Saturday, 12 May 2007
God never said it would be easy! Too often we think that the Christian life is all blessings and victory. In a sense it is true but sometimes those blessings are hidden in the sufferings and the battles that come before the victories can take a toll. Paul tells young Timothy, "Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ". God has called us to endure.
It is in those times that require endurance, when we are tested sometimes to our limit, it is then that we grow and come to know Christ in a deeper way. We should therefore "Glory" in our weaknesses, in our times of exhaustion, when we feel we can't go on. In our weakness we come to experience His Strength and his power.
Our call is not only to reign with Him but also to suffer with Him. Don't complain when you have to sacrifice and Labor to fulfill your church duties or your ministry to others in need. When you feel overwhelmed and tired and you wonder why you do it, remember Jesus, "who for the joy set before Him endured the cross."
For the Joy that was to come! This is why we do it, we cannot look for instant gratification. It is true that we will get some of that along the way, some instant miracles but 90% of the fruit of our labor is to come later, some in this life-time and much in eternity.
In 2002 we conducted our first "I Believe" crusade in Romania. Now five years later I return to find some believers who were saved in that crusade and are now leaders in their church. I cannot explain the deep joy and satisfaction that I felt. How much more "Joy" is set before us? So that we can endure our cross and our sufferings and not grow weary in well doing.
What a privilege to work and labor for the kingdom! To experience tiredness in our own bodies not just to gain the material things of this world but to gain spiritual and eternal rewards! I am ready to endure and to renew my strength like the eagle and endure some more.
Thank God for the battles for without them there would be no victory, thank God for the sufferings for without it we would never appreciate the blessings. God never said it would be easy but He did promise fruit, blessings and rewards to those who endure.
