School of Afflictions!
Verse for today: Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Psalms 119:71 – It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statues.
God has different schools to teach His children valuable lessons in life. He teaches them His Word through it all so that they can apply it in their situations and get victory in life. There are different disciplines that we must learn in God’s school and it takes a lot of time and patience to learn it all and grow spiritually. The school of afflictions teaches us to praise God in all situations. He teaches us patience, forgiveness, trust and faith so that we can use these in different life situations. He taught Abraham patience over a period of a quarter of a century to wait for God’s time to receive what was promised. He taught Joseph for 13 years to see how his dreams were fulfilled. He made Hannah wait patiently and kept praying for her desires. He taught faith and trust in Him in the lives of Daniel, Esther, David, Gideon and the disciples. They were taught through pain, loneliness, intimidation, false accusations, injustice, depravity, threats, gossip, insult, ridicule and persecution. In the school of God, they were all tested also by Him. Abraham was tested to see if he loved the Lord more than Isaac. Joseph was tested throughout the 13 years of his early life to trust Him even in the worst scenarios. Daniel and his friends had to go through several tests of their faith and commitment to the Lord. The disciples had many tests to take through their times with the Lord Jesus. But as we learn, we have to also be tested by Him to prove whether we have translated our learning to practice. The more we are taught, the more we will be tested. We need to graduate in all the classes of our spiritual growth so that He can give us greater responsibilities in His vineyard.
Dear friend, are you learning some new lessons in the school of afflictions of the Lord lately? You probably find that learning requires your whole mind, soul and life. Whatever you learn has to be translated into action. He will give you the strength and courage to translate your learning experiences into practice. Are you currently going through some tests that the Lord sends you way? Are you murmuring about the tests or happy to go through it? If you do not take the test, you will not graduate and progress into a higher level of spiritual life. If you do not pass the tests, the Lord will not be able to trust you with newer and newer responsibilities and roles in your spiritual life. Of course, you need faith to go through the tests. These tests are not to hurt you, but to build you up. You get a chance to prove to the Lord that you are committed to Him and have absolute faith in Him no matter what He sends you through. Abraham had such a faith to even sacrifice his only son Isaac without regard for the consequences. He obeyed the Lord and expressed His gratitude and love to Him by going through the test. Thus He earned new titles as the father of the faithful and a friend of God. The disciples of Jesus learned valuable lessons as they went through the wind and the storms in the sea. Paul went through innumerable tests in life which taught him lessons and equipped him for greater ministries. Let us today ask the Lord to teach us lessons through the experiences that He allows us to go through. These experiences are designed to strengthen us and not to persecute us. The afflictions that he allows in our lives teach us greater lessons in our life of faith to trust the Lord more intimately. The Lord gives us grace to go through the afflictions and learn newer lessons. Today let us thank Him for the valleys that He allows in our lives which will prepare us to climb mountains that are at the end of the valleys. Let us today climb newer heights in our spiritual lives by faith just as Caleb climbed mount Hebron.
Psalms 94:12 – Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O Lord; and whom You teach out of Your law.
Thought for Today
God’s school of afflictions gives the greatest opportunity to learn about His glory which shines in the midst of darkest clouds.
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