Circumstances can be extreme. Losing a loved one to- a divorce, someone taking out their anger on you, test results that say you have cancer to just feeling like nothing is happening, as it should. Circumstances happen- things happen that are out of our control.
Last night we talked about circumstances and how our perspective and focus determines a lot on how we are going to handle a situation. If our perspective or focus is on ourselves, the world and/or a circumstance we are going to be miserable. We are going to get angry, frustrated, have anxiety, be fearful, and fall into doubt.
But if our focus and perspective is on God and comes from God then we are going to be able to show God’s power in our lives even if the situation leaves us broken and cut deep. When we trust God through our trials and struggles our faith has a chance to grow stronger and when we fail (because we don’t keep our eyes on God) -hopefully we learn from our failures, so we can have successful results the in the future.
“Circumstances” will happen in life but - are we going to give up our faith or get angry with God when those circumstances do occur?
That is what the devil wants us to do. In fact that is one of the ways he tries to keep people away from the faith in Jesus Christ. John 10:10 Jesus says: “The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”
Where is our focus going to stay and be during the trying times in our life? Are we going to run to God or are we going to run away from God? Where are we going to go for shelter to heal and to preserver? OR are we going to sink/ drown our burdens in the ways of the world that only bring ruin to our body, heartache, and spiritual ruin?
Romans 5:1-5 Faith–Hope-and Love.
(Our perspective needs to hold and stand steadfast to Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven -faith)
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because our faith, Christ has brought us into his place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we are confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
(Our perspective –faith- in action)
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us- they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Personally I don’t know anyone who “rejoices” while they are going through the trials and trying circumstances in life but I have seen those who hold strong to their faith. They humble themselves and ignore the evil natures of the tongue and they put one foot in front of the other in the mist of diversity and struggle. They don’t wrestle with the situation but instead believe in God to bring them out of their time of brokenness, hurt, uncertainly and slander.
Paul points out what at the beginning of this chapter? – Our Faith
Paul points out when we run into trials and problems they help us to learn to “endure” and the endurance develops strength of character and this development strengthens our confident expectation of our salvation in Jesus Christ.
Our relationship with our Brother Jesus and our Father deepens. We learn and experience God in ways that we could have never experienced if we had not gone through those trials and struggles.
Paul then points out this very important fact: “For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with God’s love. 1 Corinthians 13:7 it says that God’s love “never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.” God’s love is in us if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and have followed his ways.
You know even when one faces their greatest trials - where it seems impossible to go on- an awesome thing occurs- sometimes without us really knowing it at the time. We are encouraged by the Holy Spirit to carry on.
Romans 8:26 “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. An the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
The Lord led me to a testimony by one of the worship Hillsong leaders on youtube. Click link to see.
Watching Jill share her heartbreaking testimony of her losing her baby son Max… the night after he was born and listening to her friend Brook Fraser speak of the battle her friend was going through spoke to me about Jill’s character. Even in Jill’s hurt and brokenness Jill turned to God. God showed his love by reminding her of His truths and His purpose for her life. The Holy Spirit was interceding for her and encouraging her to continue to sing and worship even though she didn’t feel like it.
And I know there are times when we don’t feel like reading God’s word, worshiping God or singing to him because of whatever circumstance but I have found that during those times just as Jill, the Holy Spirit has encouraged me to do so – regardless of my feelings and gradually my perspective and focus goes back to where it needs to be – on God. The Provider, Father, Counselor, Protector and Savior.
I thought about her deep cut emotions as a mother carrying her child inside of her and losing in him within a 24 hour period and how the Devil had tried use her loss to his advantage to challenge and weaken her faith. How the devil hates when we are salt and light to others and how much we are a threat to him. How we are considered a threat to Satan and his demons when we live and stand for God.
Then I thought what it must have been like to be in the midst as Jill was singing, “Desert Song” knowing what she was going through and how much that spoke of her faith in God and her strong character as a Christian woman. What she was sowing with her outward testimony –powerful!
I remember praying for a pastor and his wife’s newborn baby in California. I was trusting in
God to touch this baby’s organs that weren’t functioning properly and when I got news that the baby died I myself mourned their loss. To my surprise the words of the pastor and his wife weren’t of angry and regret but of gratefulness. God gave them enough time to connect with their son and time to realize that God was in control and even if their child couldn’t be with them, he would be in the greatest arms ever known- The Creator of the universe.
I thought about how delicately God works in our lives and sometimes- without us really knowing. I thought how God helps us overcome our circumstance and supernaturally shows himself in our life. I thought of the love of God in us (the Holy Spirit)- that never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance speaks in volumes of our God who loves us, comforts us, and gives us a peace beyond understanding. How this should speak of the character of God’s people and where our focus needs to be always.
Jill chose to not allow her circumstance to drive her away from God- may God help us do the same in all things- in Jesus name.
There are three things that will endure- faith, hope and love- and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
No comments:
Post a Comment