The Rest of the Story
After sharing on the goodness of God and the blessings our family has found in serving and loving Him in yesterday's post, I sensed a need to share "The Rest of the Story". Yes, the past 15 years have been a season of immense blessing and growth. However, they have also been a season of intense trials and hardships. It has been my personal experience that walking in the love of God on a daily basis does not exempt a person from trials and tribulations. God's Word tells us trials, tribulations, difficult times and people, hardships are all certainties. "...In the world you have tribulation and trials and distresses and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world, [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" John 16:33 They are a definite, but so is the rest of the verse; Jesus has overcome the world. He has deprived it of power to harm us and has conquered it for us. That is what yesterday's post was about, the overcoming power of God actively at work in our family.
I could write post after post depicting various seasons of hardship for our family. Better still, to me, is the reality that I can write even more posts on the marvelous, saving, keeping, power of God and how He has provided for every need and many wants smack dab in the most difficult of those times. Blessings and favor are about so much more than material and/or financial possessions and resources. Financial resources and material possession are simply tools to be used for the glory of God. Blessings and favor encompass every aspect of life, emotional, physical, and spiritual. When given the choice, I would rather tell of the Lord's goodness. However, in an effort to avoid potential misunderstandings, I felt impressed upon to post a little clarification.
A Mother's Rewards in no way wants to imply that living the Christian life is easy or that when someone actively chooses to love as God loves that their life becomes one of ease. Neither do we want to give the impression that an individual's life become trouble-free, quite the contrary. We simply long to declare the truth that while trials and troubles come, they will never outmatch the love of God. The following passages of scripture from 2 Corinthians and Romans offer encouragement and hope for seasons when hard times come. Whether circumstances be difficult or ones of ease, may every believer in Christ by known by love.
"For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; we are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]' we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed; always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies. For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death for jesus' sake, that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death." 2 Corinthians 4:5-11
28We are assured and know that [[j]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
29For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was [k]aware and [l]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.
30And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].
31What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]
32He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?
33Who shall bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]
34Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?
35Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?
36Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.
37Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors [m]and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.
38For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things [n]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,
39Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39
I could write post after post depicting various seasons of hardship for our family. Better still, to me, is the reality that I can write even more posts on the marvelous, saving, keeping, power of God and how He has provided for every need and many wants smack dab in the most difficult of those times. Blessings and favor are about so much more than material and/or financial possessions and resources. Financial resources and material possession are simply tools to be used for the glory of God. Blessings and favor encompass every aspect of life, emotional, physical, and spiritual. When given the choice, I would rather tell of the Lord's goodness. However, in an effort to avoid potential misunderstandings, I felt impressed upon to post a little clarification.
A Mother's Rewards in no way wants to imply that living the Christian life is easy or that when someone actively chooses to love as God loves that their life becomes one of ease. Neither do we want to give the impression that an individual's life become trouble-free, quite the contrary. We simply long to declare the truth that while trials and troubles come, they will never outmatch the love of God. The following passages of scripture from 2 Corinthians and Romans offer encouragement and hope for seasons when hard times come. Whether circumstances be difficult or ones of ease, may every believer in Christ by known by love.
"For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; we are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]' we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed; always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies. For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death for jesus' sake, that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death." 2 Corinthians 4:5-11
28We are assured and know that [[j]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
29For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was [k]aware and [l]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.
30And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].
31What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]
32He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?
33Who shall bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]
34Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?
35Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?
36Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.
37Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors [m]and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.
38For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things [n]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,
39Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39