Monday, October 2, 2017

What To Do When Trouble Comes Your Way - Rejoice!



If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. —Mark 9:22

{CHAMBERS} “The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God— that is where our faithfulness is revealed. Most of us can do things if we are always at some heroic level of intensity, simply because of the natural selfishness of our own hearts. But God wants us to be at the drab everyday level, where we live in the valley according to our personal relationship with Him. […] Look back at your own experience and you will find that until you learned who Jesus really was, you were a skillful skeptic about His power. When you were on the mountaintop you could believe anything, but what about when you were faced with the facts of the valley? You may be able to give a testimony regarding your sanctification, but what about the thing that is a humiliation to you right now?”

{ELGIN} What is your expectation of your new life in Christ? Is it that things will go your way.  That troubles will somehow skip over your house and land on another because you are sanctified and justified in Jesus?  If you have been a Christian longer than a day, you know that is not going to happen.  So how do you reconcile the idea of faith, hope and love with the reality of living your life in a sin-sick world?  Well … we have faith, we have hope, we are loved and demonstrate the love of God in spite of the world we live in.  In spite of the trouble that comes.  (2 Corinthians 4:8-10) “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” Does that sound like we are going to live a “trouble-free” life?  Ok how about this? Jesus said (John 16:33) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Ok, one more … (James 1:2-4) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Trouble is a test and without a test there is no test-imony. Our lives should be the “fragrance of Christ”. (2 Corinthians 2:14-15) “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…”  In the testing of your faith through the realities of living this life on earth, the world can and should Jesus in you.  That is unless you choose to face life on your own.  Doing your best to deal with whatever comes your way.  Ignoring the power that is within you that comes by faith and doing your best to deal with your trouble using your own wisdom and strength.  Oh friend, God did not intend for you to live your new life the same way that you lived your old one.  You are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.  You must live by faith and not by sight.  Everyday you must look to the hills from whence your help cometh.  Look up and let your light shine among men .. to the glory of God and salvation of the lost.  Especially when trouble comes your way.

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