, and only He can truly balance it all out for our greatest benefit. A humble spirit helps us accept this, and the "challenges" when they come. "Count it all a blessing" keeps echoing in my mind daily. And it's a revelation to appreciate how truly consequential and right it is to do that, whatever may be facing us. Satisfaction, on a truly deep level, often escapes us in this life. But it's because of our own tendency to get too wrapped up in what's immediately around us, and what we immediately want for the moment. Thank God He is in control and not us! Just look what we've made of the world around us! That's OUR doing, not God's.

And if there's any greater satisfaction in this life than knowing that one day, when we shed these feeble bodies we live in right now, we'll be able to share Heaven with our Lord and God and the Holy Spirit, I cannot imagine what it might be. "Count it all a blessing" makes a lot more sense when we realize these things.

Thanks for another truly great one RL. They just keep getting better and better!

[Preacher Jim]

RL that was the most accurate post you have made. many folks do not undeerstand that to go be with the Lord is the ultimate healing God can bestow upon a person, Jesus said pray in Gods will not our own. Hard to accept but true.