Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things
he suffered. 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 5:8-9
Children of God, we must understand that a call to I.M.I.T.A.T.E Christ’s life and habits is
not a call to a life of ease. If we are going to reign with Him, we must be
prepared to endure hardships
Adversity – Blessed
are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10
As earthly parents discipline their children so does our
Heavenly Father discipline us, and for the same reasons – we belong to Him, He
loves us, He cares about our overall well being, including our souls. It is all for
our good:
- My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12
- As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children… If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Hebrews 12:7-8
Without a doubt, adversity stings and may seem unfair at the
time; but in the midst of our hardships we must remember that God is still our Father,
we are still His chosen beloved and His intent is not to break us but to mold
us into vessels of righteousness fit for His use.
- God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:10-11
The Father’s
discipline is not severe as it may appear while we are in the midst of a challenging
time; it is gentle and wise. God in His love is training us for advancement in
holiness and bringing us into a more intimate, understanding fellowship with
Himself.
When a man is not
troubled it is not hard for him to be fervent and devout, but if he bears up
patiently in time of adversity, there is hope for great progress. Thomas à Kempis (1380 – 1471)
We are better served when we take our eyes off of our
circumstances and focus instead on the one whose life we want to imitate, Jesus, the champion who initiates and
perfects our faith.
- Because of the joy awaiting (JESUS), he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2
If we bear adversity with prayer and patience, we would
look back one day on each painful and grievous experience and see God’s
Masterful Hand in all of them, the same as we see Him in our “blessings” and pleasurable
experiences. We will also see that, like Jesus, we learned much more from the things we suffered, that we came out of our adversity better and stronger spiritually, and with a better understanding of our Father's goodness and faithfulness – our love and passion are deeper and more intense than
what we could ever know in times of ease.
I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal
glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. 2 Timothy 2:10
To be continued…
Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, you are the Holy One, the Eternal and Living King
and we adore YOU! Thank you for the adversity you allow into our lives because
by it we gain a closer relationship with you and learn that a steady diet of worldly
pleasure hinders our growth and robs us of a deeper experience and knowledge of your glory here on
earth. Help us to understand and accept that suffering is good for us, because it teaches us to pay attention to your word and your commands. Thank you that
you do not let us go through hard times alone, for you are with us through every valley even to the shadow of death. To you belong all dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray
and ask all things in the Name of Jesus Christ our LORD. Amen.
Always by God’s Word and prayer,
Cecile
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