(A Study by: Richard P. Duffield)
Lord, Lord, as long as it doesn’t hurt me I’ll follow You! That’s how many of us act today, but:
Matt. 16:24 Then Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus repeated Himself in Mark 8:34, & 35 as well as Luke 14:27. Wait a minute, that sounds hard to me, doesn’t it sound tough to you too? Sounds like it will take some effort on our behalf as well, doesn’t it?
2 Corinthians 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger andthirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? Sound “rosey” to you?
God never promised us a “rose garden” or if He did we need to learn to take the thorns along with the beauty! Is it easy? Not a chance!
God is never moved by our need, ONLY by our faith!
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in regard to need: for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Every where and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Is it easy? Again I say, not a chance! If faith were so easy it wouldn’t be faith, would it?
Should we be pleased with what we’re reading? Probably not! (It goes against the desires of our flesh man. It probably makes us uncomfortable!) Do we need to read and apply it? Absolutely! These words bring life!
The Apostle Paul, the writer of the above that received the beatings, stonings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, went hungry, fought dangers galore, etc. who finally was slaughtered like an animal for the Lord’s sake, wrote the words below: ( Keep in mind that the words below were written while in a Roman jail that he would eventually die a tortured martyr’s death in!)
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-meditate on these things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Wait a minute, did he say rejoice ALWAYS? Even in our darkest hours? ABSOLUTELY! Even when outwardly the circumstances look hopeless? Even when I can’t see a way out or feel like it? ALWAYS!
1 Thessalonians 4:16 Repeats his admonishment for a 3rd time! 16 Rejoice always, and goes on to say: 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; (Why?) for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. This same Apostle & servant of God wrote, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, (when the hour is darkest) for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”(2 Corinthians 12:10) He said what? How could he say that?
Does this make sense? No, in fleshly terms it certainly doesn’t! But isn’t that how things of the Spirit are? To live one must die, to gain one must lose, to be greatest one must be the least Look at 2 Corinthians 6:10: as sorrowful, but always rejoicing (He’s talking about the sufferings he’s gone through! Check out 2 Corinthians 6:1 10! Read it!)
When we ask Jesus to be Lord of our lives, we in fact transfer ownership of all that we have, all that we are, to Him. Now, if it’s His, what right do we have to grumble when He allows something that we do not like to take place in our lives? NONE! Isn’t our life His? Weren’t weserious when we told Him that we were giving Him ownership of all that we had and all that we were? Lord means master, such as slave/master. A slave never had possessions! Yes, he was “steward” over possessions, but the possessions belonged to the master. In fact, the slave didn’t own his very body! It was the master’s, to do with as the master pleased! God uses adverse situations in our life to build character, to build integrity, to mold us into something better than we were before! He promises, Romans 8:28 “And we know that all thingswork together for the good of those who love God, to those who were called according to His purpose.” Weren’t you called? Do you think you simply woke up one day & decided to make Jesus your Lord? Jesus said, ” No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws himand I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) Do you love God? YES! Weren’t you called? ABSOLUTELY!
Don’t you agree that you fit the above criteria? If you’re born again, HE’S TALKING TO YOU!
He called you! I said HE CALLED YOU! He called you according to His purpose. (Not yours!)
Paul, who suffered so much, probably wondering why, said, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5 8) Jesus was crucified for our sins! He died sinless that we might be given a chance to accept His sacrifice and have eternal life with Him! He loved us that much! Did He cause us to do whatever we did to get us in the situation we now face? NO! Does He still love us and want to help us through our trouble? YES! Should we blame Him if He doesn’t change the circumstances we want changed? I shouldn’t think so! What should we do then? James 4:7: 8 says: “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!” Instead of rebelling against God when we’re in times of trouble, shouldn’t we better spend our time getting nearer to Him? Didn’t Paul in Philippians which I quoted above say that if we rejoice always, if we were not anxious, if we gave God thanks in spite of our circumstances that God would give us a peace that surpassed our understanding? Isn’t that what we need when we are with our backs against the wall? You better believe it! Take God at His word!
The Apostle James, who was tortured & died a martyr’s death wrote: James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. God loves you & promises that NOTHING can take place in your life that He won’t cause todo you good! Nothing!
In Romans, just after His promise of working all things for our good, He goes on to say, “Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is what Almighty God says, that’s His promise! He created you, can’t you, won’t you TRUST Him?
John Maxwell wrote, “If your circumstances constantly get you down, then maybe it’s time for a change— not in your situation, but in yourattitude. If you can learn to make the best of any situation, you can remove a formidable obstacle that stands between you and your dreams!” The fact is, any situation you’re going through is temporary. (Salvation is eternal!) The circumstance is not as important an issue as how youchoose to deal with it!
Will you choose to believe what you feel? Or perhaps what you think? Or will you choose instead to believe the truth and the GOD who created all that exists who had His trusted servants write it (the truth) for you?
The choice, as always, is yours!