Unpleasant Times for the Good

And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison. Mark 6:27 (ESV)

It should not surprise us when someone tells us that the Christian will encounter unpleasant times.  Nobody wants to willingly place themselves in the line of danger or at odds with those around them.  But unfortunately in the eternal scheme of God, it seems that it must be so for those who would reject a comfortable easy go of their life here on earth and choose to follow Christ.

A good look at the Bible will show that opposition, odds and persecution exist in abundance for the God-minded people.  Jesus Himself could not go anywhere and people were accusing, doubting or trying to get rid of Him.  It should stand to reason that for the ones who would follow in His footsteps will also find their earthly walk to be a rough one.

Those who sell us our religion these days may not wish to talk up these downsides to faith in God.  But it might be far more helpful that aspiring Christians are aware of the dangers which they are putting themselves in.  One should be good and sure that they really want God enough to accept all that their new faith entails.

God is working out His eternal plan.  We humans are involved within this plan.  Our planet and our walk across the face of it, occupies a certain amount of time.  How we live out those days, the limit of comfort and pleasure, do have a fraction of concern but each individual is the one who would place the most importance upon that.  Our God is a loving God and is concerned with our well-being.  However, His job is a little bigger and His concerns for us are considerably more everlasting.

God would have His little children taken good care of.  He has more than demonstrated His love for us and the value He has chosen to place upon each of our souls.  He may see each instant of time which His children live through, but He also sees the complete line of that individual´s purpose throughout all of eternity.  Nobody else is able to weigh what we live through as He does and see what is best for us in each moment.

So when we face suffering, the pain we feel has not escaped the attention of the One who loves us.  But the One who carries the burden for the reuniting the lost to their God, is not resting.  He is working for our best interest, and that is to be with Him after all the current threats have vanished.

We might be tempted to stand back in the position of a little god and recklessly blurt out our accusation: “If there were a God, He would not allow pain and suffering to His children.”  However we do not sit on the council of eternal decisions nor can we weigh the wisdom of God.  We would be looking after our personal and temporary welfare without the material or information to make larger decisions.  Some things are better left to the Lord above in simple faith, trusting that He knows what He is doing.

God Himself suffered out of His love for us.  Somehow He knew that it was worth going through pain to reach His ultimate goal.  For us, that means being with Him.  He gave up His only Son.  He had to sit back and watch us distrust, abuse and murder His child.  A parent will understand the crushing pain that the thought of seeing their child suffer.

Dear Lord, we are sorry.  We fall down and get hurt and we wonder why.  We wonder why the world is cruel to us.  But forgive our short-sightedness.  Bring us into an awareness that You are working for our best interest.  You would have us brought safely Home.  Let us rest sure in Your power and Your wisdom.   Help us to look only to You and lean harder on Your mighty arm.  If we must suffer, let us suffer out of our burning desire to return to You.

Amen