James 1:12-15
God will bless you, if you don’t
give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a
glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.
Don’t
blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he
doesn’t use evil to tempt others. We are tempted by our own desires that
drag us off and trap us. Our desires make us sin, and when sin is
finished with us, it leaves us dead.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Friends
of ours welcomed a new grand-daughter into the world yesterday. This
baby arrived early in the morning and was almost immediately whisked off
to nearby Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she will undergo heart
surgery within the next two days. Her parents have been aware for
several months that this would happen. Still, this baby’s grandmother
said that letting them take her away in an ambulance yesterday and was
one of the hardest things she has ever witnessed.
I cannot
explain in medical terms what is wrong with this baby’s heart. But I
know that there is a hole…and some of the parts of the heart are not
connected correctly. The medical team believes that all of this can be
reversed in one surgery. This is probably a fairly routine procedure
for them…but for us “regular folks,” it all sounds pretty daunting.
Additionally,
this baby’s grandmother is just a few months out from a
more-than-year-long battle with colon cancer. All indications are that
she is cancer free, but what a journey she endured…surgeries, weekly
chemo treatments, infections, and more! She is a walking miracle…and a
testament to amazing faith in God – because hers never seemed to waver.
When
troubles come in groups like this, we often tend to feel like we can’t
catch a break. Sometimes, we wonder if God is punishing us. Many are
tempted to walk away and say, “If God allows these things to happen to
such faithful people, I don’t want any part of Him.” But oh, what a
mistake this would be!
My family has experienced its own period
of “faith testing” in recent months…and maybe yours has, also. I won’t
even begin to diminish the pain and heartache that can come…the nagging
frustrations and confusion that are possible. Sometimes there is that
momentary thought…”Why bother to take care of myself…exercise and eat
right…if I’m just going to have an accident or get cancer and die
anyway?” We are tempted to curl up in a ball and let the world pass us
by…or drown our sorrows in something – even if it’s ice cream!
But
this would speak volumes about our Christian faith…or lack of it. We
will all be faced with challenges…heartaches…devastating events that
knock us to our knees. And God will be right there with us, whether we
recognize Him or not. How well we lean into God and allow Him to
shoulder the burdens will tell the tale of our faith.
When we
pick ourselves up and keep going even on the days we don’t think we can –
or we don’t feel up to it – God carries us. And I assure you, He
blesses us in the process. It may be days/weeks/years later, but we
will look back and see how He gave us everything we needed to get
through this. God has done this for me and my family…and I know that He
is doing this for the family of this newborn baby girl.
For a
myriad of reasons, many people are blaming God for their
troubles…wondering why they even try to serve and be faithful to Someone
who allows these “tests” - and Satan’s temptations. And I would say to
them – and to you – we cannot see how we are growing in strength and
wisdom, courage and hope. We cannot fully comprehend how God is
blessing us as we lean on Him and forge ahead. But we will someday…and
it will all have been worth the effort. I believe this with all my
heart…what about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment