Saturday, September 19, 2009

2009 – Day 261.Sept 19 – Learning From Suffering

Passage of the Day: Job 28 … Linked for study …

My Journal for Today: At the end of his devotional for this date, Chuck Swindoll zeroes in on a pertinent and powerful truth from this study in Job, especially from Chapter 28; and that is we learn that “… the greater the suffering, the better we determine what really matters.” That’s what Job had learned; and be begins to assert this truth in Chapter 28 by his commitment to dig deeply into the mind of God to find the Lord’s wisdom to replace his own confusion and doubt.

This very date, a dear friend of mine was lamenting his long struggle with his weight and the outcomes of being overweight physically (high blood pressure, joint problems, and fatigue). And oh, how I empathize with that, having become obese myself some years ago and incurring diabetes as a result. However, when I was diagnosed with diabetes, God showed me I need not languish in my own habitual sin nor my feelings of defeat from my chronic obesity. God revealed to me that I could choose to be an “overcomer” because Christ had been THE OVERCOMER [see John 16: 33].

God’s Spirit led me to recognize that I need not live, as did Paul, in the lie of Romans 7: 14-23, I could rather live in the truth of Romans 8 - link provided. I need not live in the weakness and pain of 2nd Cor. 12: 7-8; I could rather live in the strength and victory of 2nd Cor. 9-10 - link provided. But if I bought into the lies the enemy would have me believe, such as those Job had heard from his three friends, I would not be able to share in the victories God had for me to experience in my future.

Job, in Chapter 28 made the decision to stand for God’s truth rather than to surrender to Satan’s lies. He decided to go deep and mine for God’s mind, rather than listen to the surface logic of the world. Job declared for all to hear that God was in control; and he (Job) was going to dig more deeply for Godly wisdom rather than rely on human logic.

And that’s what we need to do; … we need to learn from our suffering rather than to succumb to its pain. We need to begin mining for Godly wisdom rather than relying on human experience or logic. We need to find God’s way rather than man’s will. And you know, as do I, the primary source of those choices; … and that is God’s truth from His word.

So, are we going to choose to dig deeply into God’s mind; or are we going to listen to our own deceit-ridden heart or the world’s logic? Are we going to live in Romans 8, rather than Romans 7? Are we going to choose to receive God’s strength, or are we going to rely on our own weakness to deal with the challenges presented by the world?

Choices!

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to choose Your way, … not mine! Amen

No comments: