It’s a struggle… in His Word 9-5-2017
Some days even
reading the Bible is a struggle in the mornings. We are living a life, not a
fairy tale that always goes perfect. Cars break down, jobs fail to pay enough,
food that rots, and freezers stop freezing randomly; but it all comes into
focus when we take the time to get into the Word of God and really push
ourselves to study it out.
So, what is your struggle? Are you caught between a rock and
a hard place?
Gideon struggled with self- esteem being the weakest of the
weak; God called him a Mighty Man of valor!
David struggled with life rolls, the youngest son, the
shepherd who was all but forgotten when the Prophet came to anoint one of Jesse’s
kids to be the next king. God called him King David! A man after God’s own
heart!
Esther felt herself timid and common; God called her a
beautiful queen, placed for such a time as this!
Moses had real identity problems! Thinking he was an
Egyptian finding out he was adopted and actually was task master to his own
people, he felt confused at life’s leading; God called him the Deliverer!
All of these people our God chose to change the lives of
many with what they may consider a struggle; so, what is He working on in your
struggle? What is God calling you to do or be?
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely,
I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Peter struggled with doing what he told Jesus he would do,
or rather not do; he denied Jesus thrice. He doubted when walking on water, and
yet God called him the rock in which the church would be built!
Paul was called by God after he tried to kill God’s people
thinking it was God’s plan; he was blinded and had to struggle to convince the
Apostles that he too was called to preach the Gospel! Galatians 1:1-24
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the
gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy
Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his
earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, Romans 1:1-3
God called him regardless of all that he had to struggle with
Paul over, the man became such a powerful ‘preacher’ in his time and teacher of
the Way that even today he brings us closer to God through His Word.
If God can pull these people out of their struggles to do
what they think is right, to doing what God knows they are called to then He
can pull us through the struggles to do the right thing and show us also what
is really the right thing for us to do.
As He says also in Hosea: “I will
call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.” Romans 9:23-25
He has called you and I His people. We are His! We are the
sheep of His pasture, His children, His people. He has a plan for each of our
lives and He would have us trust Him to follow that path and not get caught up
in the struggles of life. He would have us put our hearts and minds focused on Him.
Why? Because He loves us. Plain and simple.
And we know that all things work together for good
to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Do you love God? Give Him the struggles and allow Him to
direct you.
Before Moses could become the deliverer, he had to allow God
to take the struggles for Him and trust that He would bring it to pass because
he would not be walking the walk alone. Exodus chapters 4-8
Sure, the people caused both Moses and God grief and stress
and even frustration but God had a plan of how to make use of their struggling.
He trained them in battle, He trained them in ways to once again take care of their
own nation and not do what man said but to follow what God said.
In a similar way God trains us through our trials and
struggles and shows us what path to follow when we look to Him for guidance.
The Israelites had a pillar to follow, we have the Holy
Spirit within us to follow! We have discernment of what is right and wrong and
the power to make the right choices. So why do we struggle?
For lack of faith. -Gideon could have remained a slave but
he put his faith in God to give him guidance and provide the army to help him
however small that was. He trusted God to do what He said. Not right away but
he did.
For lack of direction. Moses trusted God to direct their
path through the desert, the water, and the wilderness; He found the direction
in following God.
When we put ourselves into the equation that does not have
us in it but we think we should do something. Paul tried to take on the direction of God and
make it work how he thought God wanted; God blinded him and he struggled to see
the truth before him. Then He followed God step by step through many struggles beyond
what we go through today; stoned, shipwrecked, thrown in prison where he was chained
for speaking the truth. But he knew God was with him even then.
Peter thought he could deny Jesus was his friend, but God
still lead him through many trials and struggles just the same.
So, when we struggle with what happens at home, or work or
even on the way to either of these; we can trust God that if he brought these
mighty people through so many struggles that ours can be overcome as well.
If life is a struggle… it’s what we do with that struggle
that produces the outcome. Trust God and struggles produce character; hope, joy
and peace are waiting when we put our trust in Him.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being with us in the
fire, in the struggles and the daily life we live. Help us to remember that You
are walking there with us through each step, each moment, each day we walk...
In Jesus’ name.