What
should we do during times of difficulty -- when we hit the speed bumps of
adversity on the threshing floor of life -- when physical, financial,
emotional, or relational difficulties find our address? First and foremost this
is a time to draw close to God, to rest in Him and love on Him -- we simply
cannot love and worship God enough -- trusting in Him without fear, worry, or
doubt. The real test is whether misplaced love for the world’s riches, pleasures,
and trinkets -- the desire for non-spiritual things -- has crept into our heart
displacing our love for God. And we should draw on all those saints God has
placed about us, to unite in prayer for God’s grace and healing power to be
released in us - that His Kingdom would invade our circumstances in power.
These things we should always do. So we pray for: *A great awakening in our
soul of the awesome love of God. *A deep unquenchable hunger for His
righteousness to spring forth. *A revelation of God’s heart… and our heart.
*That we might become more intimately acquainted with our Lord. *That we might experience the power
outflowing from His resurrection. *That we might so share in His sufferings as
to be continually transformed into his likeness (nature). *That the peace that
passes understanding would flourish in us. *That unspeakable joy would
strengthen us. *That God’s word would bring healing… wholeness… restoration -- the
Shalom of God -- to any needs of our body, soul, and spirit. Our goal is simple:
First and foremost, we want to be transformed more and more into the nature of
Christ: We want His character, virtues, values, and attitude to flow through us
as our life, replacing our life with His divine life. This is the real purpose
for life’s speed bumps -- the “good” God brings forth out of our bad “things.”
And second, we want to become the fragrance of Christ to a lost and dying
world, even in the midst of adversity, handing the enemy a resounding defeat.
I am
reminded of my Uncle Vernon, a powerful man of Faith, who died of cancer.
During his final days in the hospital his family, friends, neighbors, hospital
staff, and church family gave testimony to the vigor with which he shared his
faith with everyone who visited him -- even while approaching death’s door –
blessing those who came to bless him. The joy and peace he radiated under such
adverse circumstances bore witness that he really knew, deeply and intimately,
his Lord. This is supernatural joy and peace that is hard to understand the why
for... unless one really knows Jesus. This godly man firmly believed in divine
healing and had witnessed many miracles in his life. He told me that it
mattered not whether God healed him, that it was totally up to God. If God
healed him then his work on earth was not yet completed, and if God choose not
to heal him... well then, he was finally going home, the moment he had been
waiting for so many years. Uncle Vernon really didn’t care whether he lived or
died, he left the important decisions to God trusting in His wisdom and
faithfulness. And much like the Apostle Paul understood “to live is Christ and
to die is gain.” He believed that death for a saint of God was the doorway into
complete restoration of our body, soul, and spirit, the greatest healing miracle
we will ever experience, the beginning of forever with God. Life in this world
had no hold on Uncle Vernon for he had “seen Him who is invisible” and was
looking “for the city ... whose builder and maker is God”, a city not made by
human hands. We would do well to emulate him during the trials and tests of
faith we all will face.
SAY
HI TO DADDY FOR ME UNCLE VERNON!
(Rom. 8:28; Phil.
1:19-26; Heb. 11:10, 27)
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