The thing about this fast is this: I can talk spiritual things, because that is why I did this to begin with (ie. how God is working in and through me through this fast), and I can talk to people about the information I'm learning (ie. my conversation with my hairdresser last night)!
Funny thing that I've realized since we began is this: If you ALLOW yourself to surrender to God's plan, and if you OBEY His calling, life will NOT get any EASIER!!! I REPEAT: It will not get easier!!! You would think it would work like that, right? Disobey~life gets hard. Obey~life is easy breezy! Not how it works, folks! If you actually surrender...if you ACTUALLY obey, you will undoubtedly experience some SERIOUS trials and/or temptations! I mean, take Jesus' life, for instance!
"[Jesus] Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death-
even death on a cross!"
Philippians 2: 6-8
Jesus obediently came to Earth to fulfill the Prophecy! He had a job to do, and He did it. Life down here wasn't EASIER for Him just because He obeyed! It was HARD! Remember, He knew what was coming in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He was so stressed out that he was sweating drops of BLOOD (read Luke 22: 39-46 for the whole scene) He got absolutely PUMMELED the night before He went to the cross! "...his [Jesus'] appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-" Isaiah 52: 14 THAT doesn't sound EASY, does it?! It sounds GROSS! Can you imagine the outcry that would rise up NOWADAYS if someone was beaten "BEYOND HUMAN LIKENESS"?!! Jesus' obedience was HARD!!
Come to think of it, Jesus NEVER had it EASY! As SOON as He entered into ministry full-time, things got hard! "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." Matt 4: 1 He was TEMPTED when He was FASTING for forty days and forty nights!
I think I entered into this fast thinking it would clear my head, help me to focus on God, and hoping I could get answers to some of the questions I'd thrown out there into the atmosphere. I was sort of taken aback when I came to some "crises" where I actually had to make physical progress forward in faith while wanting desperately to take back control of the situation. I was taken aback when temptation crept up to the doorways of my heart. WHY?! Scripture's clear on this matter! I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED this! Thankfully, Hebrews 2: 18 tells us "Because he himself [Jesus] suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
I could go on and on talking about this subject. There is SO MUCH in the Bible concerning this topic, but hopefully I have made my two points clear:
1~If you act in obedience to God...if you surrender to His will, life may not get easier! In fact, it MAY get HARDER!!! There will be trials!
2~If you obey God, you will LIKELY encounter some major temptations in nearly every area of your life!
Why would I think it would go any differently for ME than it did for JESUS?!
Hebrews 2: 17 tells us
"...he had to be made like his brothers in every way,
in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,
and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."
Jesus experienced EVERY temptation or trial we would go through. He can relate! I'm so thankful that He knows what we're going through! The fact that He's "removing the dross" even as He refines ME into pure silver is humbling.
EVEN THOUGH it's gotten hard...
EVEN THOUGH I struggle through temptation...
He is MY Advocate!
Praise Jesus!
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