Someone should inform new believers (and probably old ones as well) that God is interested in growing us up and it is going to be painful. The writer of Hebrews informs us that God “scourges every son whom He receives”. What!? That is child abuse. A writer in Psalms says, “You Who have shown me many troubles and distresses…”
Why would God do that?
I can think of 2 reasons. One would be that we need it for growth. I was reading in Proverbs 17 this morning, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts”. We don’t like the process of getting there but we like the end result. The word “test” in this passage means that God is in the process of refining and developing our hearts.
When we come to Jesus, we are not ok as we are any more than a new recruit off the street is ok to deploy with an U.S. Army Special Forces team. We are accepted as we are. We are loved, embraced, and delighted in as we are but because God loves us, He wants to grow us up into the image and character of His Son Jesus. The Christian life is about growth and growth means change. We grow as we walk with Jesus. It is what happens when we engage in a relationship with Jesus through the Word and prayer daily.
We also grow when God looks at our lives and decides to work on developing us. Pain, trials, stress, troubles, sicknesses, conflict…it goes on and on. Without the confidence that the sovereign hand of our loving God is ruling over it we can lose hope. [Note from Michael; and that he promised never to leave us for forsake us]
Another reason would be that it expresses God’s glory. When you are suffering, and you rejoice—God receives glory, and the world sits up and takes notice. When life goes poorly, and you give thanks—the world sits up and takes notice. May the Lord give us the grace to give thanks in all things.
Your brother,
David
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