Week Two - Observation 3

Thanks for all the encouragement regarding yesterday's post - it's good to know that your thoughts are appreciated by others.  When I ask for your comments, though, it's because I know your thoughts are every bit as important as mine.  God speaks to us in different ways, but always with the same truths.  Sometimes one person may have a perspective that, when shared, allows another to see the deeper meaning in a passage - that's a great thing about group Bible study.  And during this time that we aren't as able to physically sit together and discuss Scripture, we can utilize the tools of our age and do the next best thing...and I kinda think this is it!  :)

I'm getting a later start tonight, and I don't like doing that.  My thoughts seem scattered and all of the day's activities are weighing on my mind.  Robert had a hard morning, so it seemed the whole day kind of got a little out of whack, timing wise.  But now I'm sitting quietly sipping my cup of peppermint tea, with my Bible beside me and knowing that I'm "talking" with friends, and I'm breathing in peace, and calm, and Holy Spirit joy.  That Holy Spirit joy that we discussed several days ago that allows us to persevere, and not only to just keep going, but to do it with the inner joy that only God can bring to us.  And He brings it saying He loves us, He knows us, He knows just what we're going through right now, and He's right beside us.  How can we not smile just a little bit when the Holy Spirit reassures us of all of that?

Remember, our question this week is going to be:  What is the purpose(s) of suffering in a believer's life and in what different ways can we suffer?

And our verse to memorize this week will be one that we probably already have a jump start on, but one that needs to be secure!  "But He said to me,  'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me."  2 Corinthians 12:9

                                            

OBSERVATION

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 "Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.  We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.  We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus' life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh."

2 Corinthians 11:30 "If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me."

Where we left off yesterday with the realization that God allows us to suffer at times so we can see that  is our only hope, our only rescuer...we pick up today with more affirmations by Paul to us of God's great abilities contrasted against our profound weakness.

We really do live this life in clay jars, earthen vessels, easily broken and not meant to last.  These bodies die and decay.  I think it's sometimes a wonder that our current average lifespan is close to 80 years when you consider all of the many things that can go wrong in these bodies of ours.  Scientists estimate that our bodies contain 30 trillion cells.  It seems to me that the possibilities of those cells malfunctioning and going randomly crazy would be pretty high, but yet most of us live a fairly long time in these clay jars of ours.  Eventually, though, those cells do wear out, go rogue on us, and we die.  

We are not super beings, we are not powerful beings, and yet God deposited His great treasure, the Gospel, the ministry of reconciliation between God and man, within us.  Just as Paul reminded Timothy, "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you."  2 Timothy 1:14. We have been entrusted by God with His message - we've been given a great responsibility.  But Paul reminds us that God knows exactly how weak we are, and that because of our weakness, God exhibits His power in ensuring that His message is successfully proclaimed.  Paul then compares the human response to their sufferings to the God-empowered response:

They were troubled, afflicted, pressed down upon, pressured - and yet they were not crushed, they did not feel constrained or troubled in spirit.

They were perplexed, confused, and didn't know what to do - and yet they were not in despair or without hope, they did not give up.

They were persecuted, harassed, beaten - and yet they never felt forsaken or alone.

They were struck down, humiliated, scorned - and yet they knew they were not destroyed, they knew they were not defeated and they knew God was not through with them.

These men were not superheroes, but God was acting in them supernaturally.  Paul wants to make sure we know this.  It was all God giving them power that was not theirs.  They were using their clay jars to show that their suffering, their very real human suffering, reflected Christ's; but that His life was shining through them in a miraculous display of ability to withstand and keep moving forward.  

That's why Paul was so eager to boast about his weakness - his weakness, in light of his great accomplishments for the cause of Christ, showed the power of God to accomplish what He wills to be accomplished.  We just have to be willing to allow our clay jar to be used by God - He will supply all the power necessary.  

Our cracked (sinful) clay jars are still usable by a God who restores all things for His use.  His grace - His all-sufficient grace seals our cracks, and makes us ready to be filled with His message.  Then we can take that message wherever He leads us, He will give us whatever we need to face whatever obstacles may come our way.  I am weak, but He is strong --- brag about that!  Brag about the fact that we are nothing, but He uses us anyway and makes up for all of our nothingness with all of His great everything-ness!  It is all God - He does it - we are just the jar carrying the message.  

So today's observation is this, from my perspective:  Suffering shows us just how weak we are, but how very, very great our God is.  Everything we lack, He gives.  Everything we aren't, He is.  We can live in His power and not crack wide open when the world expects us to, or even when we might expect to!  Live in His grace, live in His power --- let us be like Paul and brag about Him!

