I heard a statement once, “The same sun that melts the butter, hardens the clay.”
When you’re faced with painful circumstances, does it harden you in anger and cause you to run away from the shelter of your Heavenly Father, or do you become more pliable and tend to run toward your Heavenly Father?
Not long ago, I sat in tears as I listened to a dear lady tell me the she and God had their “last chat.” She was tired and weary and chose to throw in her spiritual towel. She gave up because God didn’t come through for her when she felt He needed to.
I tried my best to encourage her. To share truth with her. To try to expose the lies that she was believing. But, she was hardened by her circumstances.
Over the last few years, I found myself in the throws of some excruciating circumstances. I’ll never forget in the day when I spent 6 non-stop hours sitting at my dining room table searching God’s Word for answers. I was hurting, and desperate. It was six hours of crying, lamenting, reading His Word, and journaling what He revealed to me.
My big question that day was “WHY?” But, it wasn’t a “Why me?” question.
It was, “Why are you allowing this? Please show me your purpose.”
And He did …
As I scoured through Scripture, I landed on Hebrews 12: 3-11, and I found the answers I was looking for!
The chapter is probably familiar to many, as it talks about the chastening of God. “Whom the Lord loves He chastens …” At first I felt slightly offended by the notion that perhaps God was disciplining me, as though I had been living deep in sin. But, part of understanding this Scripture begins with trusting God’s heart and love for us. He would never send us into a trial, or allow hardships to come on us just for the mere purpose of inflicting pain on us.
So why does God allow His sons and daughters to endure such difficult circumstances? You can take it the bank that His purpose is to bring about the deepest and most lasting change in our lives.
In verses 10-11 the Apostle Paul says, “chastening is for our profit that we may be partakers of His holiness, none of the chastening seems to be joyful right now, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.”
Every moment of pain we endure, is not without purpose. And His purpose always begins with refining, purifying, and growing us in deeper knowledge of Him and His heart for us.
Truth is, it’s our choice.
We can resist His refining, by throwing in the Spiritual towel, and walk away feeling let down by God, and become hardened by our circumstances. Or, we can run to Him and rest in Him. Take Him at His word, that He is working everything together for our good, and that He is our refuge and strength and He will never leave or forsake us, we will be forever changed through our circumstances.
Never forget … Jesus is acquainted with your sorrows. He understands your grief. He knows the pain of rejection and betrayal.
So … are you allowing your circumstances to harden you? Or are you allowing them to cause you to seek Him with all your heart and mind, melting into His arms and trusting Him through your circumstances?
Dig deeper: Isaiah 53; Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-21
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REGISTER NOW for the
2014 M.O.M. Conference ~ BETTER TOGETHER
July 31st – August 2nd
Jacksonville, Florida at Trinity Baptist Church
Registration Information, Location, List of Breakout Sessions, Descriptions of Workshops, Conference Speaking Team, Better Together Conference Flyer, Better Together Bulletin Insert (Full Color), Better Together Bulletin Insert (Black & White), Better Together Conference Cards (Postcard Size)
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