Classroom of Suffering and Patience

Gods Word says:  "As an example of suffering and patience, we are to take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord....James 5:10

Following Jesus means suffering for what He says is truth. The prophets of the Old Testament knew this.

Suffering, pain, anguish and trials are times when believers can learn lessons only God can teach. They are "classrooms" in His hands.  Places where He provides a wealth of knowledge about who He is and how He operates, if we are willing to turn to Him,  actively seeking from His mighty and awesome Word, what He says as the way to handle them.

The prophets and apostles learned valuable lessons in the what I'm calling "godly classrooms".  All  of them listened to Gods voice and yet they suffered anyway, the above verse tells us. And if you read about each one specific experiences you will see how they also learned patience in the midst each ones times of suffering.

Scripture says, "Gods ways are not our ways".  We in our humanity  see adversity as something to stop, something to run from,  something to fix quickly. Yet over and over Scripture tells of the suffering and trials that Gods people went through, book after book. I am learning through my own struggles, that God wants me to see these times of adversity as one of His choicest tools for refining me and making me more like Jesus.  Adversity drives me to Him; to His voice...His Word. Nothing else comforts me more in my suffering than hearing what the Lord has to say to me from His Word.  Telling me how much He loves me, telling me He is with me; He will be my strength and my shield.  Comforting me with the comfort I can then comfort others with because I know their pain and can point them to Him to help them through the dark valley.

Adversity gets our attention, if we let it. It leads us to examine our inner self.  If, as today's verse says, the lesson in our suffering is learned--which is to follow the examples of the prophets and learn patience in our circumstances, this learned lesson effectively make changes our behavior. We can have His peace and to still praise Him even when we suffer. Endure with spiritual patience, which is what I believe the prophets knew.

Jesus suffered. Godly men and women written of in Scripture suffered.  Christ told His followers they--we--would suffer in this world, but not to be afraid, because He has overcome the world....John 16:33  So we will also suffer.  For us it is what we choose to do with the suffering.  Christ gives us the answer.  His strength, His Word, His Spirit sent to help us.  There is no other true way.

I am learning if I let Him, my Lord Jesus, will help me overcome all my adversities, trials and difficulties. and in the midst of  them  give me His patience and peace.  His Voice --the Word-- tells me how I can do so, and my part is to listen  and do what He says. God speaks to us through His holy Word,  His holy Spirit, and the godly counsel of His holy people.  He has something to say to each of His children in every situation we face.  We are the ones who have to decide we want to hear what He says.  His Word is where we must go first. As our Father He knows exactly what we need and longs to help us.  But we must accept His way of doing so and only learn through His Word.

How about you,  whens the last time you had a moment of listening? Reading Gods Word is how we listen to   God.  If we seek Him, He promises He will be found.

Listening....Hearing

I had someone ask me recently, how do I know God is "speaking to me, personally". Why would He speak to any of us personally?"  These are very good questions.  I  remember replying at the time, "Because I hear His voice in my heart.  Not an audible voice like some that claim to hear voices in the head, but in the whisper in my heart: when remembered Scripture reveals itself to my mind. That's when I know He is speaking to me When I hear His Words with in.

Many people ask,  " Is God speaking today?"  My reply to this is, oh yes He is definitely speaking. The real question is, are we listening?.  I am just now beginning to get a glimmer of understanding as to what it really means to listen. How can I know what He has to say, if I do not go to the source of His voice, His Word.? The Word of God is how He is speaking to us, His creation, today.

Scripture says: " God is not man that He should lie...Has He said and then not done; spoken and not made good? [Numbers 23:19]...."My word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path." [Psalms 119:105}
Light shining in darkness, [another blog maybe]. Isn't this, His Words speaking to us? He says," I the Lord your God... I will... listen to what I say?"

No, I do not question whether God is speaking. What I am learning is to question whether I am hearing. When I hear a voice whose speaking do I hear a , my own voice, telling  me to do  what I think and,feel is the right thing to do?.  Is it the worlds voice noisily, shouting out, loud contradictions to what God clearly says in Scripture?  Whose voice am I hearing?

I have learned if I do not go to the source of Gods Voice, His Word,  I can not expect to hear Him speak.  I can not know what He is saying. I can only hear what the other voices I am listening to say. The Bible is how I hear God speak to me.  And when  I 'am  hearing Him "speak to me" I now know it is His Voice,  the voice of His Words, usually telling me to listen.

A very wise, godly man and mentor, whom I greatly admire, frequently says, "Listen! Are you listening? , when he is sharing something important from Gods Word. Because He also says "The Bible has an answer for every circumstance and situation we face daily." If we do not read Gods Word,  is it  He's not speaking or are we not listening?

This is a question I ask myself daily as i spend time in the Word of God.  Am I listening to what He is saying? Do I hear Him?  And when the answer comes up "no" I'm not, as when I am fearful, full of doubts, not at peace in my inner self,  then I know I need to go to the Word, so I can listen because I haven't been hearing .  Each and every day, that I do not spend time with His Word,  my hearing His voice gets less and less clear.  It grows quieter and quieter.  I no longer hear what He says.

Whens the last time you picked up Gods Word and ask Him sincerely from your heart, to speak specifically to you. When you do, I can assure you, He will answer and  speak to your heart personally,  He promises to meet each one of us right where we each are. His Word tells us He will and that  He does exactly what He says.

Thank You precious Lord, that Scripture tells us, You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. and You will speak to us because Your Word says you will. All we have to do is be willing to LISTEN.