Many are the Afflictions
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
~Psalm 34:19
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. ~2 Cor. 4:17
Everything we go through is with purpose. Some pits we get ourselves into and others God throws us into. Just look at the life of Joseph (Start Genesis 37). We have to trust God in these moments of blindness that He has a plan with good intentions for us (Jeremiah 29:11). In these times of afflictions, faith is built, and we are made stronger.
I didn't understand that if I wanted to get strong and be a warrior in God's Kingdom, then I would have to suffer through many things. I have found that oftentimes, at our weakest point, God will kick us while we are down through an affliction, but only to build us up stronger. He will use the affliction to make us strong. The hardest times in my life have been the most forming times. I can easily look back and see God forming my clay vessel with His hands and breaking off the bad branches that didn't bear fruit, but restoring the wound and allowing it to heal into a healthy branch that can be used for His purposes.
God has to break our will first before He can truly use us. We are of no use to God if we constantly assert our own will over His. We have to learn to go when God says, "Go" without questioning Him. We have to learn to wait when God says,"Wait" without questioning Him. It is through these afflictions that work for us we learn to trust God completely, build up strong faith in Him, and grow stronger in the process.
After suffering through many trials, I've noticed how fearless I've become. Things that use to phase me don't bother me anymore. I can handle this because my God has brought me through and out of the darkest of pits! No one conquers fear without going into the battle and finishing the fight. These are the things that warriors are made of.
Let God work through the process you need to go through in whatever affliction you are dealing with now. Let Him has His way with you. Sometimes you have to go through what you go through. Through this you will learn to trust Him and hold on to Him for dear life. He will get you out in His perfect time. It may take a day, or it may take ten years. But our God is a faithful God, and He will always bring you out.
We don't jump from mountain top to mountain top, but we have to go through the valley of the shadow of death before we can reach the next mountain top. You will find that God is there in the midst of it all carrying you all the times you could not even walk yourself. Glory be to God!
I leave you with this scripture that comforted me during times of affliction:
I didn't understand that if I wanted to get strong and be a warrior in God's Kingdom, then I would have to suffer through many things. I have found that oftentimes, at our weakest point, God will kick us while we are down through an affliction, but only to build us up stronger. He will use the affliction to make us strong. The hardest times in my life have been the most forming times. I can easily look back and see God forming my clay vessel with His hands and breaking off the bad branches that didn't bear fruit, but restoring the wound and allowing it to heal into a healthy branch that can be used for His purposes.
God has to break our will first before He can truly use us. We are of no use to God if we constantly assert our own will over His. We have to learn to go when God says, "Go" without questioning Him. We have to learn to wait when God says,"Wait" without questioning Him. It is through these afflictions that work for us we learn to trust God completely, build up strong faith in Him, and grow stronger in the process.
After suffering through many trials, I've noticed how fearless I've become. Things that use to phase me don't bother me anymore. I can handle this because my God has brought me through and out of the darkest of pits! No one conquers fear without going into the battle and finishing the fight. These are the things that warriors are made of.
Let God work through the process you need to go through in whatever affliction you are dealing with now. Let Him has His way with you. Sometimes you have to go through what you go through. Through this you will learn to trust Him and hold on to Him for dear life. He will get you out in His perfect time. It may take a day, or it may take ten years. But our God is a faithful God, and He will always bring you out.
We don't jump from mountain top to mountain top, but we have to go through the valley of the shadow of death before we can reach the next mountain top. You will find that God is there in the midst of it all carrying you all the times you could not even walk yourself. Glory be to God!
I leave you with this scripture that comforted me during times of affliction:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
~1 Timothy 6:6
~1 Timothy 6:6
Let's learn to be content in being Godly and obedient to the Lord and let God handle the rest.