Week Two - Observation 2

For us here in the panhandle of Texas, any day that it rains is a good day!  So today was a good day - a nice, warm afternoon shower brought much needed moisture and it was so nice to sit on the patio watching the rain come down.  Add to that, three of our granddaughters were sitting on the patio with us, so that made today a very good day. 

When talking about difficult times, it's hard to see what is happening to our world today and not project these difficult times into the future years when our children and grandchildren will be living through them.  I cannot imagine that the world will suddenly "get better" over the next decades and evolve into a kinder, more loving place.  I see how our world has changed over the last twenty to thirty years and I don' see it as a better place now - much to the opposite.  The world of 1990 seems so mild in comparison.  I worry about the future for our children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren --- but then I'm reminded, this is all in God's hands---now, during our difficult times---and then, with whatever is to come.  I pray that God will come to gather up His children sooner than later --- but that, too, is in His omnipotent, all-knowing, loving hands. 

In thinking about our lives, wouldn't it be nice if they came with chapter headings?  I turned to our Scripture of today and my Bible contains the heading,"Difficult Times Ahead."  Wouldn't it have been nice to have flipped the page in our life book to January 1, 2020, and read, "Difficult Times Ahead."  Think we could have braced ourselves a little bit?  Well let's start bracing now, because I'm pretty sure that difficult times still lie ahead for all of us - no matter the world situation, we will all experience difficult times ahead in one form or another.  

Remember, our question this week is going to be:  What is the purpose(s) of suffering in a believer's life and in what different ways can we suffer?

And our verse to memorize this week will be one that we probably already have a jump start on, but one that needs to be secure!  "But He said to me,  'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me."  2 Corinthians 12:9

OBSERVATION

2 Timothy 3:10-12 " But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance,along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra.  What persecutions I endured!  Yet the Lord rescued me from them all.  In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

2 Corinthians 1:8-9  "For we don't want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in the province of Asia; we were completely overwhelmed---beyond our strength---so that we even despaired of life.  However, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead."

Today we're going to look at some of the "adventures" of Paul and Timothy, his protege.  Their adventures were not tales of fun and frolic.   In looking at our first passage Paul reminds Timothy of everything that Timothy had been hearing about Paul's travels - and about Paul's sufferings.  But Paul is quick to point out that he's still here and that was due to God's rescue of him.  

In the second passage, Paul is relaying to the Corinthians what he and his now fellow sufferer for the cause, Timothy, have been through - they thought they were going to die!  But, once again, God came to their rescue and they have lived to tell their story of deliverance.

Just as God made clear to Paul that he would suffer, Paul, in turn, made very clear to Timothy that if he joined Paul on his mission crusades, his life would not be easy - but it would be purposeful and victorious.  He restates that if you're going to live for Christ, you will be persecuted.  

I remember reading 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 when I really heard for the first time what it was saying, and it wasn't, "God won't ever give you more than you can bear." (Not in the Bible, by the way!)  It WAS specifically saying that at times God WILL give you much more than you can bear, so that you will be overwhelmed, beyond your own strength, even convinced that you're going to die.  

I have learned to look for the "so that"s in the Bible.  They are always telling us why something happened and what purpose it accomplished.  Here Paul tells us, "so that, we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

God put them in this precarious, life-threatening situation that they could do nothing about, that they had no power over and no escape from, SO THAT they would learn not to trust in themselves, not to think that they could always figure the answer out, not to lean on their own understanding...but, SO THAT they would learn to absolutely trust God...if He raises the dead, He can handle everything else as well, can't He?

                                                     

That's our observation for today:  in life's difficulties, we have to trust God, our God who has the power to raise the dead...and not ourselves for even a minute.  The God who created the universe is asking us to trust Him more than we trust ourselves --- why would we even argue with that?  Isn't He able to do infinitely more than we could ever come up with?

God may give you more than you can bear, just SO THAT you will realize this very thing --- you can trust Him!  He will come to your rescue.  He will make a way when it looks like, to our very human eyes, there isn't a way.  You may be very surprised at how and when He does it - but He will.  And that's the faith part...faith in Him to do what He has promised.

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand."

Psalm 71:2 "In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me."

Week Two - Observation 1

This week we're going to take a broad look at the life of Paul and how his life portrayed one of suffering, but also of victory.  We're going to see how God really did use all things for good, even when they looked very, very bad.  Paul is an example to us of how we can live through very difficult times and keep our zeal, our joy, and our focus on God's purposes, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Our question this week is going to be:  What is the purpose(s) of suffering in a believer's life and in what different ways can we suffer?

