“One of the main ways we move from abstract knowledge about God to a personal encounter with him as a living reality is through the furnace of affliction.”
― Timothy J. Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering
HABAKKUK
17Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.(3:17-19)
REVELATION 14
There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
JOURNAL
The past decade we have experienced times and moments where we did not understand what God was doing. Doors closed that seemed like they should open, often it felt like we were headed off a cliff and at times, things seemed so messy and negative that it was hard to find a greater purpose. Reading through Habakkuk I can fully identify with the sentiment of the book. "God what in the world are you doing?" However as the following year unfolded I began to see the greater purpose and the bigger story. Ultimately it came down to accepting that the purpose of following and worshiping God is not for immediate gratification of material wants. God is not a trinket God. This can be no clearer than in these verses because those that follow God endure great suffering. Yet it is in this faith that purpose, strength and comfort are found.
Following God in the midst of suffering is what produces courage and love and faith and joy. The temptation often is to run from pain and suffering...to avoid them at all cost. Yet doing so may be a path away from God rather than to him. This is one of the great paradoxes of life...taking the hard path often produces the greatest rewards. The point though is not to seek the harder path just for the sake of getting a better reward, but seeking God which then often leads to taking the more difficult road...which in turn leads to greater joy and purpose.
Following God during times of uncertainty and difficulty is tough, yet when I read scripture I realize that this is the key in finding purpose and meaning.
In the end all things from God will produce a greater work in us, when we follow him in faith, believing that each day, each moment hold great opportunity and are part of his EPIC story. To fully embrace that we are a critical part of God's plan can turn days and moments that otherwise seem insignificant into EPIC battles and victories for the kingdom.
The past decade we have experienced times and moments where we did not understand what God was doing. Doors closed that seemed like they should open, often it felt like we were headed off a cliff and at times, things seemed so messy and negative that it was hard to find a greater purpose. Reading through Habakkuk I can fully identify with the sentiment of the book. "God what in the world are you doing?" However as the following year unfolded I began to see the greater purpose and the bigger story. Ultimately it came down to accepting that the purpose of following and worshiping God is not for immediate gratification of material wants. God is not a trinket God. This can be no clearer than in these verses because those that follow God endure great suffering. Yet it is in this faith that purpose, strength and comfort are found.
Following God in the midst of suffering is what produces courage and love and faith and joy. The temptation often is to run from pain and suffering...to avoid them at all cost. Yet doing so may be a path away from God rather than to him. This is one of the great paradoxes of life...taking the hard path often produces the greatest rewards. The point though is not to seek the harder path just for the sake of getting a better reward, but seeking God which then often leads to taking the more difficult road...which in turn leads to greater joy and purpose.
Following God during times of uncertainty and difficulty is tough, yet when I read scripture I realize that this is the key in finding purpose and meaning.
In the end all things from God will produce a greater work in us, when we follow him in faith, believing that each day, each moment hold great opportunity and are part of his EPIC story. To fully embrace that we are a critical part of God's plan can turn days and moments that otherwise seem insignificant into EPIC battles and victories for the kingdom.
Following God in the midst of suffering is what produces courage and love and faith and joy. The temptation often is to run from pain and suffering...to avoid them at all cost. Yet doing so may be a path away from God rather than to him. This is one of the great paradoxes of life...taking the hard path often produces the greatest rewards. The point though is not to seek the harder path just for the sake of getting a better reward, but seeking God which then often leads to taking the more difficult road...which in turn leads to greater joy and purpose.
Following God during times of uncertainty and difficulty is tough, yet when I read scripture I realize that this is the key in finding purpose and meaning.
In the end all things from God will produce a greater work in us, when we follow him in faith, believing that each day, each moment hold great opportunity and are part of his EPIC story. To fully embrace that we are a critical part of God's plan can turn days and moments that otherwise seem insignificant into EPIC battles and victories for the kingdom.
12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
ROMANS 12:12-13
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I look at a problem and think, I can’t climb this mountain!!! And I am right—I can’t. But he turns my big clumsy feet into deer feet and before I know it I am on the downside 😊