TOPIC: The Reasons We Pass Through Difficulties (Part One)
BIBLE VERSE(S): Hebrews 11:37: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 11:38: (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 11:39: And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 11:40: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
I want to clear an erroneous impression we have about God. God isn't a sadist, and He doesn't feel happy when we are passing through difficulties. In fact, the heart beat of God is that we will showcase His glory as long as doing this will not make us to fall short of the ultimate glory in heaven. He feels sad when we are passing through difficulties, but there's nothing He can do about it, because it is what self has attracted to us. When a man has got rid of self, God can go to any extent in making that man radiate His riches and glory as long as that will serve eternal purpose. However, I still know that there are fake riches.
The mind of God is that we will live in bounty. When you read the account of the children of Israel carefully, you will discover that God didn't intend that they should suffer. In Psalms 84:11 the Bible says, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
Let us also look into the book of Deuteronomy 15:4: "Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:" 15:5: "Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day." 15:6: "For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee." 15:7: "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:"
In verse 4 &5 of this passage, God states His mind for the people of israel, if only they would keep His commandment. We should understand that God gave His law to restrain the activities of this prodigal self. This is why law is described as a school master in Gal. 4. Now, God tells the children of Israel, if you will remain under this law that will keep self in you under check, there will be no poor among you. Not only shall you be affluent, but you shall lend to the nations, and shall rule over them. Beloved, this is the heart of God for us. At this point, money will naturally locate your destination. You will no longer be employing the language of an overfed self to extort and exploit people. You will no longer be engaging people to raise funds for a project, which is another expression of self. God will bring His own will of prospering you to bare, because your will is now lost in His.
We shall continue our exposition on Deuteronomy 15:4-7 tomorrow. God bless you!
We shall continue tomorrow. God bless you!
PRAYER: FATHER, help me to understand why I go through what I go through so that I will not sin against you, and so that I will not lose my faith as a result of what I go through Jesus name. Amen.
ACTION POINT: Make a real evaluation of your life, and know why you go through what you go through in the line of this teaching.
STUDY PLAN. Psalm 106:1-33