Why?

Romans 5

 ¹Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:²By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.³And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

⁴And patience, experience; and experience, hope: ⁵And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

No one likes to go through trials and tribulations. I feel confident in that statement. I have gone through and will go through tribulations in my life. It is a whole lot easier to look back at those trials than it is to be in the midst of them. Trust me. But these verses are meant to give us a glimpse at the answer to the toughest question of all. WHY? This simple one word question might be the most popular question of all time. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have asked God, Why? and you know what? I always get an answer. I don't get an immediate answer. The answer almost never comes DURING the trial. I only see the answer after I've been through it and have had enough time pass. The answer isn't always what I want to hear. God knows me better than anyone. He knows my weaknesses and he knows what suffering I need in order to strengthen my character. I always get an answer. I have never gone through a trial where I have not grown in the hope of Christ. I will repeat that. I HAVE NEVER GONE THROUGH A TRIAL WHERE I HAVE NOT GROWN IN THE HOPE OF CHRIST!

Eventually, I will be able to have that same hope during the midst of the suffering. As I go through times of pain and then times when the pain ends, I gain experience. As I gain experience, I realize the trial will not last forever. I will make it through. As I gain enough experience dealing with multiple sufferings, I will gain patience. As I gain patience through those trials, I will become more aware my eternal hope which is  Jesus. When we get to the point where we can GLORY in the tribulation, we truly Glorify God and our savior Jesus Christ. When we get to the point where we can focus on Jesus even in the midst of the pain, we will be able to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and God himself.

I'm not there, but I am moving in that direction with God right by my side. Praise God!

Walk don't Run!

Psalm 23 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁴ Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.


This passage of scripture has comforted more people over the years. It has been quoted (along with the rest of Psalm 23) at countless funerals. God has provided this scripture, through David, for the purpose of comfort.

If I were writing this scripture, I might have changed it to this: "Even while I am running through the darkest valley, I will be afraid of everything until I remember you are with me." I can't imagine WALKING through a valley of darkness. Just visualize walking through a cemetery all alone at night. Could you walk? Not me!

I wish my faith was stronger. I wish I could confidently "Walk" through trials in my life. But, I am more likely to run like a wild man from my trials. That's where the rod and the staff come into play. A shepherds rod and staff served two purposes. One was for defense, but the other purpose was for "discipline". Believe it or not, sheep don't always go where they are supposed to. (neither do we) Sometimes they need some more aggressive guidance. How true that is about me? Yes, even that is comforting. Once I have committed my life to the Lord and lean on him for direction, he will do it. Sometimes that rod and staff hurt. But, they are necessary. Our Shepherd will take whatever means necessary to keep us on the right path and he will do whatever he can to protect us from evil. He does it so we can walk through life with confidence, even through the toughest of trials and tribulations.

God is with us. He loves us. He is our comfort. He carries a powerful rod and staff, but he loves us like no one else can. Amen to that!