After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. I Peter 5:10
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear Psalm 46:1-2a
Love you my Sisters who Jesus calls by name,
Platitudes. Pain uninvited. Burdens that linger as unwelcome as a stray dog who claims your yard as his own. Physical pain readily exposes the emptiness of pat answers, clearing our vision and unstopping our ears.
History has borne out the truth that those who God uses greatly He has allowed to be hurt deeply. We would change this truth if we could! Eternal things, wrought by His Spirit through His servants, correspond to the wine press, the grapes crushed under foot in agony of spirit. Have you not found that anything worthwhile in your life, worth sharing to help others, has been birthed from suffering? Through which you have come to know the heart of the One who allowed it and who loves you beyond your ability to fathom. You walk in a faith-trust today which is the direct result of suffering and have proved your Father absolutely faithful. Though unaware at the time, you were being transformed and your faith strengthened!
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus... Heb 12:2
"However great our suffering, his was far greater." RA
Suffering is a dance partner i did not request or have opportunity to refuse. A simple arthroscopic surgery on my knee (torn meniscuses) has brought an unwelcome dance partner. We move in a slow jerky, out of step waltz. I am unable to kneel and i 'sit' a lot with an ice-wrap the size of a cantaloupe around my knee. No driving so far or running or elliptical and dancing while i cook is off my 'to do' list. A week of intense pain before the surgery, preceded by 2 months of moderate pain, was wearing, yet only a precursor to this past month of daily pain. Questions raced through my mind... what do people do who have intense pain, deep loss or serious health issues? What if i were Japanese and had physical and crippling emotional pain... day after day? Unable to take any meds for pain, not even ibuprofen or arnica. Zip. I have the blessing of ice packs for which i am very grateful. My prayer is 'LORD, do not let me miss anything You have for me". Along with reminding myself whining and self-pity are not fruits of the Spirit nor acceptable 'sin'.
The essential consideration is that our Father be glorified in all His dealings with and for us. MJS
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; II Cor 9:8
This is a power verse! Let it fill your heart and mind. Make it personal. Why not memorize it and tuck it into your arsenal? God makes no mistake and has put you into a specific crucible to burn up what He sees needs to go. All to accomplish his will creating the likeness of Christ Jesus in you. What an opportunity to trust Him. Many think victory is having their circumstances righted. No! Such thinking is but a spirit of entitlement. Who are we to dictate to an all-wise, Creator God, what we see as the right thing! Does God need our help? This would be humorous if it were not so sad. Common arrogance from our sinful flesh. God is God and we are not. Hold still under His hand. Choosing to 'trust God' is a choice of our 'will' and requires dying to self. We are welcome to 'ask' Him for what we would like from a heart tuned to welcome His answer whether or not it is what we desire. He will make you more than a conquerer and lift you up to deeper dependence on Him. Rejoice that you are in Christ. Stop dwelling on the 'why' and ask 'what do You want to teach me Lord?'
I bow, before You who turned toward the Cross. Toward suffering... for me. I am in awe of who You are sweet Jesus. You are Lord of all, my God, my Constant, my Purpose, my Sanity, my Life-Breath and Keeper of my heart, Provider and Truth Teller. You who love me without condition or for any reason i can understand have made a way for me to know You more and more intimately. Your Word says what ever suffering You allow has great purpose. (Jer 32:19) Thank You for being a God who redeems my sorrows and sufferings to benefit me, giving me hope and Your name glory. Let me share you with someone who needs to know these Truths about You so they may be set free to live Truth in Christ. I love you so imperfectly tho my heart wants to love You well. I pray this in Jesus precious name, Him whose hands and heart were never in conflict, amen.
hugs and prayers to all my sisters, (following is one of my favorite poems)
az
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear Psalm 46:1-2a
Love you my Sisters who Jesus calls by name,
Platitudes. Pain uninvited. Burdens that linger as unwelcome as a stray dog who claims your yard as his own. Physical pain readily exposes the emptiness of pat answers, clearing our vision and unstopping our ears.