And our verse to memorize this week will be one that we probably already have a jump start on, but one that needs to be secure!  "But He said to me,  'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me."  2 Corinthians 12:9

OBSERVATION

Acts 9:15-16 "But the Lord said to him, 'Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel.  I will certainly show him how much he must suffer for My name!'"

Acts 13:44-45, 49-50  "The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the message of the Lord.  But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to oppose what Paul was saying by insulting him."

"So the message of the Lord spread through the whole region.  But the Jews incited the religious women of high standing and the leading men of the city.  They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district."
                                                
Few of us get such a clear directive of the purpose of our life as Paul did.  God clearly chose him to be a bearer of the good news of the Gospel to the Gentiles, to nobility and also to the Jews.  Paul, without a doubt, knew what he was destined to do once God got a hold of him in Damascus.

                                                    

                                                  

But God showed Paul something else right up front as well...He showed him the great amount of suffering that lied ahead of him.  Why do you think God showed him this up front?  Wouldn't that deter a lot of us from going forward?  I think that's exactly why God showed him - fair warning - you know what you're getting into here, are you really in?  Suffering can be a winnowing tool, can't it?

Paul  did know what he would go through for the sake of Christ, and he chose God's path and never looked back.  Would you or I do the same?  If God showed us that we would undergo beatings, stonings and finally decapitation, would we choose to keep speaking the Good News, never stopping no matter how many times imprisoned? 

Paul knew his Lord, he knew his purpose, and he knew where his true home was....I think that's what kept him going.

And Paul preached - and he gathered great crowds!  And he gathered opposition.

Paul preached - and the message spread throughout the whole area!  And enemies spread too.

Jesus told us we would be hated just as He was.  We are wrong to anticipate that when we speak of Jesus, everyone will open their hearts and receive our words with joy!  That is what we pray for, but that is not always going to happen.  Don't expect everyone to receive the Word gladly - expect opposition.  Expect to be put down and ridiculed.  Expect hard times.  Name one apostle that didn't encounter opposition over and over until they died.  

Now I'm not saying that we are living lives equivalent in importance to the Apostles...or could it be?  Could it be that we are being called to PROCLAIM Christ to a dying world as this dying world comes to its end?  What more important time could we have been appointed to?  I think it's time to preach - it's time to be Pauls and Peters and James and Johns to this 2020 world!  It's time to look suffering in its face and set our faces toward heaven and tell God, "Yes!" just as Paul did.  How we do that is going to look different for each of us, but let's pray to God for His direction in our lives so that we can bring Him glory!

My observations today:

1.  Knowing and being dedicated to our God-given purpose can diminish the threat of suffering.

2.  Suffering, or even the threat of suffering, can filter out those who are not truly dedicated to God's purpose in their life.

3.  Expect opposition - expect ridicule - expect rejection.

4.  Pray for God to show us His direction for our lives in this critical time of the world clock!

Week One - Observation 5 and Wrap Up

We're about to finish our first week - how is it going?  Any ideas to make this study better?  Let me know what you're thinking and how the study is making you think differently, if it is! 

As for me, I can't help but think of the current situation in China as we're discussing Christian persecution.  The horrific government that has controlled China for 71 years (since Chairman Mao announced the formation of the Peoples Republic of China in October 1949) continues to grow in evil doing as it intensifies it's opposition to Christianity.  Just this week it was reported that Chinese officials have ordered some Christians to smash the crosses on their churches and remove images of Jesus from their homes.  In the region of Shanxi religious images were demanded to be taken down and replaced with pictures of Communist leaders at the homes of impoverished believers.  These Communist leaders are responsible for the murder and imprisonment of their Christian brothers and sisters, and yet they are supposed to be objects of their honor?  In Zhejiang, an 80-year old woman was alleged to have been beaten as she tried to protect her church that was being destroyed. 

So what we are talking about this week isn't a "maybe someday it could happen" thing - it IS happening, right now, in our lifetimes, all around the world.  China is certainly not the only place.  Throughout Africa, Indonesia, India and the Middle East, Christians are being persecuted at an ever-increasing rate for their belief in Christ.  We need to be diligently remembering all of them in our prayers, that they may have the strength and perseverance that we would wish to have, and that they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit as a result of our prayers for them.  If you want to read more about current persecution of Christians around the world, visit www.persecution.com or www.opendoorsusa.org.  Both of these sites have lots of information that can give you specific things to pray for in specific areas.  I know there are many other sites as well, but these are two that I visit most often.

