“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” ~ Thomas Paine
JUDGES 12-14
The Israelites are again doing evil...God intervenes and Samson is born.
22“We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!”23But his wife answered, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.”
Jesus predicts his death and rebukes the disciples...LUKE 9:37-62
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44“Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”49“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”50“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
JOURNAL
Conflict...it is a daily part of life. Jesus never shy's away from it and in fact he continually enters right into it. This tells me more than anything that God is not interested in saving me from problems. While he is the answer to my search for meaning and the answer to my need for love, he will not take away the conflict from my life.
34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)
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