Thoughts for another day

November 27, 2008.

Today's verse: 1 Pe. 4:1. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

When I began my relationship with the Lord, the only messages I constantly got were, ‘God will always provide for you, God will do great things in your life, you are chosen by God to put all the wealth in your lap, and you will not have a sickness problem and so on.’ They were all fine and truly at that point in time I needed them, if not anything, atleast to build up my ‘just born’ fragile faith in God.

Having moved on and in strengthening my relationship with Him, I understand there’s a lot more besides. He tells me that the test of a man is when he is brought to the edge of the fire and his skin singes with the heat. The man’s reaction typifies the difference between a man of God from another. God is teaching me that suffering has to be a part of my life if I have to be His disciple. The journey to heaven is not on a smooth road but on rough ground with lots of potholes and stumbling blocks. They make you constantly look up at Him and keep you close to Him.

In saying the above, I am not suggesting that God will not keep you at peace if you are to follow Him, but just that like Him, you too will need to suffer if you have heaven as your destination. Suffering is the other side of the well-being I wrote about in the first para above. And through personal experience I can say there’s nothing better than suffering to take you to the portals of heaven and make you sit at His feet and when this happens, sin disappears from your life. Some of you might have experienced it and will be living it and I guess you know what I mean. The best thing about suffering is that God listens to you even as you focus on Him in your suffering. And remember, today He gives us the Grace to bear our suffering. Moreover like Paul in Rom. 8:18, I’d like to echo, ‘I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.’