OK - last day - first week!

Our question to consider this week:

"Once we entrust our lives to God, are we exempt from the pain and difficulties of life?  Does our relationship with Him provide protection against suffering?"

Our first passage to memorize:

Philippians 1:29  "For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.   Do you have it down?  Does it mean more to you after our discussion of yesterday?  Love to hear from you on that!

OBSERVATION 5

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

"since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us.  This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don't know God and on those who don't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  These will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction, away from the Lord's presence and from His glorious strength, in that day when He comes to be glorified by His saints and to be admired by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed."

We're going back to the continuation of the same passage of Scripture that we started with on our first day, the first chapter of Thessalonians.  Paul wants to assure his Christian family that there is a day of reckoning when their afflictions will be over, and those who have persecuted them for their belief in Christ will be brought to justice.  There is so much in this passage that we could pour over as far as end-times timing and exactly when these specific things are going to take place, but I don't think that will be my focus tonight.  But if you have thoughts on that aspect of the passage, I'd love to hear them!

OBSERVATION:

What I saw tonight in this passage is the stark contrast between "those" and "you". 

"Those" afflict "you" and God's justice will not allow them to go unjudged.
                    "You" will be given relief and rest when Christ comes with His powerful angels.
"Those" do not know God and "those" do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Those" will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction and separation from God's glory.
                    "You" who have believed, will admire Christ in His glory forever.

Paul presents two clear groups of people in this passage, those who:

1. Believe the message of the Gospel just as Paul preached to Thessalonica and the same Gospel we have also heard - risk affliction/persecution here on earth - receive eternal rest, relief and life when Christ comes - live an eternity of admiring Him for who He truly is and seeing Him face-to-face!

OR

2. Refuse to know God, refuse to receive the message of the Gospel - be the ones with power here on earth to persecute and bully Christians -  receive God's vengeance and retribution, and the ultimate penalty of eternal destruction - be forever separated from God and His glory. 

The first choice may be persecution here on earth (temporary), but the second choice brings an eternity of destruction and separation from God (eternal). 

"Don't fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Matthew 10:28

Those who have been or will be persecuted may cry out "How long, how long?" but relief will come for them.  We hold on knowing our Savior is coming to rescue His own.

WEEK'S WRAP UP

Our question this week was, "Once we entrust our lives to God, are we exempt from the pain and difficulties of life?  Does our relationship with Him provide protection against suffering?"

I think it's clear after this week's study that Christians are not exempt from life's difficulties and God does not protect His people from all suffering.  In fact, suffering is not only possible, God tells us that it is inevitable for Christians.  We may, at some point, truly face persecution for our Christian faith; what seemed impossible not that long ago, is now a foreseeable possibility in our futures.  And while we ourselves are not currently undergoing physical persecution or suffering, we should be suffering "in kind" for our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world as is stated in Hebrews 13:3 "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."  We should suffer deeply considering the wrongs of this world and the judgment that is coming.  And we suffer through the sometimes really tough trials that life brings to us.

The follow-up question then is, "How will we respond to our suffering?"  Our prayer should be that we would respond just like the people in first century Thessalonica did - with "perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure."  

In the face of persecution:
I will know God knows - He has not abandoned me - my afflictions will be temporary.  I will be in a  family of believers that will encourage each other with our Christian bond of love.  I will depend on the Holy Spirit to embolden me, carry me and infuse His gift of joy into my life, whatever the circumstances.  I have learned to see suffering as an opportunity to grow into a deeper relationship with God, a "gifting" of greater intimacy with Him.   - and I will remember that I have a Savior who will rescue me and bring me to a glorious, eternal rest. 

Oh Lord, do not let me forget these lessons. 

Week One - Observation 4

It's Monday evening - and I'm glad to be back with you after the weekend!  Do weekends even seem like weekends any more?  For me they don't!  Every day seems to roll into the next, fairly indistinguishable from the one before.  Sundays are still marked by mornings of worship - but Robert and I are still worshiping at home, which is not the same as being with a body of believers, hearing voices raised together, praising our God!  I'm missing my congregation and it's hard when we just don't know when we'll get to return to that beautiful setting!  Thank goodness we do have access to services via television and internet, and we always have access to God's Word - let's not ever take either of those wonderful gifts for granted!

