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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