NOVEMBER 27, 2023

  “True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.” 

― Mortimer J. Adler

EZEKIEL 38-39

 28Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. 29I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(39:28-29) 

1 PETER 4

19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

JOURNAL 

I cannot run from scripture...well I can but I can't. This is hard stuff...the whole concept of joy in suffering is one that's really hard for me to wrap my head around. It's hard because suffering is what I fear and what I would like to avoid. Who in their right mind desires or longs to suffer???

Yet avoidance of necessary suffering is probably what has brought me the most pain and heartache in my life. When I really think about it, most of my failings are a result of suffering avoidance. The times I've lied or misled or manipulated seem to coincide with some level of avoiding truth, hard times, guilt and fear. I've wanted a way around the hard aspects of life and therefore sought a shortcut to peace and joy. 

According to scripture the only shortcut to peace and joy is through surrender and obedience to God. Which requires me to acknowledge sin, seek God and surrender to all his hard truths. It requires a surrender of all those parts of me that are defensive and driven to protect myself.  It requires that I identify and am honest about my own desires. So hard...actually it's impossible to do perfectly. It's why I am always in the middle of confession and surrender. It's why I can never be arrogant or judgmental, to do so would be to ignore my sin and my failings. 

Yet this is precisely when I can fully fall into the loving arms of a perfect father. One that doesn't require perfection but rather just honesty and surrender. As a result he promises that I will be filled with perfect love, greater and deeper than I can imagine. This is true peace, this is true joy. 

16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

EPHESIANS 3:16-19