"Oh what a beautiful morning... oh what a beautiful day.. I've got a wonderful feeling.. everything's going my way!" Remember that song from the musical "Oklahoma"? Well, it IS a beautiful morning and a beautiful day here in the Ohio valley.. but most times, things don't always go our way, do they?
In fact there are times that we wonder and ask the big question .."Why, Lord?" "Why me?" "Why now?"
You know.. the longer I have been a Christian, the clearer that question becomes.. because now I understand it's not so much, "Why me?".. rather.. "Why not me?"
As I have dealt with countless people over the years as a pastor's wife, I've come upon (as I'm sure you have) people with the most horrible things that have happened in their lives.. The adulterous mate, the child that was molested, the young woman that was raped, the person with incurable cancer or other terminal disease, someone who had to have his or her leg amputated, the mother who has lost her child, the wife or husband who has lost their mate, the single parent struggling to make ends meet…..and on and on and on. The list never seems to end. You talk to them….. you listen to them……. you cry with them…….. and you, yourself go home and sometimes ask "Why?"
And WHY do some people just have EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD GO WRONG TO THEM AND WITH THEM??? Did you ever feel that way?
Well, just let me share something that the Lord has taught me not only through other people, but through some of my own physical trials and struggles..
I remember one time talking to a young woman prior to the amputation of her leg and later when she found out she had some horrible disease that basically would take away her ability to live normally.... I told her I didn't know WHAT to say to her.. or how to help her.. and that it broke my heart that she had to go through so many things in her life.. And then I said something that later I realized was actually scriptural.. I told her.. that she must be so special for the Lord to want to use her to glorify Himself through.. and that I NEVER could be that person..(little did I know at the time that He would test on that later.. ) apparently because I hadn't experienced her terrible trials.. and yes, she was SPECIAL!!
I Peter 4: 12, 13, 14, 15,16,17,19 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye hare partakers (partners in) of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Christ was our example of suffering.. I Peter 3:17, 18 "For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For CHRIST ALSO HATH ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
So dear ones.. . we're in great company....even the Captain of our Salvation suffered and gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.. So.. "Why NOT me"? Always our good and God's glory..
In fact there are times that we wonder and ask the big question .."Why, Lord?" "Why me?" "Why now?"
You know.. the longer I have been a Christian, the clearer that question becomes.. because now I understand it's not so much, "Why me?".. rather.. "Why not me?"
As I have dealt with countless people over the years as a pastor's wife, I've come upon (as I'm sure you have) people with the most horrible things that have happened in their lives.. The adulterous mate, the child that was molested, the young woman that was raped, the person with incurable cancer or other terminal disease, someone who had to have his or her leg amputated, the mother who has lost her child, the wife or husband who has lost their mate, the single parent struggling to make ends meet…..and on and on and on. The list never seems to end. You talk to them….. you listen to them……. you cry with them…….. and you, yourself go home and sometimes ask "Why?"
And WHY do some people just have EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD GO WRONG TO THEM AND WITH THEM??? Did you ever feel that way?
Well, just let me share something that the Lord has taught me not only through other people, but through some of my own physical trials and struggles..
I remember one time talking to a young woman prior to the amputation of her leg and later when she found out she had some horrible disease that basically would take away her ability to live normally.... I told her I didn't know WHAT to say to her.. or how to help her.. and that it broke my heart that she had to go through so many things in her life.. And then I said something that later I realized was actually scriptural.. I told her.. that she must be so special for the Lord to want to use her to glorify Himself through.. and that I NEVER could be that person..(little did I know at the time that He would test on that later.. ) apparently because I hadn't experienced her terrible trials.. and yes, she was SPECIAL!!
I Peter 4: 12, 13, 14, 15,16,17,19 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye hare partakers (partners in) of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Christ was our example of suffering.. I Peter 3:17, 18 "For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For CHRIST ALSO HATH ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
So dear ones.. . we're in great company....even the Captain of our Salvation suffered and gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.. So.. "Why NOT me"? Always our good and God's glory..
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