The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Philippians 1:29-30,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"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.
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.
"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 what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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