\ Many of us, through prayer groups or messaging each other, have discussed the challenges of PAIN AND SUFFERING in life. Whether emotional or physical, the issue is not whether or not we will experience pain, but the ACUTENESS of it. Pain is a strange surprise to us….we readily receive the power of God to worship and witness but do not know how to depend upon Him in private trial.
How do you trust God when you cannot see Him? How do you cry out for His help when your heart is in anguish?
How do you lean upon Him as YOUR intercessor? In His goodness, He gives His Word, His church and the lives of those who have gone on before us.
Personally, it is the lives of those who have ENDURED, not ENTERTAINED who draw me the most. Those who have been through the jungle of physical trial (and therefore emotional) trial with a soft-hearted determination to grow in Him. They have struggles (in the flesh) with self-pity, anger and pride yet, gained VICTORY (in the Spirit) through humility, brokenness and deep private worship of God.
The lives of Adonirum and Ann Judson of Burma and Robert and Mary Moffit of Africa give me encouragement in their constant commitment to “usefulness”, not necessarily personal fulfillment. How glorious to have our mind expanded to worship God not just for what I ask Him for but because HE is! Can He move? Yes. Can He heal? Yes. Can He change us? Most definitely. May we live in lives of “THANKFUL TENSION” . Tension because we want freedom from pain but thankful because He is and we are allowed to see.
Perhaps this will be the week He will cultivate in us a mind of thankfulness and a yielded heart of patience.
Our worship will be a fragrance to the Creator God who grandly hung the stars in the sky and STILL bends His ear to hear my eager, yet smaller, requests.
Love to you in the One who knows you best,
Tristie
Thanks for the edification, sister. I love this part, ” Our worship will be a fragrance to the Creator God who grandly hung the stars in the sky and STILL bends His ear to hear my eager, yet smaller, requests.” You have such a way with words, thanks!
Thank you so much for reminding us what we need to do when we face trials. Jesus condescended and broke through earth from heaven to be WITH US so that we could have a way to break through heaven from earth to be WITH HIM. He made a way for us to come into the presence of the Holy One any time we desire. I only wish I could truly experience “practicing THE presence” all the time. I’m seeking Him like never before…pressing into the heavenly dimension…longing for Him to be in me…laughing, working, dancing, ministering, rejoicing together all day long and to even have Him penetrate my dreams with His holiness at night.
I am so weak…but God is my strength. He understands when I am weak and make mistakes. In fact, it is out of my brokenness that His glory and power can come forth. When I was strong and independent I didn’t really need Him. Now I am desperately desperate for Him and can’t live one day without Him.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me.
Wow, what a reminder.
Because
HE … IS.
Tristie this is such a tender truth you have penned so well. Thank you. The take always from this will definitely be something I can sensitively share with those who need the encouragement 24/7 as they witness their child’s suffering and the uncertainty of the journey.