Reflections On Suffering

   

      Over the last several hours, I have poured over pictures of our grandson Branson.  Somehow I had a deep need to just see his happy, smiling face again.   I also dug deep into the archives of my blog and found how many times I had written about him and his many trials.  Over and over again, I wrote about some new lesson we were learning as another difficulty confronted this little guy who always seemed to be smiling.  Then I remembered a series that my husband and I have been listening to from Ligonier Ministries.
     In the series entitled "The Sovereignty of God and Suffering" by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr., he said something outstanding about his special needs daughter whom he had recently lost.  He said that she had not come for them to teach her, but she came to teach them many things about themselves.  As some of you may know, Dr. Sproul, Jr.  lost his wife to cancer not long ago, and he has also battled cancer which is currently in remission.  I cannot think of anyone better to speak on the subject of suffering than this man.  That statement about his special needs daughter jumped out at me.  Indeed, I can identify with what he stated.  As a family, we learned more from Branson than we ever taught him.

     God's plan for us is to grow us into the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ.  When we become a Christian, we do not have an instantaneous transformation into a mature, stable, godly believer.  I wish that were true, but it is not the way in which God works.  I confess I do not always understand God's ways and scripture backs me up on that point: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).  So, if someone told you that coming to Christ would take all your troubles away, they were sorely mistaken.

      Jesus Christ clearly told us that this life would be full of trials and tribulations, but He also told us to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).  Rather than looking at our difficulties we need to look, instead, at the lessons God is using to refine us.  He is, after all, the potter and we are the clay.

     As I spend time talking to others in our congregation who have lost children, grandchildren, spouses and other relatives, I have found a common thread.  While the loss is heart rending at the time, God has used it to deepen their faith, move them out of their comfort zone to reach out to others who are also grieving, and to pour their energies into serving the Lord.  Certainly, the loss of a loved one means we have all the more reason to look forward to heaven.

     Yesterday, I encountered a brother in the Lord at the grocery store.  He and his wife are caring for special needs children which they have adopted and as we shared about Branson's life, he said something I think is so wise.  He said that we focus too much on this brief life that we have here and now and do not think about heaven with the anticipation we should have in Christ.  That is true.  When we focus on our loss, it keeps us from looking forward to all that God has in store for those who love Him.  So what can we learn when we go through suffering and loss?

     First, we learn to pray.  Dr. Sproul, Jr. said that he and his family spent a good deal of time in prayer talking to God about the circumstances they faced.  Our family has done the same.  For every crisis that Branson encountered, we developed a deeper prayer life.  

     Secondly, we come to acknowledge that we may never know the "why" of things that happen, but we know that God is sovereign in all situations.  From the beginning, Dr. Sproul, Jr. and his wife knew that their daughter Shannon could die at any time.  Yet God made her unique and precious by His design as He did Branson.  These special children brought special joy and happiness.  As Dr. Sproul, Jr.  said so well they come to teach us how to live and how to love.

     Finally and most importantly, we learn to praise God in the storms of life.  In fact, we are drawn closer to Him and to one another as we huddle together to weather the loss.  We turn to the Word, to our church fellowship and find great relief in worshipping Him.  He has the answers we seek, so we lean upon His everlasting arms and praise Him even though we do not fully comprehend His ways.  Again it comes down to trust in Him, and we are learning this more every day.

      At this point, we take every day one step of faith at a time.  I highly encourage you to go to Ligonier Ministry and download the free podcasts on "The Sovereignty of God and Suffering".  There is so much wisdom and encouragement in this series for any going through the trials of living.  We must remember that God brings good out of all that Satan means for evil.  Look to Him for the answers and the lessons we need to learn in every situation.  Selah!

       

Remembering to Forget

 

   

