In this “after-word”, reminders of what we should know for today . . .
When we need God, he’s with us. Let this promise imprint your soul: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). While God is present everywhere (Jeremiah 23:23,24), he promises to be with his chosen people in a personal, purposeful way. So when Joshua succeeded Moses as Israel’s leader, he heard this from the Lord: “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:6). When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he noted some of his sufferings for Christ: “We are . . . persecuted but not forsaken” (2 Corinthians 4:9). And who can forget shepherd David’s beautiful confidence: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me . . . ” (Psalm 23:4a)? The God of Joshua, Paul and David is with us!
He cannot not be. He promised, “And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes . . . ” (Ezekiel 36:27). The Spirit is a distinguishing mark of the believer in Messiah: “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9b). The Spirit is also a familial presence: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!'” (Romans 8:15). Our God cannot not be with us who believe, because he is Father to us– his adopted children–and he lives in us. “With us” is that close.
I’ve had three surgeries the last five years. Each time my wife was with me–at least up to the final prep point. I was a big boy in my late 60’s then. But having my wife with me comforted me. Of course, it’s different with our Father. We can’t see him sitting next to us or hold his hand or hear him speak. Sometimes our anxiety is so overbearing or the pain so intense, it smothers any sense of his presence. Yet, our feelings are not the measure of his promise. Our Father is with us. He promised. And he cannot not be. “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear . . . ‘” (Hebrews 13:6).
When we need God, he’s at work. ” . . . we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). What a weird worldview! Rejoice in sufferings? I don’t mean to be discouraging, but I’ve been a believer for about 60 years and my default reaction to suffering still isn’t whoopee! Is yours? But we do have this knowledge: God is at work in our suffering to produce endurance, character and hope. Suffering isn’t “down time.” Our Father uses it to form us further into the likeness of our Savior. Nor is suffering “weak time.” Our Father uses it to build us up with qualities more valuable than bulging biceps.
And his work isn’t coolly-professional, like a surgeon who’s performed this operation hundreds of times; it’s personally-loving. ” . . . God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5b). That’s why the work God produces will never disappoint; the final outcome will be glorious! “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus”, we sang years ago. It will be worth it all also when we see ourselves then.
James echoes Paul. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). To be honest, when God’s work hurts, I’d be okay with being a bit imperfect and missing a few virtues! How can our default reaction be joy? “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). A worldview that sees God at work in our worst days demands wisdom. How to have it? ” . . . ask God who gives
generously . . . ”
When we need God, he’s with us and at work because Christ was forsaken. Similar to Elie Weisel in the concentration camp, there are times we feel God is gone and only evil is working. I wonder if Jesus’ disciples felt like that when he cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Suffering is in the world because death is. Death is in the world because sin is (Romans 5:12). And Christ’s God-forsaken suffering was the means by which “the grace of God . . . abounded for many” bringing justification, the free gift of righteousness and “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:15-21).
So, believers in the crucified, risen and coming Christ, we can say with Paul: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). And we will sing on that day when suffering and death are swallowed up in victory . . .
” . . . to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen” (Romans 16:27).
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