majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Philippians 1:29-30,
"It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on
him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same
struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have."
As Paul speaks of his imprisonment and the challenges he faced in his
ministry, he acknowledged that God not only provided the Philippian
church the opportunity of salvation based on faith, he provided a
season of suffering. Paul takes up this as a concern because it was
his desire that the Philippian church stand firm "with one spirit,
contending as one man for the faith of the gospel" and not be
frightened as they endured the suffering.
From this, I learn for myself that God can bring or allow suffering to
his children he loves. These believers had turned to Jesus Christ to
be rescued from the coming wrath of God in his judgment for sins
committed. Now, as his children, God is allowing these believers to
suffer. This is not suffering for no cause. Paul points out that the
church in Philippi was going through the same struggle he had. Of his
sufferings Paul says that it served to advance the gospel, verse 12.
This was suffering to further the purposes of God, his agenda of
advancing the gospel in one fashion or another.
For myself, as soon as I hear "God loves you. He doesn't want you
sick, he doesn't want you poor - he blesses his children with health,
he provides abundantly (thinking in terms of $$ here) for his
children", I just turn the other way. Paul was an apostle, Paul was
faithful in his ministry to God promoting the gospel. He gave his life
to it. And, yet, here he is imprisoned. He has opposition from false
brothers. He had anxiety over Epaphroditus, the man the church in
Philippi sent to help him - he almost died in his service to Paul!
Paul speaks of knowing what it is to be in need, 4:12. He speaks of
hunger and being in want. There is a huge disconnect between those of
the "health and wealth gospel" persuasion and what Scripture really
teaches us about God.
What does this tell me? God can and does call his loved ones at times
to suffer for him. Does God have the right to allow me to suffer?
Shouldn't I find myself free of all pain, sickness and suffering?
Shouldn't I be well off financially if I am loved by God? God loves me
and certainly all things, good and bad, come to me for good, Romans
8:28. The words of Job shout to me loud and clear: "My ears had heard
of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and
repent in dust and ashes." I am quite certain that all of us will have
a completely different idea of what we should have expected in this
life and what the real love of God means when we see him face to face.
In the meantime, I feel a need to keep my hand over my mouth, accept
whatever it is that God sends my way, and believe what the Bible
really has to say about God - not the "stuff" that gets passed around
these days. After all, he is the Almighty! He is the Eternal One! He
is the transcendent God who lives in such majestic splendor and glory
that I could never survive its exposure in this life!
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord
gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be
praised... Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 1:21,
2:10.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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