John 17 Romans 5
Who of us in this world hasn't suffered? Congratulations. Join the crowd. Paul gives us a wonderful answer. But it takes work and dedication. It's like learning your ABC's all over again. My little 5-year-old great granddaughter just started kindergarten. What an exciting day, but also a little scary! She had to push off on her own, but she put on her best clothes, had her hair done like a movie star. She was ready! Mom and Dad had prepared her for this day. This first day counts a lot toward her attitude to learning-- the excitement of learning new things!
Jesus said for us to become as little children (Romans 5:3). Suffering produces perseverance. What if we decided at 5 years old that we didn't want to learn anymore? My little girl doesn't know that this day, this year, will be the easiest day in her learning adventure. When we were born again we started a whole new learning adventure.
"The old is gone, behold the new!" Kindergarten all over again! How do we greet it? With the excitement of a child going on a new adventure? With our new clothes on? The helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, new shoes for my feet, and anointed with the shield of faith. I'm shining like a new penny! I look like a star! And I have someone to go with me--the Spirit! Wow! What a day!
But I started out with suffering, didn't I? (I never know where He's going to take me, I just write it down). Why does He put together suffering and a little 5-year-old starting school? Because He wants us to know that learning is life changing, and it's not always easy. He said the way is narrow and hard. He never lies to us.
Listen to what Paul wrote in Romans, all through Romans. This man never stopped learning, and he passed it on to us. He went through suffering that hopefully we won't have to go through, but if and when we do, we can have HOPE. He turned every bit of suffering into a positive. Did he feel the pain? You bet! Do you feel the pain? You bet! In John 17, He said to the Father, "I don't ask that you take them out of the world, but keep them from the evil one."
Listen to Paul in Romans 5....and we rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God! What was he looking at? Where was his hope? What gave him hope for tomorrow? Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffering. Why rejoice in sufferings? Remember negative into positive! Why? Because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hears by His Holy Spirit, which He has given us. Christ died for us! Can we learn something from a 5-year-old kindergartener? And, yes, she has suffered already. And yes, she is a little spunky character. God bless her!
Bless God. He has a plan not to harm us, but to give us a hope and future. He's turned the curse into blessing. The negative into positive. Hate into love! Anger into forgiveness. Love, joy. It takes taking off the old and putting on the new! Learning to dress ourselves. I see a glimmer of light and hope. A rainbow! Peace and joy in the midst of our suffering.
Become as a little child. Love learning. Don't expect it to be easy. What we learn becomes our life!
In His Love, a work in progress
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