History has borne out the truth that those who God uses greatly He has allowed to be hurt deeply. We would change this truth if we could! Eternal things, wrought by His Spirit through His servants, correspond to the wine press, the grapes crushed under foot in agony of spirit. Have you not found that anything worthwhile in your life, worth sharing to help others, has been birthed from suffering? Through which you have come to know the heart of the One who allowed it and who loves you beyond your ability to fathom. You walk in a faith-trust today which is the direct result of suffering and have proved your Father absolutely faithful. Though unaware at the time, you were being transformed and your faith strengthened!
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus... Heb 12:2
"However great our suffering, his was far greater." RA
Suffering is a dance partner i did not request or have opportunity to refuse. A simple arthroscopic surgery on my knee (torn meniscuses) has brought an unwelcome dance partner. We move in a slow jerky, out of step waltz. I am unable to kneel and i 'sit' a lot with an ice-wrap the size of a cantaloupe around my knee. No driving so far or running or elliptical and dancing while i cook is off my 'to do' list. A week of intense pain before the surgery, preceded by 2 months of moderate pain, was wearing, yet only a precursor to this past month of daily pain. Questions raced through my mind... what do people do who have intense pain, deep loss or serious health issues? What if i were Japanese and had physical and crippling emotional pain... day after day? Unable to take any meds for pain, not even ibuprofen or arnica. Zip. I have the blessing of ice packs for which i am very grateful. My prayer is 'LORD, do not let me miss anything You have for me". Along with reminding myself whining and self-pity are not fruits of the Spirit nor acceptable 'sin'.
The essential consideration is that our Father be glorified in all His dealings with and for us. MJS
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; II Cor 9:8
This is a power verse! Let it fill your heart and mind. Make it personal. Why not memorize it and tuck it into your arsenal? God makes no mistake and has put you into a specific crucible to burn up what He sees needs to go. All to accomplish his will creating the likeness of Christ Jesus in you. What an opportunity to trust Him. Many think victory is having their circumstances righted. No! Such thinking is but a spirit of entitlement. Who are we to dictate to an all-wise, Creator God, what we see as the right thing! Does God need our help? This would be humorous if it were not so sad. Common arrogance from our sinful flesh. God is God and we are not. Hold still under His hand. Choosing to 'trust God' is a choice of our 'will' and requires dying to self. We are welcome to 'ask' Him for what we would like from a heart tuned to welcome His answer whether or not it is what we desire. He will make you more than a conquerer and lift you up to deeper dependence on Him. Rejoice that you are in Christ. Stop dwelling on the 'why' and ask 'what do You want to teach me Lord?'
I bow, before You who turned toward the Cross. Toward suffering... for me. I am in awe of who You are sweet Jesus. You are Lord of all, my God, my Constant, my Purpose, my Sanity, my Life-Breath and Keeper of my heart, Provider and Truth Teller. You who love me without condition or for any reason i can understand have made a way for me to know You more and more intimately. Your Word says what ever suffering You allow has great purpose. (Jer 32:19) Thank You for being a God who redeems my sorrows and sufferings to benefit me, giving me hope and Your name glory. Let me share you with someone who needs to know these Truths about You so they may be set free to live Truth in Christ. I love you so imperfectly tho my heart wants to love You well. I pray this in Jesus precious name, Him whose hands and heart were never in conflict, amen.
hugs and prayers to all my sisters, (following is one of my favorite poems)
az
Set to the Music of Spheres
Pain is a partner I did not request;
This is a dance I did not ask to join;
whirled in a waltz when I would stop and rest.
Jolted and jerked, I ache in bone and loin.
Pain strives to hold me close in his embrace;
If I resist and try to pull away
His grasp grows tighter;
closer comes his face;
hotter his breath.
If he is here to stay
Then must I learn to dance this painful dance,
Move to its rhythm, keeping my lagging feet
In time with his. Thus have I a chance
To work with pain, and so my pain defeat.
Pain is my partner. If I dance with pain
Then may this wedlock be not loss but gain.
Madeleine L’Engle
Madeleine L’Engle
