Written by Dave Coffield:
A friend asked me if I was encouraged. I am encouraged to the degree that my eyes and focus are on Jesus.
David, the King, is encouraging. There are days when he is in the pits, distressed, troubled, fearful, despairing. There are also days when he is delighted, rejoicing, and grateful.
If we measure the goodness of God by how we feel in our circumstances in this life we will be forever on an emotional rollercoaster. The tribulations with my neck and head pain in the last 9 months have led me to understand that God uses the pain and the suffering both for our good and His glory and we can rejoice regardless.
There is an element of Christianity that thinks that God wants you to be continually healthy, wealthy, wise, and successful. Too bad it is not biblical. Paul writes to Timothy and tells him to use a little wine for the sake of his stomach and his frequent ailments. What? Paul leaves Trophimus sick at Miletus. Paul has his own issues with the messenger of Satan sent to torment him and beat on his body.
You can pack a church with prosperity gospel preaching. Too bad it is not real life. God is far more interested in our growth than our being happy. I am ambivalent about that because I like happy.
If we want to be like Jesus, we should prepare ourselves to do a good job suffering. The confidence that God is good when the sun is shining, and He is good when it is raining. He is good when we feel well and when we are sick. The words of Paul ring in our ears, “In everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. Or “Do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation…”
I like the way that the author of Hebrews says it, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of faith…” Our Lord is amazing, wonderful, marvelous, spectacular and worthy of our thanks and praise day by day!
You remain daily in my prayers and on my heart,
Your brother,
David
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