SMOOTHNESS TURNED ROUGH

I’ve been thinking about Elijah a lot lately. How he witnessed so many miracles of God, yet still found himself running for his life, believing a lie that he was the “only one” left. In life’s LONG trials it’s so easy to believe the lie that you are the “only one” suffering. So today, God reminds me, like Elijah, that there are 7000 others. (see 1 Kings 19)

As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you Oh God. My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God (Psalm 42:1-2). Lloyd Ogilvie writes regarding this scripture, “Whatever God allows in our lives is to bring us closer to this basic prayer.”

I must remind myself daily that although God is good, it doesn’t mean He will shelter us from everything, nor does it mean He will allow only good in our lives. I do this often because one moment I find myself saying, “I love You Jesus with all my heart, and I know you love me.” But my very next thought is “The longer I suffer, the harder it is for me to see Your love through my circumstances.” If you’ve ever been in a season where all you can see are mountains around you and your heart begs for the faith to see them move, then we have much in common.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if faith grew in comfort; in the pleasures of life instead of the trials? If I had a dollar for every time I've reminded myself of how a pearl becomes a pearl, well let’s just say I’d have a lot of dollars.

We live in a performance-based world, so performance is our natural bent. Let’s think about the human condition. Our greatest goal is happiness, comfort and security. It may look different to each, but the goal is the same. Whether things are good or bad, dependence falls on self and circumstance. So, the question before us is, “Am I willing to go through whatever it takes to be transformed into the likeness of Christ?” This is such a hard question. I want to say yes and amen, but the truth is, I don’t always feel that way. Some days all I can think about is feeling better.

We were created to bring glory to God by becoming more like His Son, so it’s probably safe to say that pain is the road set before us. We would never do suffering on our own, but Jesus did.

7 While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. (Hebrews 5:7-9) 

Jesus chose suffering. He submitted to the will of His Father, knowing that His suffering was for the greater good.

Ogilvie continues to write, “It’s only as we come to know “life’s smoothness turned rough” that we will find a deeper reason for our existence.”

It’s difficult, in the middle of the pain, to trust that whatever we face is to fulfill God’s purpose. For most of us, trust comes from a complete surrendered despair. I suppose it would be easier to walk in the pain if we knew what the greater good was on the other side, but I guess that wouldn’t require true surrender.

In Luke’s gospel he tells us that Simon answered and said to Him, “Master we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 

Through my surrendered despair today I say, Master I’ve suffered so much; nevertheless, at Your word I will walk forward trusting that you have a greater good that I can not see…yet.

God says that “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me on high places.” (2 Samuel 22:34)

May God give us the strength to grieve our suffering with hope.

If you're willing to share, what would your 'nevertheless' be?

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