The Source of Our Adversity
When we experience hardships, we usually wonder why God allows these painful situations to come our way. It just doesn't seem to fit with His role as our loving heavenly Father. We struggle to reconcile our suffering with His love for us and His power to prevent or stop it. In order to understand what's going on, we need to consider the possible sources of adversity.
A Fallen World: When sin entered the world, suffering came with it. God could have protected us from these harmful effects by making us like puppets who could not choose sin, but that would mean we'd also be unable to choose to love Him, because love must be voluntary.
Our Own Doing: Sometimes we get ourselves into trouble with our foolish or sinful choices. If the Lord stepped in and rescued us from every negative consequence, we'd never grow into mature believers.
Satanic Attack: The Devil is our enemy. To hinder anything the Lord wants to do in and through believers, Satan will never cease to harass us. His goal is to destroy our lives and our testimonies, thereby making us weak and useless for God's purposes.
God's Sovereignty: Ultimately, the Lord is in charge of all adversity that comes our way. To deny His involvement contradicts His power and sovereignty over creation.
For us to accept that God allows--or even sends--afflictions, we must see adversity from His perspective. Is your focus on the pain of your experience or on the Lord and His faithfulness? As believers, we're assured that no adversity comes our way unless He can use it to achieve His good purposes.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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Ephesians 2:19
Fellow citizens with the saints.
What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under heaven's government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey. Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven's honors. The glory which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus' righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honors of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us. "Things present, or things to come," all are ours. Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice over sinners that repent-prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesus' feet? Such honors as we have we cast there too. Are they charmed with His smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do they look forward, waiting for His second advent? We also look and long for His appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.
~Charles Spurgeon~
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Are You Rebelling Against Authority?
If you are in the pits, you need to make sure you are not in rebellion against God's established authority, or aligned with those who are.
In Numbers 16 there is an instructive story of Korah and his followers. They openly confronted Moses and Aaron, and challenged whether they were really God's ordained leaders.
Moses and Aaron were flawed and fallible just like every one of us, but Korah wanted to usurp authority that did not belong to him.
God had placed Moses and Aaron in their position of authority, but Korah tried to undermine that authority and lead people against them.
Look at the result of Korah's rebellion. Moses is speaking in verses 30 and 31,
"But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD." Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
Notice that it was not just Korah who was destroyed. All those who were aligned with him also went into the pit.
I don't think the ground is going to open up under you if you rebel against the authority that God has set up. But you may find yourself in an emotional, physical, or financial pit that you cannot get out of until you get the rebellion out of you.
If you are in a pit today, check your heart and make sure you are not in rebellion against God's ordained authority.
~Bayless Conley~
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“He that is faithful l in that which is least is faithful also in that which is much.”Luke 16:10
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
In order to be a missionary, a man had to appear before the superintendent of missions. His appointment was set for five in the morning. It was a snowy morning, but he was there. He waited until eight o'clock. Finally the superintendent came and asked him two simple questions. Then he said, “Thank you. You're dismissed.” The aspiring missionary said, “Thank you for your time.” In his report, the superintendent wrote, “This man will make an excellent missionary. He came at an early hour without a murmur; that shows self-sacrifice. He was there on time; that shows character. He waited without grumbling; that shows patience. He answered very simple questions in a straightforward manner; that shows humility.”
ACTION POINT:
When God asks you to do something, it may not make sense or seem important, but let God determine what's important.
~Adrian Rogers~
If you are in the pits, you need to make sure you are not in rebellion against God's established authority, or aligned with those who are.
In Numbers 16 there is an instructive story of Korah and his followers. They openly confronted Moses and Aaron, and challenged whether they were really God's ordained leaders.
Moses and Aaron were flawed and fallible just like every one of us, but Korah wanted to usurp authority that did not belong to him.
God had placed Moses and Aaron in their position of authority, but Korah tried to undermine that authority and lead people against them.
Look at the result of Korah's rebellion. Moses is speaking in verses 30 and 31,
"But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD." Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
Notice that it was not just Korah who was destroyed. All those who were aligned with him also went into the pit.
I don't think the ground is going to open up under you if you rebel against the authority that God has set up. But you may find yourself in an emotional, physical, or financial pit that you cannot get out of until you get the rebellion out of you.
If you are in a pit today, check your heart and make sure you are not in rebellion against God's ordained authority.
~Bayless Conley~
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Genesis 1:5
And the evening and the morning were the first day.
The evening was "darkness" and the morning was "light," and yet the two together are called by the name that is given to the light alone! This is somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritual experience. In every believer there is darkness and light, and yet he is not to be named a sinner because there is sin in him, but he is to be named a saint because he possesses some degree of holiness. This will be a most comforting thought to those who are mourning their infirmities, and who ask, "Can I be a child of God while there is so much darkness in me?" Yes; for you, like the day, take not your name from the evening, but from the morning; and you are spoken of in the word of God as if you were even now perfectly holy as you will be soon. You are called the child of light, though there is darkness in you still. You are named after what is the predominating quality in the sight of God, which will one day be the only principle remaining. Observe that the evening comes first. Naturally we are darkness first in order of time, and the gloom is often first in our mournful apprehension, driving us to cry out in deep humiliation, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." The place of the morning is second, it dawns when grace overcomes nature. It is a blessed aphorism of John Bunyan, "That which is last, lasts for ever." That which is first, yields in due season to the last; but nothing comes after the last. So that though you are naturally darkness, when once you become light in the Lord, there is no evening to follow; "thy sun shall no more go down." The first day in this life is an evening and a morning; but the second day, when we shall be with God, for ever, shall be a day with no evening, but one, sacred, high, eternal noon.
~Charles Spurgeon~
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A Gentle Spirit
BIBLE MEDITATION:“He that is faithful l in that which is least is faithful also in that which is much.”Luke 16:10
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
In order to be a missionary, a man had to appear before the superintendent of missions. His appointment was set for five in the morning. It was a snowy morning, but he was there. He waited until eight o'clock. Finally the superintendent came and asked him two simple questions. Then he said, “Thank you. You're dismissed.” The aspiring missionary said, “Thank you for your time.” In his report, the superintendent wrote, “This man will make an excellent missionary. He came at an early hour without a murmur; that shows self-sacrifice. He was there on time; that shows character. He waited without grumbling; that shows patience. He answered very simple questions in a straightforward manner; that shows humility.”
ACTION POINT:
When God asks you to do something, it may not make sense or seem important, but let God determine what's important.
~Adrian Rogers~
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