For His glory…

  “I long to experience the presence of God moving through every detail of my life, both good and bad ones, carrying me into a richer encounter with God, into a closer experience of community with others, into an experience of personal transformation that makes me more like Christ.”- Dr. Larry Crabb

If there is one thing I have been encouraged by in my time in Africa is how the believers rejoice in their suffering. When I arrived their church services were always full of such life in worship and I would ask what is this song about and 9 times out of 10 they would say “thank you Jesus.” I have an inside joke with one of my Swazi friends when I ask her what this song means, I usually say let me guess “thank you Jesus.”  They live out what it means to give thanks in all circumstances. There is so much suffering as a part of life here and they see it as a way to draw closer to the Lord. I think for some reason I had the mentality that I had a right not to suffer , especially as a believer. I mean, if Jesus really loves me why would He allow me to hurt or suffer (sorry dad you don’t lie and you say you know the plans you have for us not to harm us…). Yet, the Lord calls us to know Him in our suffering and that it will produce a glory in us that far out weighs any trial we go through. It is a joy to identify with Him in our suffering because than we know we are not alone and that He is the only one who understands us and can bring comfort.

Usually our response to pain is “why Lord” or “how could this of happened to me” or “how can I get of this.”   Its funny how we go to God with answers to our prayers and do not ask Him what to pray for. If we are asking God the why questions during hardships and it is only bringing death and little comfort than we need to change our thinking. Many times we do not get a godly perspective because we are more concerned with our comfort and relief than God’s purpose and glory. A dear sister of mine (Jacci) challenged me during my pain I am currently facing with looking at it through different heart and mindset.   As disciples of Christ the question we should ask is, How can God be most glorified through my life, my response, my speech, and actions during this trial?  

The truth is that everything that happens in life is first considered by God and passes through His loving and Sovereign hands. He sees the big picture and keeps His promise that “He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.” As many times as I have read that, I can’t get around the word “all” (all means all).  He doesn’t waste anything and He will use our life, our story, our pain, our trials for our good and His glory. He is incapable of evil or not being loving towards all He has made and there is comfort in knowing that He will not lead us astray or forsake us.

There are trials that seem impossible to get through, but that is when we can hold God responsible to deliver us in His time, in His purpose, and for His name sake (glory).  I am learning to be adjusted by His love and to see every thing as an opportunity to draw close to Him. I would never know Him has my healer if I didn’t go through a time of pain or as my deliverer (Psalm 34:19) if I wasn’t in a desperate situation. I recently had a revolution that we can seek God to know WHAT IS IT JESUS GETS TO BE FOR US NOW IN CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES COULDN’T BE ANY OTHER TIME? For me, He is revealing Himself as my COMFORTER and HEALER (I said “my” because He is a personal God) and He is teaching me to trust Him and in His un-changing love regardless of my circumstances or condition of my heart that He will show me His strength in my weakness.

I will praise my God in all circumstances and my hearts cry is “not my will but yours be done.” He will not waste our suffering and that is the very thing He will use to bring restoration and healing in lives of those around us. God sees the big picture and we can rejoice in knowing our God does not lie and He will fulfill all His promises for our lives. My favorite Swazi song is “Bambalayla” (means hold onto Jesus) and it rings true that He is the only thing that is constant and that we can put our complete trust in and lives in no matter what comes our way. No wonder they sing it with such passion and hope- He is all we need everyday in every situation.  As my precious sister Natalie once told me “you will never know He is all you need until He is all you have”(Selah). So we can count it all loss compared to knowing Him and if every situation whether good or bad allows us to know Him more than blessed by His name.