The Cathedral of York in Yorkshire, England

     Some things are worth remembering always like the smile of a loved one gone to heaven.  However, there are other things we need to forget and put behind us like the hurtful things that can happen to us in life.  When we get locked in the past, we can make no forward progress.  The Apostle Paul made this clear in Philippians 3:13-14:  "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
     When I survey the stories told in Genesis, the one that jumps out at me is the story of Joseph.  If anyone had reason to complain, it would have been this young man.  His own brothers plotted to kill him and then, decided instead to throw him into a pit.  Later, they sold him to a caravan traveling to Egypt where he was sold into slavery.  He prospered for a time in the house of Potiphar but his lascivious wife slandered Joseph with a false tale, and he was thrown into prison.  Even there, God blessed him, and he did not dwell on the past.  Eventually, his ability to interpret dreams with God's divine help allowed him to experience freedom and rise to second in command over all Egypt.
     Rising to this important political position, Joseph married and he named his first son Manasseh which means "God has caused me to forget" (Gen. 41:51).  This was the secret to his ability to put the past behind him.  He trusted in God, and it was the Lord that enabled him to move forward.  Certainly, if anyone had a reason to seek revenge or payback others, it would have been Joseph, but God wrote his story for us to see so we might follow his example as we journey heavenward.
     I admit that it is a blessing that the sharp edges come off of our memories as time passes.  Things like loneliness, the grieving heart, the shock of a betrayal God helps us to forget if we allow Him to minister to us.  I call this a blessing because one of the worst things we can do is nurse old wounds, remember insults or plan some way to get even.  We become consumed with unforgiveness, and we are the ones that end up prisoners to this state of mind....not the one who hurt us.
     Living in the past holds us back from the goal of ever moving towards the prize of our calling heavenward.  This life is a journey through which God is molding and shaping us into the image of His dear Son.  As Christians, we cannot afford to get stuck in the mire and quick sand of hatred, revenge or despair.  We cannot change what has happened to us, but we can move forward just like Joseph trusting that God will use all things together for good.
     A time came for Joseph when he was able to reveal himself to his brothers who had come to him for help during a famine.  His brothers were afraid he would seek revenge, but Joseph kept moving forward when he said:  "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).  Joseph recognized God's sovereignty in all the affairs of men.  His brothers had meant him evil, but God used all the circumstances for His glory and Joseph's good.
     As we pray, God can help us put behind us what we need to forget.  All the hurts, insults, grief, and injuries of the past do not need to hold us captive.  Through Christ, we are free to move forward as the Apostle Paul tells us towards that goal of the heavenward call.  Joseph shows us that this is possible by the testimony of his life.  May we be as trusting in our God as he was!  Selah!

Drawing Near to God

      Listening to the news or reading a paper can be depressing.  We are often bombarded with stories of loss, crisis, or conflict somewhere in the world.  However, as we read, we need to consider that over time nothing much has changed.  The names of leaders may change and the circumstances change but at the heart of it all is man's sin nature which has not changed since the Garden of Eden.  Lust for power, money, fame, and sex still drive the natural man who tries to find satisfaction in life through these means.  Of course, that is what sells magazines and newspapers, and creates chaos in our world.  However, if we want a clear picture of what man and woman are meant to be, we need to spend time reading our Bible.
    Throughout the Old Testament, we see the disintegration of man's relationship to a holy God as a result of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden.  Yet, we also see those who have trusted in God such as Noah, Abraham and Jacob.  Their trust and faith, though imperfect, drew them close to the Lord, and He drew close to them.  In fact, reading the Old Testament is not unlike reading a newspaper.  There are good kings and bad kings, faithful and faithless people with every shade in between.  Today, however, I found comfort in reading the story of Asa a good king of Judah.
     In 2 Chronicles chapters 14 and 15, we read the story about Asa who rose to the throne of Judah.  Following the death of Solomon, Rehoboam reigned as king followed by his son Abijah.  During this time, the kingdom had split between Israel who refused to follow Rehoboam and Judah who chose to follow him.  The fortunes of Judah rose and fell depending upon whether the king followed the Lord or abandoned Him for idol worship.  When Asa came on the scene, he restored the worship of God and 2 Chronicles 14:2 reads:  "And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God." He tore down the foreign altars and high places, destroyed the idols, and commanded the people to worship God alone.  Here was a leader who put God first and sought His counsel even in going to war.  Because of his faithfulness, God gave him success in his battles even against great odds.
     Then in Chapter 15, we see Asa receiving guidance from the Lord.  A man named Azariah, full of the Holy Spirit, spoke to him saying:  "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin:  The Lord is with you while you are with Him.  If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you" (verse 2b).  This is a clear cut instruction not only for Asa but for each one of us today.  If we seek Him, He will be found by us.
     Asa sought the Lord and removed the sin in the camp by destroying all false worship.  Furthermore, he restored the altar of the Lord and gathered all the people for a time of worship.  By this time, some of those in Israel had heard of Asa's success and knew that God was with him.  They also came to Judah to live and worship.  The King led in a renewing of the covenant to be faithful to God and in verse 15c, we read that God gave them rest all around.  Asa didn't stop with this renewal celebration of worship though.  He went and tore down his mother's false idol as well.  I am certain it took some courage to do this, but this King was not half hearted in his commitment.
     There are several take aways we can learn from this passage in the Old Testament.  First, godly leadership is a blessing.  As a leader, Asa led the way back to God.  The Lord blessed the people as a result. We need to pray for this in our nation and for the world.  Secondly, the witness of Judah to Israel and the other tribes was clear enough that many abandoned their allegiance and joined with Judah.  Shouldn't our witness be that clear too?  We don't need entertainment and raz-ma-taz in the church.  We need sound, biblical preaching.  This is what brings men and women to the Lord.  Finally, the truth is clear that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.  We will find Him when we seek Him with all of our hearts.  I know this from personal experience.  As our family has drawn near to God seeking his comfort in our loss, He has been found by us.  His comfort, His love, and His answers to our hearts have been evident.
     If we want to live in God's blessing, we need to be faithful to worship Him alone.  Following Asa's example in the Bible is far more productive than spending time reading a newspaper full of man's attempts to find meaning in all the wrong places.  Remember, as we draw near to God in His Word, He will draw near to us.  It's a promise with many blessings!  Selah!