Life Pain and Triumph

Life brings pain and triumph. I remember a once popular gospel song which included the lyrics, “What God has for me it is for me.” This song was sung with such great fervor and conviction by many believers. The problem with the song is it infers that God only has what we call “good” for us, when scripture undeniably teaches in this life we will have trials. Not many want to capture that God’s goodness involves our assigned trials. Before time began, our trials were determined and strategically designed by the very One who Loves us amazingly.

The great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1, are not only named as such because they lived before us, but more so because of how they kept their faith and hope in God while they withstood their assigned pain-causing load. The painful encounters have the ability to encourage and mature the believer. They cause us to align with our Lord more. God desires are fulfilled. In the pain, we come to believe the Lord so much so that our belief in Him turns mysteriously into solid “faith.” After the heaviness of a trial, we are eager to encourage ourselves and others of our Lord’s keeping power and inevitable direction to victory. You know why? Because the just shall live by faith!

God’s consistency and our faith in what He can do allows us to experience worshipful experiences. Our assurance grows! In John 11, when Lazarus died, Mary and Martha were looking for our Lord. They knew He loved them and would not have wanted them to be in despair. Once Christ arrived at their place, they asked Him, “Where were You, Lord?”  They knew that Jesus had power even over death. They proclaimed, “If You (Jesus) had been here, our brother would not have died.”

Our pain is to ultimately bring glory God; therefore, our assigned trial must take place. God desires that in the trial we would rest in His great love and realize that the pain is to accomplish a much greater plan and purpose. The Lord desires that we know and believe Him so much that we have peace and joy beyond human understanding, yes, even in our ‘God ordained’ storms. He wants glory, praise, and honor despite the evidence of things seen. With God’s power we are able to stretch pass human panic and worry to reach our rightful place above where our Lord forever reigns.

PRAYER: Lord, we thank You for Your Word and the understanding of Your great truths which leads us to know and believe You more. You set trials in our path to lead us to Your triumph and righteousness. Lord, may You continue to be our all in all, knowing that there is no other safe place to go for refuge. Thank You for Your commitment and promise to make us look more and more like Your Son, The Christ. It is In His Precious Name we pray. Amen!
Sis. Lisa Williams