Who Takes Pleasure In Sufferings?

Paul most gladly welcomed suffering and took pleasure in affliction.  Why?  Paul stated in Phil. 3:10 "That I may know him,  and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."

Paul knew that to know Christ intimately he must experience the bad (not in God's mind) with the good.  In order to think like Christ he must be of the same mind.  What is this mind?  It is found in Phil. 2:5 as we find Jesus humbling Himself to take on the form of a servant and be made in the likeness of man and become obedient to death...suffering.

We often hear Romans 8:29 preached  about how God's will is to conform us to the image of His son and we accept this without any real thought of what needs to happen.  Part of the conforming is a great amount of suffering.  After all, it is through suffering that Jesus won the greatest victory of all - salvation.  It is through suffering that Jesus became the perfect example in how to respond to pain, affliction, and persecution (1 Peter 2:21).  In Proverbs 17:3 "The fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts."  This trying of the heart is putting the man under pressure...suffering...in order to purify the heart that he may be conformed to the image of Jesus.  Paul's sole focus was to be like Christ and he knew that sufferings were a big part of getting there, therefore he welcomed them and took pleasure in them.

Paradoxical as it may seem there is great happiness and victory achieved through suffering!  Suffering   breaks down our pride and dependence on self; it incinerates our haughty ways and reduces us to mere  emotional/physical weaklings dependent upon a great and powerful God.  Your heavenly Father will never be closer to you than during the times of suffering.  Then if that's not enough...

Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" 

God may hand out spoons full of suffering but he rewards in buckets full of glory!!

Lord, help us to stay faithful when suffering knowing that you are at work in our lives molding us and making us more like the Saviour...might we even someday, as Paul did, take pleasure in it.

 

To Embellish With Honor

Titus 2:10 "Not purloining , but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."

Experts say that of the people making New Year's resolutions many fail due to not having a plan to succeed in their efforts.  Of those that have no plan only 4% succeed in making their resolution reality.  The other side of the coin is that 44% succeed when they simply write the resolution down and form a simple plan to achieve the goal.  The point is that those that made it their purpose daily to fulfill the desire had much more success than those that casually attempted to change a part of their lives for the better.

What does this have to do with Titus 2:10?  It is our responsibility as children of God to adorn the Word of God through purposeful godly living that the Word of God be not blasphemed (to speak evil of) by the world.  The word "adorn" means to embellish with honor.  Chapters 2 and 3 use the words "good works" four times in twenty-four verses.  Plainly our good works is the tool to be used to bring honor to the Word of God (study chapters 2-3 to better understand this).

This showing of good works will be done on purpose and with a plan.  No child of God ever performed good works naturally or by accident.  The doing of right does not come naturally but with a yielded heart and a plan. 

God has granted to us a wonderful privilege in making His doctrine more glorious and beautiful in the minds of all people.  My question is, "What plan do we have to in all things adorn the doctrine of God?"  If we have no plan there will be no adorning.  Live this day on purpose and let that purpose be to bring beauty, glory, and honor to the things of God.

Lord, please let me not do anything today that would bring dishonor and blasphemy upon your wonderful truth.    

Hope

Exodus 4:31 "And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped."

In the previous verses we find Moses through Aaron telling the people that God has heard their cries and is about to deliver them from the pain and suffering of bondage under the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt.  Can you imagine how they listened with baited breath and hung on every word that Moses had to say about his meeting with Jehovah?  As he explained in minute detail all that was said can't you hear them saying, "Now Moses don't leave out one detail." and "What did He look like?" and "Were you scared?" and  "Now exactly what did He say again about delivering us, when will it begin, how long will it take and where will we go when we leave here?"  When Aaron had finished speaking and answering whatever questions the people had, the Bible said they "bowed their heads and worshipped."

I love this passage. In my Bible I wrote the word "Hope" after verse 31 because of the wellspring of happiness and joy obviously felt by the people and no wonder why!  How would you feel if you knew without a shadow of doubt that God has heard your prayers and was about to answer them?  This is what stuck out in my mind as I contemplated this meeting.  

We know that God hears our prayers.  I will list several prayer promises but the Bible contains countless others for our benefit.

Matthew 7:11 "If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things unto them that ask him?"

John 15 "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you."

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

My point this morning is that God does in fact hear the prayers of the righteous. How exciting it is to know that He hears you and having the faith to believe that He is going to answer is not only mind-boggling but offers incredible strength as we depend on Him for our every need. 

This truth empowers my prayer life...knowing He hears my prayer and Him knowing I believe in His omnipotent power to give me good things.  THIS IS HOPE!

   

When Talent and Passion Collide

In Exodus 31 we are introduced to two men named Bezaleel and Alohiab.  These two men were  representatives of a group of highly skilled craftsmen that made all that was necessary for the building of the tabernacle.  As I read this yesterday I was reminded of a thought of how important it is for all God's children to recognize their God-given talents and use them in the work of the Lord for His glory.

In verses 3-5 God describes their abilities to us in this way, "I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in all knowledge, and in all workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones,  to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship."

I cannot remember the name of the book I read many months ago in which the writer made a significant point  regarding the use of our God-given talents.  He said that every Christian could do great things for God if he only desired to do the work for which God had equipped him.  Let me illustrate.  If God had given to an individual talents in the field of music but that person does not appreciate those talents and finds no joy in them but seeks to achieve success in other areas with minimal skill he will never experience the same succes had he concentrated on using his God-given talents to their fullest.

A man that is passionate in using the talents God has given him and seeks to employ them to the fullest extent is a man that will do great things for God.  Keep in mind we all are equipped to do great things if we are passionate about what God is passionate about for our lives.  

