Our Savior held fast to the values He and His Father had set long before the pain and suffering rolled in and clouded His view. I’m convinced His commitment to Kingdom amidst His suffering has implications for our own seasons of sorrow.
Tag: pain
For Joseph, there were a lot of years of pain and questioned purpose between Canaan’s pit and Egypt’s pinnacle.
To ‘know’ as described in scripture is so much more than a simple introduction or a shared meal. Knowing implies a oneness, an intermingling of souls and an amalgamated future. To ‘know’ Christ is to abandon ourselves to Him entirely without regard for personal well-being or promotion. That being said, how many of us truly ‘know’ Him?
Spiritual maturity looks far different from physical maturity. It’s hands outstretched to receive prison guard or pauper attire. Feet set to follow a path to a place undesired. Spiritual maturity means saying ‘yes’ even when we are wholly unsure about the outcome or dreading the next temporary destination. The relationship with our God always trumps the unpleasantness of our circumstances. We trust our Father to take us Home and we will endure whatever might bring Him glory between here and there.
My friend remembered vividly how prone we are to hurting one another and warned me against inflicting even more damage.
When precious people pass on, they leave a gaping hole in our lives: a personal Grand Canyon we must learn to maneuver in and around. It’s difficult and different, but by the grace of God, we learn to manage.
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done…
When we are living in sin and we experience the searing presence of the Holy Spirit, we squirm under His inquisition.
It is in the unbroken womb of suffering that we learn the enoughness of God’s presence.