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Gratitude And Patient, Unrelenting Faith In The Journey

"Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said: "Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. "Now therefore, our God, we thank You And praise Your glorious name." 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (NKJ)

Sometimes I have random thoughts that evolve from my core understandings, study and experience with our Lord. Occasionally they come to the surface and continue to weigh on my mind until I write them out. This is one of those times.

If you belong to Christ, I have some thoughts intended to give a little pause for a moment ...

Understanding that as the bride of Christ, our lives are not given to chance at any time and that our provision from whatever direction we might be tempted to see it as coming, at its true origin, without question, it comes from God's hand. Whatever we may have, whatever we eat, wear, use, etc., it all originated from something God Himself created from nothing. It belongs to Him - not potentially collected into our greedy earthly piles.

Mankind may use, reshape, reorder and reorganize, but he can't ever create something from nothing. Therefore, it stands to reason that everything that we consume, observe or utilize in any way at its origin came from something that God created and provided. Outside of the physically tangible to our senses though, God's provision extends to the intangible - to our health, safety, healing, restoration, peace, etc.

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."        1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

So, what are we thankful for? Do our thankful thoughts only extend to those things that we find appealing to our needs and pleasure? Or do our thoughts also go to the tests, trials and losses that we find ourselves experiencing? IF we truly have God's eternal perspective and an understanding that our lives are not ever out of God's hand, do we know that whatever we encounter in this life has a purpose? His high purpose? ... ... Even in the uncomfortable things?

I myself stand forgiven for having once made shameful accusations against God long ago as a far less mature Christian, one deeply hurting, full of pain and struggling with seemingly unquenchable anger. I had engaged in an intimate, but young relationship with God in my youth. I had such a tender heart toward my Lord, seeking to hide myself in Him, loving the purity and perfection of His character, and desiring nothing less than to bury my face in His bosom. My understanding was young and there was so much that I had yet to learn about this life and about my God, but one thing that I understood with grateful desire was that He loved me ... So why would He allow me to be so deeply hurt??? 

I think there are others who have asked this same question and since I've traveled far with the Lord since, I'll try to just provide some possibilities. Please keep this in mind though as you read further- I make no suppositions or accusations as to what might be happening in your own life and I don't have all of the answers, though I know as you do,who does. I'm just attempting to bring forward some provocative thoughts that might provide some understanding for someone suffering or a reminder for someone forgetting.

At times our Father may allow opposition or the testing of our faith to help shape our character further into the likeness of our Savior: 

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."  Romans 5:1-5 (NKJ)

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  James 1:2-4 (NKJ)

Another thought; Adam's sin in the garden of Eden brought a curse from God on the earth and humanity. Both have suffered decay and chaos since. Some things that happen are a direct result of God's response to Adam's wicked betrayal. Death, destruction and chaos have existed in creation ever since. The earth still bearing God's curse will one day be destroyed and replaced. Mankind suffers destruction physically while creation still suffers under the curse of God's wrath, but we have the opportunity for a new body and a new residence through Christ's sacrificial punishment in our place when final judgment comes. In the meantime though everything in creation suffers and is not what it was when God first created it. Even though we may be forgiven of sin, we still live in a cursed environment for now - waiting for the new heaven and earth that God has promised and will come.

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJ)

Further, Adam's choice to allow himself to be tricked by satan into rebelling against what God had told him, condemned the entire species of mankind to death.  The death that God spoke of in His warning is both eventual physical death and also eternal death, but not the immediate physical death that satan slyly implied. As always Father God said what He meant and meant what He said and satan is a wicked liar and deceiver. In the meantime, our God exercises great patience to give men and women, born under the curse of His wrath, to exercise their free will to accept the redemption that He offers. This means though that there are evil people exercising their free will still wandering among us as Father God gives them an opportunity to repent. Consider though, that if He weren't patient, it's likely that none of us would have found our way to salvation through Christ. 

There are also times when the Lord will correct us (as repugnant as this thought might seem to some "modern" Christians without the depth of diligent study): 

"And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." Hebrews 12:5-7 (NKJ)

Our gratitude should be continual - as continual as God allows us to enjoy those things that belong to Him (which is everything by the way), and as long as the redemption and grace of Christ's horrific sacrifice provides us eternal kinship with Him (which is forever by the way). And our faith, our trust, in God is very likely to be continually tested while we wait for the day of our deliverance from this cursed place. But God is unwaveringly faithful to profit us eternally as we love and submit to Him - even though we may not understand why things are happening. We have to remember that His eye is primarily on the eternal, not the temporary, and it's never out of focus for our benefit as we submit to love, trust and obey Him.


"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NKJ)

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it."  Deuteronomy 10:12-14 (NKJ) 






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