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Just So They Are Happy, 2
“Just So They Are Happy” (2)
Last week we talked about Abraham and his faith – the abandonment of his own will to the conviction that God reigns, and He is working to the salvation of his people! How wisely God taught this lesson to Abraham – by his mercy and grace. How well Abraham learned this lesson. Not by his “happiness” in this world, but by trial and sacrifice and struggle and bitter tears. And yet with all this, Abraham rejoiced in God. And God called Abraham his friend!
These things are written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope! The wisdom that ordered Abraham’s path also orders ours! It is just that we are often too blind, too preoccupied, too materialistic, too faithless, too spiritually lazy, too selfish to see it!
What is happening in our lives, and in the lives of those we love?
- Maybe he is shaping our character in some aspect – patience, courage, compassion, humility, meekness.
- Maybe he is shaking us out of our complacency.
- Maybe he is breaking us of our pride and selfishness.
- Maybe he is making us face facts.
- Maybe he is teaching us self-denial.
- Maybe it is so we can comfort others who will go through these same trials.
2 Cor. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
God always knows EXACTLY what he is doing. No matter how it looks to us. We can rely on it. Think noble and glorious things of Him!
Now, we may not always be able to explain – in fact, I am not sure we can in ANY case explain – how God’s wisdom is working. What exactly he is doing in this circumstance? That is in his hands. It is beyond our grasp!
What should we do? 1) Take these things as coming from God – at least from the standpoint that he allows them, and he is in control! 2) Use them to seek his face and draw closer to him – pray to him; 3) See his word as giving us guidance in this (not just Abraham, but the Bible is full of stories of God working in the lives of people – sometimes by blessing and sometimes by tribulation – but always for their spiritual welfare).
If we do this, we will never fail to be blessed by our trials and tribulations. And we will be able to help others do likewise!
But our natural bent is to fail seeing God’s hand around us. We see our troubles as just “bad breaks”. “It’s hard – I don’t know why God allows this to happen to me…”
We never think, maybe he is getting my attention – teaching me a lesson, humbling me, shaping me.
So instead of letting God’s providential trials bring strength and growth for us – guided by his wisdom and love, we TURN IT AROUND AND WE TEST GOD!
I Cor. 10:9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents.
“Tempting God” means putting him to the test, testing his patience, making trial of God. We say, “I wonder if he will let me get away with this? Maybe he will let me go on being proud and materialistic (worldly)…”
“Maybe he will let me impose my way on my brethren – make them go along with what I want!” “I wonder if he will let me have a little temper tantrum – or a spell of self-pity - just a little one – because after all I am doing it for the good of the church!”
“Maybe I can be spiritually lazy a while longer. I wonder what God would do if I tried that?”
Do we see the lesson? God’s aim is not for me to be happy in this world. He will not spare me any misery to make me be like Jesus Christ. Will I learn from it, or will I continue to put him to the test? Larry Walker, August 2011
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