THE STORY OF JESUS: Hebrews 12-13
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.” (Hebrews 12:7)
The recipients of this letter were facing increasing persecution.
The author challenges them to change the way they think about this hardship.
Think of it as God’s discipline, His pruning and perfecting of our faith.
Can I think this way about any hardships I might experience?
What is God trying to teach me through this experience?
What does God wants me to learn or do through this difficulty?
What good purpose can God we accomplishing through my misery?
God is not the cause of evil, but He does direct evil for His purpose.
For example, He used the evil hearts of Jesus’s enemies to save humanity.
This is easier to say when life is good; it is harder when life is hard.
It is also easier for me to say to someone who suffers, than for them to say it.
But how else can we thinking about it – that suffering is pointless and hopeless?
That there is no God, or God doesn’t care… these ways of thinking are worse.
The options are trust or despair; God is urging us to trust Him!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, help me now already to rethink my own small difficulties as training, so that if bigger ones come, I will be trained to trust Your good purpose then too.