The Work of Suffering - Part 3: Three Areas to Explore

I have been working through a series on the work of suffering. I was inspired by Oswald Chamber’s devotional My Utmost for His Highest and you can see the original post here. Part 2 looked at the necessity of leaning into the truth of God’s word, our foundation, during difficult times. This week I want to look at three areas where the work of suffering becomes essential.

Image by Malachi Witt from Pixabay

Belief.

Suffering has a way of honing our belief systems. I have looked at the word belief before on this blog, but let’s review. (You can see that original post here. ) The word belief is defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary as a NOUN: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing; something believed or held as true; conviction of the truth of some statement or reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence. The VERB state of belief would be believe which is define as: Transitive - to consider as true or honest; to accept the word or evidence of; to hold as an opinion; Intransitive - to accept something as true, genuine or real; to have a firm or wholehearted religious conviction or persuasion; to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of someone or something.

Image by Christian Calhoun from Pixabay

We know the Bible talks a lot about belief. It is essential in our faith that we believe in a God we do not see based on what we know from His Holy word, and on the revelation of the Spirit, the third person of the trinity. We also have the words of Jesus, His son, in the four Gospels.

For instance, reading through another of Oswald Chamber’s devotionals recently he used the following two verses, two days in a row.

“...for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
6 so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?””

— Hebrews 13:5b-6 (NASB 1995)

When I am going through difficulty and I approach Scripture, I need to ask myself, “Do I believe what God is saying in these verses? We will talk about trust in a moment, but for now, just think about this idea of belief. Do I believe…what? Do I believe God is real? Do I believe He created the universe? Do I believe the Bible is His holy words written down by men moved by His Spirit? Do I believe what those words say? Do I believe in the person and work of Jesus? Do I believe He was born to a virgin, walked as a man on this earth, gathered a group of disciples who became the foundation of the church, died on a cross and rose again? Do I believe that when I accept Jesus as my Lord and savior that I receive the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, and through Him I am able to learn, and grow and find all that I need for life and godliness?

“ 1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ”

— 2 Peter 1:1-3 (NASB 1995)

Trust.

It may seem that the words trust and believe are the same thing, but this is where we get into the nuances of words. To me, the word belief is a stance. I am placing my feet on the solid foundation of God’s word and its truth. The word trust belies something more relational. Websters Online Dictionary defines trust as: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. If I trust someone I am choosing to rely on them. This is where I believe many Christians struggle. We can be standing on the edge of the Promised land, but never step into it. I can believe God’s word, plan and purpose for this world and for me. I can know scripture, attend numerous services at my church, and spend my weekends serving those less fortunate, but if I don’t trust God, all of it becomes merely works that I am hoping to stack in my favor. Trust moves us from merely standing on the foundation, to opening the door to God’s movement and work in our lives and the lives of others around us.

Image by vivienviv0 from Pixabay

“38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with [q]all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”
41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;
42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.””

— Luke 10:38-42 (NASB 1995)

If you have been a Christian for a while, and have been in a Bible study, or heard a sermon preached on the above passage, you probably know this piece of scripture is not without controversy. I do not mean controversy pertaining to whether it is true or not, but as to whether Martha was really out of line for questioning the Lord and wanting Jesus to reprimand her sister for not helping her with the meal. However, what does Jesus say?

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chose the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

The point I want to make is Mary had trusted Jesus. She wasn’t worried about the meal, or the work, she was leaning in to the relationship with her Lord and teacher, and eventually savior, Jesus. This is such an important point, and I am sorry this is so long, but I feel it is important to understand; without the movement from belief to trust we will never become the sons and daughters we are meant to be.

Read this article form the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (UK), The Tree Stump Prayer: When Billy Graham Overcame Doubt. I learned of this prayer years ago when I was attending Moody Bible Institute and the story still impresses me. Billy Graham, the greatest evangelist of the 20th century had doubts? Wow! He did, until he took the step from belief to trust.

Peace.

