Encouragement

"…we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

This past week has been a Camp for High School students and their leaders. Most were believers but a sprinkling of unbelievers also. Many coming from Assembly youth groups around the country.

A few evenings ago, we had two testimonies from young leaders emphasising the reality of God working in the lives of believers by means of difficulty and often pain. One was mentally assaulted as a young person during his parent's relationship breakup. The other testified to a brain injury through accident that almost killed him causing a two-year loss of memory. Both witnessed to the power and love of God in often using pain and loss to recover and enhance their relationship with God. The question could be…Why does God do this?

The first verse above comes from the Lord spelling out to Rehoboam the King, that the painful separation of Israel from Judah was from God. God had allowed the nation to break in two, and they were not to seek by human means to repair it. Like this event, sometimes God's reasons are not clear.

There are often many griefs and painful episodes in our lives that we anguish over, seeking to discover how to mitigate or reverse them.

True! Some pain may be corrective and once repentance is established restoration can begin. Nevertheless, there are also many personal trials that the only whispered comfort that comes to us, is from God Himself. "This thing is from Me."

It may a trial that is simply to allow God to reestablish His contact and our sense of His daily presence. A child that is in distress (as we are all children of God) is much more receptive to the comfort and love of the parent, and the parent is then able to put the child's trouble into the correct perspective.

On the other hand, it may also be a test that like Job of old, the real witnesses are the heavenly ones. We have been chosen by God to demonstrate our complete faith in Him, despite knowing none of the reasons for the trial. God's plan in our case will also be that we too will be transformed from simply hearers about God, to those who can see God surrounding us.

Now when we come to the scripture that encourages us to "…know that all things work together for good…" ,this passage is not simply telling us to hold on or get a grip on our ability to suffer in silence.

No! The context is the future for which the believer is eagerly waiting. (This phrase is repeated 3 times.) The Lord is encouraging us that the present sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed in us, in the future Rom 8:18

As those young men mentioned earlier, they looking back at the mental and physical troubles suffered in their recent youth, were full of praise for their God. This God who could orchestrate such victorious outcomes in their lives from such sad episodes, and the agony that they and their families suffered, surely He was worthy of being followed and worshipped.

You have a blessed and joyful week.

Kind regards in Him

Doug