Brother, this was one of my favorite articles. I am so glad to have read it today as my heart is weary of the trials I am in. It is a balm to my soul, and these points especially, I am chewing on.
1. "Knowing the Exchanged Life does not rid us of suffering but could invite it all the more" - this is such a difficult concept to embrace, especially in the midst of my suffering. But thanks be to God that if I look to the unseen, He will comfort me in my afflictions so that I might be of comfort to others in theirs (2 Cor.1:4). He never wastes our trials; they are always multi-faceted.
2. "I don’t know about you, but I find God’s will sometimes quite painful" - I say "amen!" here but not flippantly. It is so like us to not celebrate the painful, yet perfect will of God. However, isn't that where He does His good work (Phil. 1:6)? Do I praise and celebrate easily when the pain is so immense I don't want to carry on? Confessedly, no. Yet, if I "turn my eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face," I will at some point praise Him from a place so intimate that I can't imagine not basking in His victory over the evil one and my flesh.
3. "What a loving and respectful God we have" - there is an article in one of VOM's magazines and the captions says, "We thank God although it hurts." He deserves our praise of his love, care, and concern for us, even if we don't understand it.
4. "These are the two primary reasons for the existence of God’s creation – to gain a Bride for His beloved Son and provide a place of torment and punishment for Satan." - It's so simple, yet my mind tried to add all kinds of stuff that make it less simple. I am eternally grateful that God gave me to His Son as a bride and I am being prepared for the wedding feast.
5. "Therefore, God is in sovereign charge of everything, including those who think they are in charge of anything." - this brings me solace, brother. It reminds me that because of His sovereignty over all things, I can obey and submit to His given authority knowing He put it there for a purpose and His plan. The details I am not entitled to.
May your hands and mind continue to be one with Christ as you write to build up and encourage the Bride to endure til the end (Hebrews 3:13).
Tiff, you have extracted what the Lord placed upon my heart in writing this essay. The Great Exchange is costly - for the Bride of Christ and Christ Himself. Pain is pain and suffering is suffering, on all levels with all people. The key is will the suffering produce a willingness to join Christ in His sufferings to fulfill giving His indwelling Life away to those who inflict such pain.
Isn't that a most challenging confrontation: "will the suffering produce a willingness to join Christ in His sufferings to fulfill giving His indwelling Life away to those who inflict such pain?" My soul cries a resounding "YES!" and my flesh cries, "oh, uh uh, no way." So I must let the Spirit battle the flesh, and chose obedience no matter what (knowing I will fall short cuz my flesh is weak). This is real to me in new ways I would never ever ask for or want for others, so I am learning to sit in it, hand it to my Savior in the new day, and get my feet moving so He can lead, even when my feet want to stand still.
As soon as the two of us, and others, get beyond making the sufferings of Christ about us resting in them, the sooner we can get on with the mission behind this Truth.
I want to thank all those who left comments on this real-to-life testimonial essay. The comment section is my "paycheck" for my investment in the Kingdom of God. Bless you all!
Is there a believer who hasn't experienced the "dark night of the soul"? The record of Job's suffering and God's preservation is so important for these periods in our lives.
When I was in such a time, I realized I wanted what Job longed for in his lament in Job 3: peace, rest, and to be free. And the Lord reminded me these are all in Him. "Peace, not as the world gives, I give you," Jesus said. "If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." Jesus also calls, "Come unto me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
In his great darkness, Job saw the Light of the world. "I know my redeemer lives," he said.
In my darkness, I also saw the Light of the world and fell in love with Jesus in a new way.
Thanks for writing about a subject we can't avoid and your own journey.
Brother, this was one of my favorite articles. I am so glad to have read it today as my heart is weary of the trials I am in. It is a balm to my soul, and these points especially, I am chewing on.
1. "Knowing the Exchanged Life does not rid us of suffering but could invite it all the more" - this is such a difficult concept to embrace, especially in the midst of my suffering. But thanks be to God that if I look to the unseen, He will comfort me in my afflictions so that I might be of comfort to others in theirs (2 Cor.1:4). He never wastes our trials; they are always multi-faceted.
2. "I don’t know about you, but I find God’s will sometimes quite painful" - I say "amen!" here but not flippantly. It is so like us to not celebrate the painful, yet perfect will of God. However, isn't that where He does His good work (Phil. 1:6)? Do I praise and celebrate easily when the pain is so immense I don't want to carry on? Confessedly, no. Yet, if I "turn my eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face," I will at some point praise Him from a place so intimate that I can't imagine not basking in His victory over the evil one and my flesh.
3. "What a loving and respectful God we have" - there is an article in one of VOM's magazines and the captions says, "We thank God although it hurts." He deserves our praise of his love, care, and concern for us, even if we don't understand it.
4. "These are the two primary reasons for the existence of God’s creation – to gain a Bride for His beloved Son and provide a place of torment and punishment for Satan." - It's so simple, yet my mind tried to add all kinds of stuff that make it less simple. I am eternally grateful that God gave me to His Son as a bride and I am being prepared for the wedding feast.
5. "Therefore, God is in sovereign charge of everything, including those who think they are in charge of anything." - this brings me solace, brother. It reminds me that because of His sovereignty over all things, I can obey and submit to His given authority knowing He put it there for a purpose and His plan. The details I am not entitled to.
May your hands and mind continue to be one with Christ as you write to build up and encourage the Bride to endure til the end (Hebrews 3:13).
Tiff, you have extracted what the Lord placed upon my heart in writing this essay. The Great Exchange is costly - for the Bride of Christ and Christ Himself. Pain is pain and suffering is suffering, on all levels with all people. The key is will the suffering produce a willingness to join Christ in His sufferings to fulfill giving His indwelling Life away to those who inflict such pain.
Isn't that a most challenging confrontation: "will the suffering produce a willingness to join Christ in His sufferings to fulfill giving His indwelling Life away to those who inflict such pain?" My soul cries a resounding "YES!" and my flesh cries, "oh, uh uh, no way." So I must let the Spirit battle the flesh, and chose obedience no matter what (knowing I will fall short cuz my flesh is weak). This is real to me in new ways I would never ever ask for or want for others, so I am learning to sit in it, hand it to my Savior in the new day, and get my feet moving so He can lead, even when my feet want to stand still.
As soon as the two of us, and others, get beyond making the sufferings of Christ about us resting in them, the sooner we can get on with the mission behind this Truth.
I want to thank all those who left comments on this real-to-life testimonial essay. The comment section is my "paycheck" for my investment in the Kingdom of God. Bless you all!
We were only discussing this topic in home group last night. I wish I had this wisdom. Thank you Stephen.
You do. The riches of wisdom known to eternity dwells in your inner man.
Is there a believer who hasn't experienced the "dark night of the soul"? The record of Job's suffering and God's preservation is so important for these periods in our lives.
When I was in such a time, I realized I wanted what Job longed for in his lament in Job 3: peace, rest, and to be free. And the Lord reminded me these are all in Him. "Peace, not as the world gives, I give you," Jesus said. "If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." Jesus also calls, "Come unto me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
In his great darkness, Job saw the Light of the world. "I know my redeemer lives," he said.
In my darkness, I also saw the Light of the world and fell in love with Jesus in a new way.
Thanks for writing about a subject we can't avoid and your own journey.
Dennis, to that, I say amen!
Well, you keep influencing me to go much further into these subjects than I would have gone. Thanks!
Then the Lord and I hit the target. Lol.