BIBLE PASSAGE:
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you
may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have
come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater
worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—
may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
(1 Peter 1:6-7)
MEDITATION:
We can all agree that we live in a world where many people are suffering
in various ways. We may wonder why a person is allowing something to
have a devastating impact on them, and they may wonder the same thing
about us. God made us different and we live in different environments and
circumstances, so we should know when another person is suffering in some
way, it is painful for them regardless of what we think.
When God sent the plagues to the Egyptians prior to freeing His people,
those who worshipped God (Israelites) suffered the first three plagues too.
The first three plagues were (1) the Nile water turning into blood; (2) frogs;
(3) gnats. We don’t know for sure, but we can assume that the Israelites did
not suffer from the last seven plagues.
The tenth plague (death of the first born) required the Israelites to
do something to avoid it. God provided safety from this plague for
His people when they expressed their faith and trust in Him by
painting their doorposts with the blood of a sacrificial lamb.
Try to visualize the situation during the first three plagues. All people
were suffering, but those who worshipped God were handling it much
different than the Egyptians. In their misery, the Egyptians could see
how the Israelites were handling the same problems they were having.
Imagine that the Egyptians may have been thinking,
“I don’t understand how they can handle their suffering the way
they are, but I want whatever they have that is missing in my life”
The way the Israelites dealt with their suffering could have been the
most effective way of expressing their faith and trust in God to those
who needed a relationship with Him too. God may have been using
the Israelites as a way of drawing the Egyptians to Him.
When we suffer with things we don’t understand, we need to pause
and think about ‘how’ our suffering can affect others. As Christians,
we have feelings and we hurt just the same as anyone who doesn’t
have a relationship with the Lord. But as followers of Jesus, we can
choose to look at our suffering as part of God’s plan, instead of selfishly
creating a pity-party for ourselves.
When we know we have been worshipping and praising God and yet we
have been overwhelmed with a type of suffering that has devastated our
world, it can be confusing to us. The people who know us and have seen
our suffering may be thinking…
“I know this person has been faithfully worshipping and serving the
Lord. They don’t deserve this type of gut-wrenching suffering. There
are other people who are wicked and vile without a fellowship with
the Lord. It would make more sense if they were the ones who were
having to suffer. Why should this Godly person have to suffer like
this? Shouldn’t they be enjoying the blessings from God? Why would
anyone want to follow a God who allows them to suffer like this?”
The answer to these questions is,
‘God is God, and we’re not’.
We may never understand His ways, but when our desire is to maintain
our faith and trust in Him, we know we will be blessed, and we can be
effective witnesses to others. Why? Because we know that God created
us, loves us, and He wants to effectively use us in some way to reach lost
souls. Being a part of the Lord’s work will bless us in innumerable ways.
ACTION:
Questions to think about:
– Am I going through a difficult time right now?
– If I am sad and feeling devastated about a situation,
how am I handling it? Am I isolating myself from God
in an attempt to resolve issues in my own strength, or
am I calling to God for His help?
– How would I describe my relationship with the Lord?
– Do I feel I am walking in ‘lock step’ with Him?
– Do I feel I can immediately call on, and trust Him
when I feel overwhelmed by a problem in my life?
– Do I have more of a tendency to ask, “Why me?” or
do I think of His involvement in my life and ask, “Why not me?”
– Do I perceive problems as punishment or opportunities?
(It doesn’t mean we minimize the pain, sadness, and maybe even
anger we are feeling, but we try to understand how God may be
using us and our situation as part of His earthly ministry).
– Do I have assurance that no matter how much emotional pain
I am having, God is with me and He will always sustain me?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for rescuing me from Satan’s
attempts to chain me to anything that will control me and
lure me away from my fellowship with You. Thank You for
Your promise to always be with me. Remind me of Your
presence and teach me to lean on, and call on You when I
am having distress in my life. Assure me that when I call on
You, some of my pain will be alleviated and I will be able to
cope in ways I never imagined possible. Help me to develop
a better understanding of Your presence in all things, even
when some problems are overwhelming and cause me great
sadness. Thank You for how You have helped me with things
in the past, and remind me that You are still with me during
my current and future challenges. I can’t visualize everything
from Your perspective, so please help me to know that You
work for the good of those who love You and have been called
according to Your purpose.”
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