Pulled Through a Knot
Ever had one of those weeks? Feeling like you’ve been pulled through a knot? Time for the rubber to meet the road. Time to apply the truth we know even though our emotions are everywhere else.
“Consider it great JOY, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
What do you mean, Lord? I’ve cried a bucket of tears this week, and You tell me to consider it great joy?
He has His eyes on the outcome. I tend to look at the current pain. He is eliminating stuff from my heart that shouldn’t be there. I cry from the severing and the void left behind. He exposes my self-protective walls that are really prison walls, and I freak out as He nudges me to take steps to knock down those walls. They might keep out hurt, but they also hold hurt in. They also keep me from receiving love, much less giving it.
Another verse that comes to mind is, “Through suffering Christ learned obedience.” That one has always been an enigma to me. Jesus was born sinless! Yet the Father taught Jesus obedience by allowing suffering.
So, add that to the list of things I don’t understand about God’s ways. But didn’t He say in Isaiah that we can’t understand the way He thinks anyway? His ways to us are like the heavens over the earth.
Back to trusting Him.
So, Lord, I don’t understand WHY You have to use hurtful things to grow good fruit in us, but I choose to trust You anyway. I cling to You through this. I choose worship as I know I’ll find strength in Your Presence. With Your help I won’t turn to chocolate or flesh-feeders to mask the pain. I know the end product will be worth it all.
Hebrews 12 is a great encouragement during trials. (It’s worth looking it up if you’ve got a minute.) Verse 11 reads, “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
And this morning I can testify that there is a fruit of peace beginning to grow inside me regarding the very things that still hurt so much. I know the Lord has His hand in all this. I trust Him through it, and I know He will sustain me.
“Consider it great JOY, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
What do you mean, Lord? I’ve cried a bucket of tears this week, and You tell me to consider it great joy?
He has His eyes on the outcome. I tend to look at the current pain. He is eliminating stuff from my heart that shouldn’t be there. I cry from the severing and the void left behind. He exposes my self-protective walls that are really prison walls, and I freak out as He nudges me to take steps to knock down those walls. They might keep out hurt, but they also hold hurt in. They also keep me from receiving love, much less giving it.
Another verse that comes to mind is, “Through suffering Christ learned obedience.” That one has always been an enigma to me. Jesus was born sinless! Yet the Father taught Jesus obedience by allowing suffering.
So, add that to the list of things I don’t understand about God’s ways. But didn’t He say in Isaiah that we can’t understand the way He thinks anyway? His ways to us are like the heavens over the earth.
Back to trusting Him.
So, Lord, I don’t understand WHY You have to use hurtful things to grow good fruit in us, but I choose to trust You anyway. I cling to You through this. I choose worship as I know I’ll find strength in Your Presence. With Your help I won’t turn to chocolate or flesh-feeders to mask the pain. I know the end product will be worth it all.
Hebrews 12 is a great encouragement during trials. (It’s worth looking it up if you’ve got a minute.) Verse 11 reads, “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
And this morning I can testify that there is a fruit of peace beginning to grow inside me regarding the very things that still hurt so much. I know the Lord has His hand in all this. I trust Him through it, and I know He will sustain me.
posted by Susan Rodgers at
12:38 AM
1 Comments:
This post was and is a HUGE blessing to me! Thank you SO much for taking the time to post this! It really has meant a lot! Hope things are going better and I hope His peace has filled you to the point of overflowing!
Peace and blessings,
Stephanie
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Stephanie, at 9:27 PM
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