Todays Reading 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 3 We must always thank God for you, brothers. This is right, since your faith is flourishing and the love each one of you has for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God’s churches—about your endurance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you endure. 5 It is a clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering, 6 since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you 7 and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, 8 taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength 10 in that day when He comes to be glorified by His saints and to be admired by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed. 11 And in view of this, we always pray for you that our God will consider you worthy of His calling, and will, by His power, fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. An Example of Suffering and Perseverance by Denise Jones The expressed pain has seemed endless lately. My friend who, at the age of forty, has longed for a spouse to share these years with, finally has the ring on her finger—and a family member determined to steal her joy. Another friend who walked away from a good job to do what she felt God had called her to now wonders how she is going to pay for the Christmas presents she would love to give. And yet another has a teenage son who has squandered the inheritance, settled for the pigpen, and is in desperate need of turning his heart towards home. And that doesn’t even count the ones suffering with cancer, navigating broken marriages, or whose wombs beg for life. Then there are the persecuted. Not the persecution of death happening in other countries, but the snide remarks from a family member, the expressed anger of a co-worker, the hostility of a neighbor. And the enemies. Some of us have real enemies—people who hate us, whose bitterness has swallowed them whole, and who spend endless amounts of energy trying to “win” over us. I hate pain. I hate the physical kind, yes, but the heart kind hurts in places physical pain never reaches. The doubts can assail. The questions rage. The longings lie unquenched. But God in His love allows Paul to give us these words that bring us hope, hope that opens the door to faith. First, he reminds us that when we suffer pain we are doing it for the kingdom of God. We “share” in Christ’s suffering. Why? Because suffering brings about the holiness and makes us even more grateful for the glory. But he also tells us it will not always be this way. There will come a day when the suffering is righted, when the ugliness and injustices are accounted for, and when the things that have pierced our hearts the most will be brought to nothing. It is his final words, however, that afford us a beauty more than all the words before. Our faith in this journey matters. In fact, our faith in these seasons of pain, in these times of persecution, displays the undeniable glory of God. When we believe in spite of the lack, when we trust in spite of the accusation, when we hope in spite of what our natural eyes see, God is glorified. And when this happens we are told He then glorifies us. Friends, that is a privileged place to stand. It means that His thoughts towards us are honoring and our future is with Him. In a life of pain, there is a blessed hope in the knowledge that this world is not our home. And it might possibly be that our deepest places of pain—where faith is honed, equipped and then activated—are the very places that keep our hearts set on eternal things. And if this is true, then may the pain accomplish its purpose, as I persevere for hope, a glory and a home. Praxis The next time you are in a deep season of pain, begin to pray for people you know who are going through similar situations. This will move you from a place of self-pity to recognition of Gods plan and power, as it is often easier to believe for others than for ourselves. If your pain is a result of someone who is intentionally wounding you, pray for that person quickly, realizing the enemys greatest goal is to birth a root of bitterness in you. Praying for the individual or individuals removes the enemys ability to do this. It is a wonderful way to guard your heart. Speak faith and life to your situation. This is what Paul was doing for the Thessalonians. Scripture tells us that our words have the power to create life or death. It’s our choice. The next time the pain of your season would cause your heart to doubt that God sees you or will come through for you, turn that doubt into words of faith. Read scripture out loud until faith reaches the deepest recesses of your heart. Declare the promises that are yours until both your mind and your spirit believe it. Our declarations of faith are some of our most powerful tools in our season of pain. Remember, it was the mumbling, complaining words of the children of Israel that kept them from the Promised Land. But when the next generation with Joshua finally reached the walls of Jericho, it was praise that tore them down.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 06:29:33 +0000
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