No. 1570:
In all their affliction there was no affliction!
Read about this 93-year-old Italian who became so grateful to God when he realized that God was exceedingly generous and good when he received a bill as I understood it. At NOK 50,000 about Norwegian.
God who had given him the air to breathe in, for 93 years, had demanded him for 0 kroner.
Isaiah 63. 9 In all their affliction there was no affliction, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his great gentleness he redeemed them, and he took them up and carried them all the days of old.
In recent years, I have apparently gone through a lot of unfair events.
Of course, these are dark forces behind influencing people in this way.
There are also events God allows happen to be tried and tested ?!
But it is also allowed to stop, and both pray and think.
What difficulties have I experienced?
The apostle Paul says something very.
Room. 13. 11 You know what time we look forward to - the hour when we will be awakened from sleep. For we are closer to our salvation now than when we came to faith.
12 The night is coming to an end, and the day is approaching when we will depart from this assembly, set aside our work in this darkness and put on the light as a weapon.
13 Let us behave decently, as when it is daylight, and not in stupor and drunkenness, in fornication, in shame, or in unrest and jealousy.
14 But let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ without letting go of the lusts of the flesh.
(end of quote.)
It is a wonderful and wonderful truth. We have never been so close to our redemption
Everything we went through, it was all worth it!
The apostle Paul writes it so aptly and clearly.
Room. 8. 18 As it is now, I do not count it a suffering compared to the glory that will be revealed to us.
(end of quote.)
Notice what Paul writes: "I do not count it as suffering compared to the glory that will be revealed to us."
Just as Isaiah said, "In all their affliction there was no affliction."
The suffering, the tribulations and everything we go through are like peanuts to count against the holiness, joy and everything that will meet us when we come home.
We always live in the NOW!
It is not that I am trying in any way to say that we do not have trials. We have challenges and difficulties.
Very often a lot of what we go through, in fact to show how little on the road we have come I would say!
Let me take an example. We complain and understand so little.
This is a true story. It was a Norwegian person who worked in an international company.
There they had deadlines, which means that things had to be delivered by the given time.
Then it was a German company that gave a strong reprimand to the Congolese company. They had not delivered by the deadline, this was unheard of.
Then he knew Norwegians something more than these Germans, about these Africans.
It was that in Congo they had not had electricity the last week and the unit had run out of diesel. How then to deliver something on data?
This is often the case for us too, we are like these Germans, we have no idea!
Now we can transfer this to so much, but there is no doubt that all too often we shout about things and events that have their explanations and causes.
What we should have done more was to get to grips with things.
At the same time pray, thank and praise God!
We read in the book of Hebrews, which I also include from my Bible commentaries.
Hebrews 11. 35 Women got their dead back as they rose. Some were agitated and refused to be released, because they would rather share in the resurrection that is better.
Here we notice that for some so won some glorious victories with Jesus. While for others the outcome was just the opposite. Who had the greatest faith? Both of them must be the most correct answer.
36 Others had to endure mockery and flogging, even chains and imprisonment.
Persecution, opposition, lies and false rumors against the believers are one of Satan's foremost weapons against the believers whether they lived before or after Jesus.
37 Some were stoned and tortured, cut to pieces, or killed with swords. Others had to walk around in sheepskin and goatskin, they suffered hardship, were in pain and had a hard time.
Luke 6: 22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall cast you out, and ye shall mock, and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's. Rejoice in that day and run for joy! For behold, great is the reward you have in heaven.
38 They were too good for this world. They wandered about in desolate areas and on mountains and lived in caves and caverns.
Being exposed to persecution and resistance comes from the fact that this world is in darkness and we are children of light and must expect to be treated many times rudely and unfairly.
39 All these had good testimony for their faith, but they did not obtain what was promised.
Mathematics was my strongest subject at school. The most important thing in math is to always set up the math correctly. Then you will get the right or partly correct answer from the teacher even if you make a mistake. How did you set up the math for dyour life?
40 For our sake God had something better in mind; they would not reach perfection without us.
If we count on God, heaven and eternity will always be the most important thing.
If we do not count on God, then in most cases it will be what one can achieve and get on this earth. Who are you building your life for? God or yourself?
By believing God and His word, lasting results are created and the reward is heaven and receive full reward!
(end of quote.)
To walk with God in this world is to walk in victory.
Why?
The ultimate goal of our faith is so wonderful and wonderful.
It is, of course, the new Jerusalem - then 1000 years with Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem in Israel.
Then it will be for us believers an eternal glory!
But we now read about some who apparently suffered defeat.
It is quite possible to get a goal against you, but still win victory?
That's exactly what's the case.
God has allowed Satan and the wicked forces to try us as well.
Where Satan sometimes gets to go as far as we read about here.
This is of course more the exception than the rule.
Satan and the wicked spirit forces are largely defeated by us believers in this world.
But above all, in the world to come he will be completely exterminated!
Picture from an old home friend. A strong story to tell, it was a French family who visited a park, and there they took this family photo. On the way home, the tragedy happened that the daughter was run over by a car and died. When they developed the image, they see the daughter and Jesus' face appear in silhouette.
You can clearly see this if you focus on the little girl.
What do we know? God knew this girl was going to be hit and killed, we do not understand and understand that. One day this will also be revealed to us, all!
Closing comment:
After I was fired as a bus driver at Unibuss for playing on Christian radio programs. Then I have i.a. been to a job club at NAV. There was a lady I needed who had applied for a myriad of jobs.
I prayed for her, and within 1 week she had a job, and I have not told her this yet.
Maybe I get the opportunity? Regardless, this tells me that behind it all, there may be things happening that we have no control over at all.
This can have both positive and negative effects. That is why it is so important not to complain and improve neither yourself nor others.
Basically, all the positive and good things are from God and Jesus.
And all the negative and evil from Satan and the evil one.
We make our choices, but it is only when we stand before God with our lives. That we have the opportunity to understand and comprehend it all, before this we understand and see only piecemeal and divided.
1 Cor. 13. 9 For now we understand piecemeal, and we prophesy piecemeal.
10 But when that which is complete is accomplished, it shall end in pieces.
11 When I was a little child, I spoke as a little child, I thought as a little child, and I understood as a little child. But when I grew up, my childhood ended.
12 Now you see as in a mirror, as a blurred image, but then you will see as face to face. Now you understand piecemeal, but then you will fully understand, as I also have understood.
13 Now it is so that these three will stand: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(end of quote.)
We as Christians see our tribulations and difficulties as a "test" of whether we are in the faith, and in that way our trials are bringing us closer to the goal!
In many ways, we as believers are always on the side of victory, as even our trials and challenges are God's "means" for us to be equated with His Son's image.
Room. 8. 29 Those whom he acknowledged beforehand, he also predestined to be formed in the image of his Son, who is the firstborn among many brethren.
