We often assume that if we obey God, life will go smoothly, but sometimes the fiercest storms come when we’re faithfully following Him. In those dark seasons, when fear, disappointment, and unanswered questions press in, we may even wonder if God cares at all. But what we need most is not always that our problems get solved overnight; it’s remembering that suffering helps us see God more clearly than comfort ever could. Trials will either make us bitter or make us better, and that choice is ultimately ours. The deeper question in suffering is not simply, “When will this end?” but, “Will I come through this more like Christ than I was before?”
An Unwanted Gift
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:02 — 24.1MB) | Embed
Imagine spending weeks searching for the perfect gift for someone you dearly love, paying an outrageous price to purchase it, carefully wrapping it in just the right paper, then giving it to them with great excitement, only to have them throw it in the trash can! Surely no one would ever respond to such extravagant kindness in such a cruel way. Yet the Bible tells us that God gave the gift of His Son to the world, and they rejected Him. John 1:11 says, “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.” What have you done with the gift of Jesus? Are there areas of your life where He is still unwanted?
