Thursday, September 9, 2010

September 9, 2010

You Have to Go Through the Desert Before You Can Climb the Mountain
Romans 5:2-5 (NIV)

“We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
Romans 5:2-5 (NIV)

Pastor’s Blog

God isn’t at work producing the circumstances you want. He is at work in bad circumstances producing the you He wants.

Today’s passage put the word “rejoice”, used twice, together with the words suffering and perseverance. We are supposed to choose an attitude of gratitude and general happiness when we face problems of all kinds.

God’s goal for us is the shaping our soul into the Christlikeness. God will stop at nothing the accomplish this in us. Therefore we must not be surprised that God is not a God of constant “bailouts” and “rescues”. In fact you can count on it that God will allow you to suffer. Suffering is one of God’ primary methods of maturing us.

God doesn’t send us to the desert, He sends us through the desert. The desert is always temporary, unless of course we choose to stay there. God can’t produce in us the person he wants to make of us unless we let him. Are you willing to cooperate with God in the desert, give Him your whole self in spite of your pain, say “thy will be done”? If so the other side of the desert is a life giving river of God.

God isn’t at work producing the circumstances you want. He is at work in bad circumstances producing the you He wants.

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