He Gives

Sometimes I need a reminder that my suffering is not for nothing. If I can remain obedient to God's direction, through trials, my misery can reveal things most glorious. Compared to eternity my pain is momentary in the great time frame.

That is not to downplay this pain. Suffering is valid, but it can bring peace and purpose. Sometimes, most times actually, I wonder Why, Why Why? But then I am reminded that Why not? I am no different from others who loose children. I am not promised a life without struggle. I am a fallen soul in a fallen world. The only thing that sets me apart is my faith in Christ. But that does not make me immune to tragedy. Actually because I follow Christ I am swimming upstream. Going against the grain will undoubtedly create confusion at times. We can think because we believe lightning cannot strike.
But we are not safe from affliction because we believe. We would be afflicted either way.

The enemy is against me from the start. But this is not why tragedy happens. I am not being punished. Nathan's death is not for punishment, that is just a lie the enemy would have me believe. Nathan would have passed regardless of if I followed Christ or not, it was God's plan for Him. For a greater purpose than I will ever understand this side of heaven. So often tragedy makes us turn from God, our faith, our promise. The enemy clouds our minds, and would have us believe that if God loved us He would prevent such things. But this is simply not the case. We do not believe because it will keep us "safe". We believe because He is TRUTH. We believe because He is worthy of our belief.

I am promised to be comforted. I am promised healing arms. I am promised the great promise of glory one day. In Glory I will be reunited. I am given Grace everyday and gifted with peace beyond all human understanding. However, I am not promised a life safe from harm. God does not fit in a box. We cannot consider him "safe" as far as our human definition. We cannot define safety as never hurting. That is just not possible. Just as children fall, and learn to get back up, so must we as adults. Safety is not avoiding the fall, but whom we can fall into. Christ relentlessly pursues us. We are not alone. This is what we are promised. He promises to never abandon us. He promises that nothing can seperate us. If I followed Christ only when life went smoothly, then I would never follow Him. If my worship is conditional then it is not really worship at all. I must praise in the dark times as well as in the illuminated ones. It doesn't make sense to me at all. How can I worship a God who takes from me?

I can because He gives. He gives more than I can describe. I can because the Creator of everything regards me. He knows my name, my steps, my hurts, and He gives. He gives, and gives, and gives.