04/28/2020
When do we feel closest to God? Do we feel Him most when our stomachs are full, our lives are comfortable, and we have plenty of water to quench our thirst? If that were so then why is it that people are most inclined to wander away from Him at times such as this? No, we are most centered before Him when we are experiencing tribulation, and doing the hard things of His will. It is through the lenses of our tears that we see God most clearly, and It is also through them that He looks back at us, finding our soul, and peering deep into our heart... with perfect clarity.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 14:17 ESV
Poets write their greatest works in the midst of great passions, and two of these stand out most; they find inspiration in love, but their most intense emotion is in the heartbreak that comes with it, and the second great inspiration is in human suffering, and especially in the truth, faith, and righteousness they find at home there. There is an old saying that people often quote when they have lost everything; they say “There is nowhere to go from here but up!” This is a worldly view of demise, but spiritually, we are at the pinnacle of our faith in the midst of our most severe losses... we are standing firm on holy ground during those moments when we have been stripped of our shoes, and find ourselves closest to God, and Jesus Christ.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV
Thomas Charles was a Welsh Calvinist Methodist Who preached and wrote during the late 1700s, and early 1800s in Puritan fashion. He wrote something during his lifetime that makes today’s subject easy to understand. He expressed his thoughts in a book that is famous in Wales today, and is titled “Spiritual Counsels”. Listen to his words on the subject...
“Let him make the cross ever so heavy, empty you from vessel to vessel, cause you to be destitute, afflicted, and tormented, still the Holy Spirit, being within you, can fill your hearts with joy unspeakable and full of glory. - Thomas Charles, Spiritual Counsels, pp. 55-64
And then he goes on to write...
“The world cannot give peace and joy without removing the cross and affliction. Christ gives peace in the midst of trouble. The spirit within us causes us to glory in tribulation, to rejoice under the cross, and to triumph even in death.” - Thomas Charles, Spiritual Counsels, pp. 55-64
It doesn’t take the believer long to realize that his faith grows exponentially when he suffers, and especially when he suffers because of it. When asked when it was that Jesus reached His greatest spiritual triumph, even a novice will tell you that it was on the cross. There He was beaten, stripped bare, humiliated, and tormented by the world, and yet He found His moment of spiritual triumph and glory. It is also no surprise that Abraham and Moses were asked to remove their shoes before stepping onto holy ground. We are closest to God when we have been stripped of what stands between us... clothes, shoes... the pleasures and things of the world.
“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.”
Luke 18:22-23 ESV
In this scripture Jesus tells the rich ruler to strip himself of all he has, but in our times of trouble and suffering we usually find that these things have been taken from us without warning, or by circumstance. We might be sick, maybe we have lost our job, or perhaps we are in the midst of mourning a death, whatever the suffering we are experiencing, it brings us to our knees, and we find ourselves before the throne of God. Our emotions and humanity are made bare, and our faith is brought mightily to the forefront.
“and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”
Psalm 42:6 ESV
So is it true that we must praise God first? No, we strip ourselves of the world, we suffer, we seek Him, we prostrate ourselves before Him, He delivers us, we thank Him, and in all of this... we praise Him. God doesn’t reward us simply for praise, He rewards us for our love, faith, and obedience. He rewards us for doing His will without the encumbrances of worldly pleasures. So, we are circumcised by our suffering, and revealed to Him in all of our nakedness, our hearts are opened to Him without reservation, and our through our tears we can see Him, and He us, clearly. How do you see Him today?
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your presence in the midst of my hardships and suffering. Thank you Lord for lifting me up and giving my spirit your joy, and peace to comfort me. Thank you Holy Father for removing all the worldly encumbrances from between us, by washing them away with the blood of Christ, and for removing the shoes from my feet that He might wash them in humility, and living water. Help me to see you in all your glory as my faith gushes forth from within me, encouraged by your Holy Spirit, made pure by my tears amidst the tribulations that bring me to my knees before you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who loves and desires me. Praised be your name for the abundance of your peace, and joy, but also from within my suffering where my faith is fed and tended. Great are you in your deliverance, and amazing is your grace. Hear my prayers Father as I call out to you from the depths of my despair, feel the longing rise up from my soul as I weep for your presence, and mercy. Save me from this world, and all the sin and hardship that abounds within it. Taste my tears Father, even as you see my heart, and feel the rise and fall of my breast as I pant for the breath of righteousness that only you can provide. Keep me close Lord, even in tribulation, and let me see you clearly... now and forevermore.
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
James 5:13-16 ESV
Rich Forbes