Lord, give us the wisdom to recognize our talents and the grace to passionately use them for your honor and glory.

Is God in Control?

As I read my Bible in the mornings I am always looking for some truth to encourage me and to strengthen me for the day.  One of the great truths of the Bible is the fact that God is sovereign in all the affairs of mankind.  He is Lord of all; the Supreme Authority. 

I am forever encouraged when I read verses like Daniel 4:32 "...the most high ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will."  Another verse comes to mind in  Jeremiah 32:27 "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me."  And in Psalm 115:3 "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."  There are many more that you are probably quoting to yourself as you read these I have posted. 

We see this sovereignty manifested in the life of Joseph.  No matter what happened to him God was able to preserve His will and prosper Joseph in all he did.  There are many ways He could have saved Israel from destruction during the famine but He chose to work within the jealousies and anger of Joseph's brothers to weave a perfect work of salvation preserving His fledgling nation. 

With so much proof of His divine power and wisdom why do we still doubt His abilities or His desire to use them for our good?  Why do we continue to worry when we cannot see a way out of trouble knowing we rest in the palm of His hand?  Colossians 3:3 "For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God." We fear and lack faith because we attempt to live though the power of the flesh therefore we face issues daily that we cannot control...they overwhelm our puny strength.  But if we crucify the flesh daily and live in the power of the Spirit of God we will never face anything that is too hard for God.  

        

The Philosophy of "The Least of These"

How many times have we driven down the road and seen a homeless man pushing a cart, picking up pop cans, or even sleeping on a public bench...what did we think?  What about the time we crossed paths with a person in need and because of their physical and/or mental handicap that made us feel uncomfortable and uneasy we simply moved about as if we did not see them?  Or the times we have run into people that just plain are not like us and even the way they dress, smell, and look totally offends our sense of decency...how did we respond?   

In Matthew 25:31-46 we have Jesus teaching on the judgments of nations upon His second coming.  There is some interesting language here regarding their treatment of the "least of these".  This apparently will be the standard for their punishment and/or reward.   

I want to look closely at the phrase "the least of these"and how this teaching applies to us today.  This group of people refers to those individuals who hold no position, authority, wealth, or influence in the community.   God has a real soft place for the downtrodden, afflicted, poor, persecuted, and all people in need of help. Whether their situation is due to unwise decisions or unfortunate circumstances He does not differentiate.  When He refers to them as His brethren He is acknowledging them as brothers through faith and I believe brothers through suffering, therefore Jesus is referring to all men of unfortunate position.

It was the diseased, handicapped, and poor with whom Jesus spent much of His earthly ministry healing, feeding,  and communicating. It was the sinners and the publicans with whom Jesus preferred to share a meal in Matthew 9:10.  The word sinner in this verse means "pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked,  men stained with certain vices or crimes".  His answer to the Pharisees was that these were the people that needed a physician.  

I believe the greater judgment rests with how we treat those truly in need.  May we be sensitive to the needs of the "least of these" for  it is a real opportunity to not only help them but also an excellent opportunity to serve and show our love for the Saviour!  

Jude :22 "And of some having compassion making a difference."

 

Do We Despise God's Word?

If you look up the word "despise" in the dictionary you will find the definition as something like "to look down upon with contempt, worthlessness, or distaste".  Synonyms for the word despise would be loathe, abhor, hate, and detest.  

Recently while reading Proverbs 13 I came across an interesting verse that has challenged my outlook on God's Word.  In verse 13 we find this, "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded."  My first reaction was "Man, who would be dumb enough to despise the Word of God...only the wicked I am sure".  As I often do I looked up the word "despiseth" in the Hebrew and the meaning is different than the definition stated in the first paragraph.  The meaning is to look upon something as insignificant.  This meaning really floored me because how often in my life have I not read the Bible for one reason or another and chalked it up to "well I'll get to it tomorrow".  I never believed I hated the Bible or thought it to be distasteful or worthless but I did apparently hold it as not significant enough to create time in my schedule to read it.

Do we despise the Word of God?  I am afraid that if we are not reading it daily, then according to His Word we despise it.  By His grace let us not be guilty of this omission and give His Word the significance it truly deserves by abiding in it daily.  

Weakness: Our Strongest Position

I was encouraged this morning by studying 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.  This passage of scripture clearly defines the requirements to be used of God: foolish (ridiculous, despicable), weak (feeble), base (low-birth, of no reputation), despised (no account), and "things that are not".  He states that He will use these types of things, and people, to confound (shame) the mighty!

When Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan river in order to be cleansed from his leprosy Naaman thought it absurd and ridiculous.  His servant convinced him to do it and low and behold he was cleansed.

When Jesus Christ was born in a manger this is not exactly what we think of when we imagine the birth of the King of the Jews the Saviour of the world.

When God used John the Baptist, a man that dressed in camel skins, ate wild honey and locusts, and lived in the dessert, to prepare the way of the Lord, the noble and mighty despised it.

When God used a small ark built of weeds to save the life of the great deliverer of Israel, Moses, and then took him on the back side of the dessert for 40 years to "unlearn" him and train him in the ways of the Lord he was dismissed by Pharaoh.

When Jesus gave up His heavenly crown and position for a rugged cross of suffering and humiliation He won the greatest victory in the history of mankind!

On and on we could go in finding examples in the Bible to illustrate the principles taught in this passage.  

God also gives a warning to the wise (theologians, learned, cultivated), the mighty (strong, powerful in finances and influence), and the noble (well-born, superior due to birth) that many of them will not be called for His service because of their dependance on their flesh and intelligence.

I am encouraged because I know I can do one thing which is to rest in and rely upon the strength and  ways of the Lord knowing that in my weakness His strength is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).