The last area I want to look at having to do with the work of suffering has to do with peace. Suffering easily leads to anxiety and fear. It is completely understandable. It doesn’t matter what sort of suffering you are going through: chronic illness, newly diagnosed cancer, impending divorce or job loss, losing a loved one, a home, or being in the throes of trying to maneuver government websites to sign up for Social Security and Medicare; all of these can produce stress, anxiety and fear. If we do not believe and entrust ourselves to God and his truth we will not have peace.

I talked about peace back in February in my Peace in the Chaos series. You can see those pieces here: Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b, and Part 2c. Being able to have peace during difficult and chaotic times is essential in the growth and stability of our faith. The only true way to attain this peace is to abide, abide, abide in Christ.

Image by Ray_Shrewsberry from Pixabay

“1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.””

— John 15:1-11 (NASB 1995)

This passage really lays it all out. If we abide in Christ we will be standing firm on the beliefs that are foundational to our faith; we will be entrusting ourselves to the vine dresser, which is God the Father; we will have His peace, and the most amazing thing is that even in the difficulty of pruning and cutting us back we will bear fruit. I would like to do a further study on this passage at a later time, but we can certainly see the benefit to our lives during suffering when we abide in Him.

Sorry, this series has taken so long, and I hope that it has benefited you. My spouse and I have been going through some struggles, but I am thankful that I have a loving Father who keeps turning me back to Him.

Have a great week.

His Design in Our Desires

I was recently going through a struggle brought on, in part by two problems, the long dreary wearies of winter with no sunshine, and a post New Year bout with Covid. Seasonal Affective Disorder always leaves me feeling more blue during the short gray days and longer dark nights of this season. I really need to invest in a light to help with that. Getting sick on top of SAD and it being after the holidays left me in a pretty low place. Being in a low place usually makes me more susceptible to the enemy’s tactics of blame and self pity.

Image by Mimzy from Pixabay

It came to my attention that a friend of mine was in a similar place, but for her the struggle was from a difficult marriage. She had texted me asking for the name of the counselor I was going to. I could tell by the tone of her text that she was not in a good place. We ended up having a video chat that ended with us both in prayer for one another. The interesting thing about our struggles, was that even though they stemmed from different sources we were still looking for the same things: love, affirmation, and companionship.

Over the next 24 hours, both my friend and I were on our own journeys seeking the Lord, knowing that we wanted to be spiritually right, but also not quite sure what to do with these desires that we had. Were these desires wrong? Were we just supposed to not think about them? Were we supposed to sacrifice them on the altar of, “Well, that’s just what Christians are supposed to do without?”

The Lord in His kindness took me to a passage in Isaiah, which I felt not only applied to myself, but applied to my friend, so I texted her a few of those verses. (My friend was also being led by the Lord to a different passage in the Psalms, which she also shared with me.)

Image by Monika from Pixabay

“10 They will not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down;
For He who has compassion on them will lead them
And will guide them to springs of water.
11 “I will make all My mountains a road,
And My highways will be raised up....

13 ...Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people
And will have compassion on His afflicted.”

— Isaiah 49:10-11,13 (NASB 1995)

The Lord was telling us that our desires were not only real, but good. The desire for food and water is not a wrong desire. In fact, just like food and water is a desire that must be met, our desire for love, companionship and affirmation are just as necessary.

My husband and I like to watch survival shows like Dual Survivor, Dude Your Screwed, and most recently Alone. The thing I have found fascinating is that not everyone leaves due to starvation or injury. In fact, often times it is the aloneness of their situation that finally drives them to pushing the button to tap out. We are made to be in relationship, and in community.

Image by Joe from Pixabay

Over my years as a church going Christian I have seen problems arise when we forget that the church is the body of Christ, and we are meant to look out and care for each other. That means taking the time to listen, to pray, and to help. We also have to be willing to be vulnerable. When a person is struggling whether in a hard marriage, a tenuous work environment, or a changing family dynamic the enemy will always take advantage, and He will always blame.

“Well if he only would….”

“Well, if I don’t get that promotion then I’m out…”

“If she would just listen when I tell her something…”

We suddenly become all about our rights and desires. Is that what God called us to? Or did He call us to trust in Him?

The above verses tell us we will not hunger or thirst. We will not be struck down by the sun by day nor the moon by night (Psalm 121:6). This isn’t just a reference to physical hunger, thirst and discomfort. It applies to every aspect of our being. God cares for every desire and care we have.

