TOZER PING"Insight for Leaders"
From the writings of A. W. Tozer
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God bless you.
Posted on 12/14/2010 3:10:31 PM PST by Sopater
Trials and Pain: The Necessity of Wounds
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word....It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. --Psalm 119:67,71
It is amazing to me! There are people within the ranks of Christianity who have been taught and who believe that Christ will shield His followers from wounds of every kind.
If the truth were known, the saints of God in every age were only effective after they had been wounded. They experienced the humbling wounds that brought contrition, compassion and a yearning for the knowledge of God. I could only wish that more among the followers of Christ knew what some of the early saints meant when they spoke of being wounded by the Holy Spirit....
In every generation, the people who have found God have been those who have come to the end of themselves. Recognizing their hopelessness, they have been ready to throw themselves on the mercy and grace of a forgiving God. Men Who Met God, pp.59,62
"Lord, don't let me waste the humbling wounds. Do Your great work within me, and help me to respond properly and learn all You want me to learn through Your working. Amen."
This Insight for Leaders devotional is also available in a print-friendly format here on the LMI web site.
TOZER PINGping
FYI, good book available on this subject called, “Don’t Waste Your Sorrows,” by Paul E. Billheimer.
Would you mind telling a little more about this book? Thanks.
It’s pretty much what the title indicates and Tozer talks about here. The idea that God is in control and the trials and sorrows that come our way are designed to break areas of bondage in our life and set us free. That we, like Israel, can refuse to cooperate and instead of an eleven-day journey into the promise land, we like all but two Israelites never get there, or it takes 40 years. (Not a salvation issue but a life of futility v. life of destiny issue.)
Sounds interesting...
Another book that also deals well with what God is trying to do in believers' lives (usually against their will because pain is involved) is The Release of the Spirit, by Watchman Nee.
I am very familiar with Watchman Nee. I wish I had time to read right now. I’m going through a major trial and I am not sure what God is exactly trying to say to me...it’s so frustrating.
I’ve been a believer 40+ years and God has put me through hell and high water, but I have more peace and joy and happiness now than I’ve ever had. God has a destination in mind for us and it involves the peace and freedom of spiritual maturity and the pain it takes to get there. Job, Jesus, and the nation of Israel are examples of the suffering involved in reaching their destiny. Galatians Chapter 4 is basically a lesson in Christian maturity where God is trying to take us (kicking and screaming). Why is maturity worth all this pain and angst? Because a truly mature believer is a free, victorious, vibrant person with a peace that passes all understanding. Paul in Galatians tells us the flesh (where self usurps God's rule in our lives) cannot share in our destined inheritance and must be broken. Becoming broken is painful but afterwards it's a wonderful place of peace (Heb 12:11). Hence our pain and suffering is there not because we’ve blown it but because God loves us and wants all this good stuff for us.
Our job is to stay in faith, seek him, and hold on the words he has given us. Hope this helps a little. Below some more thoughts on the subject and an online link that may help also. God Bless.
So many Christians talk about what a strange, unsolvable, and irreconcilable mystery suffering is in the light of a God of love. I have no problem with the idea of suffering and reconciling it with my loving Heavenly Father. God has an amazing destiny for you and me. Our plans for ourselves are puny compared to His plans for us. His love is so great that He’s willing to allow pain in our lives because He wants to set us free from bondages and strongholds we sometimes don’t even know are there. We think our destiny is somehow in our hands, but our destiny and inheritance are not in our hands but in the hands of the Lamb of God (Rev 4:1-7 (the description of the “book” written within and on the backside is a title deed – yours and mine)). He holds the title deed to what is yours and mine. Jesus is the only one who can help us be who we really are and get us to where we were always meant to be.
One of the best sources of strength and encouragement I have found is Joel Osteen. He's written some books that have helped change my life. But he's also online (link below) live on Sunday morning 11am (Texas time) at his church, Lakewood in Houston or you can listen to recordings of previous messages.
http://www.joelosteen.com/Broadcast/VideoStreaming/Pages/VideoStreaming.aspx
God has used him tremendously in my life to pretty much get me out of a lifelong rut and stronghold of negative thinking and learn how to think God's thoughts using God's word and His promises. In that sense, I'm a different person and much happier than I've ever been.
Learning about God's goodness and love for us is a big deal. Learning to trust Him and believe His promises are also big, big deals.
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