I FREQUENTLY speak of “desirable difficulties,” maybe because I see about me a growing array of trials facing so many near and dear, and yes – troubles about the land. I was reminded of this recently when asked rather sarcastically but lovingly, “And what part of exhorting [the disciples] to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22) don’t you understand?” Good question.
HOW does James put it is in his very practical letter?
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James1:2-4)
OF course this calls for prayerful wisdom, for which James reveals the other side of this instruction coin:
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6)
THERE is one aspect of suffering that is often overlooked, and that is, “You can’t take anyone any further than you have not gone yourself.”
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 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. (2Cor. 1:3-4)
I’LL address this later point a little more next time. But with these challenging thoughts in mind, let’s look at another excerpt from None But the Hungry Heart – “Partakers.”
IIn the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10; Isa 30:15; Job 2:10; Jas. 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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1-26. Partakers
“If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God” (1 Pet. 2:20).
Affliction and suffering are the lot of all men, the privilege of all believers. Our sufferings bring forth need, and our need brings forth His comfort and consolation. Blessed need! “As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation” (2 Cor. 1:7). Blessed promise!
“If you aspire to be a son of consolation; if you would partake of the priestly gift of sympathy; if you would pour something beyond commonplace consolation into a tempted heart; if you would pass through the intercourse of daily life with the delicate tact that never inflicts pain; you must be content to pay the price of a costly education-like Him, you must suffer.”
“There are blessings which we cannot obtain if we cannot accept and endure suffering. There are joys that can come to us only through sorrow. There are revealing’s of divine truth which we can get only when earth’s lights have gone out. There are harvests which can flow only after the plowshare has done its work.”
“Comfort does not come to the light-hearted and merry. We must go down into ‘depths’ if we would experience this most precious of God’s gifts-comfort, and thus be prepared to be coworkers together with Him.”
“I take… pleasure in weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecution, and difficulties, which I endure for Christ’s sake, for it is when I am consciously weak that I am really strong” (2 Cor. 12:10, Wms.).