We are created in His image. We are able to reason, love, care, act justly, and have compassion. God doesn’t just say He’s going to meet our needs, He does meet our needs and our desires, every single one. When we look back at Isaiah 49:10 it says God has compassion on His people and He will guide them to springs of water.

As we continue to read the passage we hear the Lord say, “I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways will be raised up…” That tells me that God is going to provide a way for those desires to be met. The thing we need to understand is that we are limited where God is not. We see things in a physical dimension, but He works in both the physical and the spiritual.

Image by Lisa Caroselli from Pixabay

“4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

— Psalm 37:4 (NASB 1995)

Could anything be more simple or sure than the meaning of this verse? If we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. Every desire we have for love, companionship and affirmation will be lavishly and fully met by our Lord and Savior.

Don’t think this is going to be easy. Verse 13 shows us that we are going to have affliction. There may be seasons where we don’t feel the love. There might be weeks where the blame game seems to work better at every bend and turn. However, what does it say about God? He comforts His people and has compassion on the afflicted. He’s got you. He’s got your desires, every, single one. Our job is to:

Be still and know He is God - Psalm 46:10

Remember we are not condemned - Romans 8:1

Give it all to Him, because He cares for us - 1 Peter 5:7

As we journey into this new year, I hope you will recognize every opportunity to know Him more deeply and that every desire you have will be filled in Him.

Faith Inspiration - Information or Transformation: How We View the Bible

Today’s post is going to be divided into two parts with the next part falling next week under my Wonderful Words of Life post.

Dwight Lyman Moody was an American evangelist who founded Moody Church, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishing company, all based in Chicago, IL. Moody gave up his shoe and boot business to invest himself in the revivalist movement. His dynamic and fiery speaking style drew large crowds in both the United State and the British Isles.

Rather than try to dissect an entire sermon, I want to talk about the inspiration we can draw from just one of Moody’s quotes.

“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”

— D. L. Moody

Image by simardfrancois from Pixabay

Most of us are familiar with the transformation butterflies and moths go through. Starting out as a caterpillar, the little beastie will eat him or herself plump, then build a cocoon around themselves. Over a period of time the caterpillar will slowly change or transform into an entirely different bug with legs, antennae, and wings.

When we allow the Bible to transform us, God is changing us from one being into another. Where once we lived in the flesh, we begin to live in the Spirit. Where once we were in darkness, we are now in the light. Where once we were enslaved, now we are free.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

— Romans 12:2 (NASB 1995)

“15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

— 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (NASB 1995)

“20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

— Philippians 3:20-21 (NASB 1995)

Image by Kei Rothblack from Pixabay

From these three sets of verses we witness two types of transformation: the kind that we have control over and the kind that God has control over. This week we will look at transformation we control.

1 - Transformation we Control

Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.How do we achieve this sort of transformation? We achieve it by allowing God’s word to permeate and change the way that we think. How can this be? I can read all sorts of books, magazines, and articles but they don’t necessarily change the way I think; or if they do it is a temporary fix until the next fad comes along. Biblical transformation has to do not only with the author and the reader, but with the vitality of the words themselves.

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

— Hebrews 4:12 (NASB 1995)

The Bible states of itself that it is living and active. Obviously, this is not some magical spell, it is the natural outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the words of the Almighty God. We come into an understanding of this outpouring of living words when we give our hearts to Christ. That is why the Bible seems like stuff and nonsense to those who read it without the pulling and pouring of God’s Spirit.

However, this kind of transformation only takes place as we allow God’s word to change us. We can liken it to being a caterpillar in a cocoon. Just as the butterfly must push its way out of its flossy sleep we too must wrestle, and meditate, and study to wake ourselves from our sleep of mediocrity. If we approach God’s word with an open heart and an inquiring mind, really wanting to know what God is try to teach us, then we will see ourselves being transformed from the old beast into an enchanted creature meant to fly.

Next week we will continue our look at how we view the Bible and learn about the beauty of the ever transforming God. I hope you’ll join me.

Have a wonderful weekend.