Thanks SO MUCH to those of you who have commented on the previous entries!  I LOVE being able to hear your thoughts and comments.  It makes this so much more meaningful to me.  Keep them coming.  If you have trouble posting on the blog, just comment on FB posting or via e-mail at janicehodges1356@gmail.com.  I'm copying all to the blog so we can keep them together to look back on.  I just love the fact that there is a group of us "coming together" and studying God's Word in this difficult time we find ourselves in.  For anyone who would care to, let us know via any form of comment what is particularly "difficult" for you right now - whatever it is - we all have different things going on that may be causing us difficulty.

Our question to consider this week:

"Once we entrust our lives to God, are we exempt from the pain and difficulties of life?  Does our relationship with Him provide protection against suffering?"

Our first passage to memorize:

Philippians 1:29  "For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.   Are you memorizing this verse?  It's one I think that is important for us to have hidden - and we're going to dig into it today!

OBSERVATION 4

Philippians 1:29-30 - "For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear about me."

2 Timothy 3:12 - "In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

OK - these two sets of verses really humble me.  I do not believe I have suffered persecution.  Where does that leave me as a person who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus?  Have I been insincere in my desire to truly follow Jesus?  If I were more sincere would I have suffered, or would I currently be suffering for Him?  Have I turned away from situations where I may have needed to take a stronger stand because I feared being persecuted in some way?

As we look into these verses, I'm reminded of the upside-down view of our world that Jesus portrays for us in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.  The attributes that Jesus holds up as "blessed" are not attributes that the world glorifies - just the opposite for the most part.  

                                            

And when we look at that very last "Blessed", it addresses those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake - for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

So looking at our first passage in Philippians 1:29-30, I think the first thing we need to look at is the meaning of the word "given", or possibly "granted" in your version.  This word is translated from the Greek word charizomai, "which means 'to grant as a favor or to show kindness.' It is the verb form of the noun for grace.  Suffering is a privilege God gives to the believer, a form of grace that shows His favor toward us."

Oh. Wow. 

That's why I selected this verse for us to memorize this week!  Suffering for Christ is a gift given to favored Christians - not a punishment, not something to dread - a special grace/gift, a showing of kindness from God!  Should that change our view of potential persecution and our tendency (if you are like me!) of shying away from it?  If, in the future, we can look at our lives and whatever opportunities we have to take a strong stance for our faith in Jesus Christ in the face of potential opposition and even persecution as open windows for God's grace to us, God's gift to us of His blessing, of His special favor, does that change our likelihood of not shying away but, almost anxiously, looking forward to what God is going to do in our lives in light of our persecuted status.  

If you ever have the opportunity to go to a Voice of the Martyrs Conference, I strongly encourage you to do so.  When you hear actual people testify to what they have experienced as persecuted Christians, there is, without exception, a joy that they exude when they talk of their times of suffering.  Many of them say that they have never felt closer to God, and that they had a special manifestation of God's presence while they were imprisoned that they have never experienced before or since.  Would they choose to go back to imprisonment or captivity?  No - but many say they do miss the spiritual intimacy they shared with God during that time, and that they would not have the relationship with God that they currently enjoy without that time of persecution.  They were gifted, they were graced, they were favored - and they had an opportunity to honor and glorify God that many of us will not have.

So where does that leave the rest of us?  Those who have not been persecuted or suffered for the sake of our faith?  Let's look at the second part of our passage in Philippians when Paul says that we will have the same struggle that he has encountered and has been talking about.  Paul often talks about his troubles in proclaiming the Gospel and lists many of them in 2 Corinthians 11.  That list includes quite a bit of suffering.  But I also think Paul may be referring to what he has just talked about earlier in Philippians 1:27-28:

"Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents.  This is evidence of their destruction, but of your deliverance - and this is from God."

I think Paul introduces the verses we are memorizing by first telling his Thessalonian friends and by telling us that the first, the one thing --- simply live our lives in a Christ-like manner, stand firm, work for the gospel and to not be frightened in any way by our opponents.  Such lives show we are ready for whatever God brings to us, and we are trusting Him.  God's gift to us may bring suffering in a manner of great persecution, or it may be what could be considered a minor setback, but no matter - we will stand firm - we will stand unafraid - we will stand showing that we have been delivered from this world and the threats it can bring against us.  And whatever degree of suffering God allows us to bear in this world, we will accept it as a gift from Him, and feel honored that He saw us deserving.  I pray to have that mindset moving forward in this most unknown and uncertain of times, which may bring to many of us a greater level of suffering and/or persecution than we have experienced so far in our lives.

I know - that's an upside-down way of looking at it!  It challenges our human vision - but then we have to remember to look through our re-born eyes, eyes that can now see the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3) where everything is made right and new!

I've loved this one - let me hear from you!  I'm anxious!!

In His Amazing Love,

Janice