by David Brenneman
"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” Daniel 4:37.
"The dark moments of our life will only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose for us." - Life Principle #7, Dr. Charles Stanley.
In the book of Daniel we see this play out in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar. In Habakkuk we see that adversity was in his future and was predestined by the Lord concerning Israel.
In all the prophecies of Israel going into exile and when they would return...follow this principle.
In the adversity shared by the children of Israel before, during and after Joseph...this too followed this principle.
Adversity lasted another 20 years for the beggar that Jesus did heal eventually. Huh? I believe that since later on in the Gospel accounts that the beggar who was at the Temple whom Jesus healed says he had been in that state for most all his life...that quite possibly the young boy Jesus saw him.
It's possible that many were in adversity for decades because Jesus's ministry hadn't began yet.
In our lives...what can we say?
We often face adversity for many reasons. Sometimes it's on account of our deeds or maybe not. Sometimes it's because of our maturity in the faith whereas we are able to endure while someone else isn't strong enough in their faith to make it yet. Sometimes it's us, sometimes it's not.
The result ought to be the same as a well known hymn writer said "To God be the glory great things He has done. So loved He the world that He gave us His Son. Who yielded His life an atonement for sin. And opened the life gate that all may come in. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"
My life has had more than it's share of various adversities. As long as I live and breathe, there will be more.
We come to Christ for salvation...the Spirit begins the work of sanctification in us. Our adversities are the fires of purification being turned up to remove the dross of our lives. Purifying what remains. The process requires a time of specific heat to a specific point for a specified duration. That's the well guarded secret of smelting...and is referred to in the book of Psalms.
It does hurt, it is painful. Jesus said that all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus are going to be persecuted. Painful days are a part of life in Christ. Painful days accompany workouts. Muscles get stressed and stretched. At the end the body is more useful for greater feats hitherto impossible to have achieved beforehand.
Recognizing the Spirit in your adversity is important. It's vital to not losing your head over the situation.
If you're not seeing the Spirit of God in your adversity...either He’s that involved or we are in for a long period of His work in us.
It's taken years, decades, to see the whittling away of me in me...and it's ok.
Huh?
We come to Christ with a ton and a half of blind baggage. We come with chains of practiced sins for some that are going to take time to break. We come with things that are of no Earthly good to the mission and ministry of God in us.
They gotta go. We have to let go of them. Willingly or unwillingly they will be revealed and will be addressed. Some will appear to be adversities.
I can relate, in a very small way, to these people Jesus healed who were in their adversities for longer than He was there on this Earth.
Their lives would have been radically different had they not had their adversity. Jesus wouldn't have been glorified in the ways He was on the days they were set free.
My day of freedom is yet future when I eventually step into Heaven.
I was born partially blind in 1 eye. There's many things that billions take for granted in seeing that I will never know. 3D movies. Knowing what a sunrise or sunset looks like with two good eyes.
This isn't a pitty party. God made me this way for His glory. I would likely be a very self-centered, arrogant, person without my infirmities.
Does not Scripture say that He is the Potter and we are the clay? Does it not say that as the Potter, He has every single right to make vessels of honorable use and for common use?
There's purpose to everything Jesus does. We sometimes are granted the briefest of understanding about these things, sometimes not.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Period.
Earlier, before his dream that lead to his exile from his throne, it never crossed his mind of what was coming. After Daniel's interpretation, he wasn't taking it seriously. A year later...in the moment the Lord spoke from Heaven to him that prophesy and he felt his pride being ripped from him...King Nebuchadnezzar knew who really ruled. He learned it was not him.
We can be so full of ourselves that the option to drive us to our knees is an option.
But it is only going to last as long as is necessary to achieve the will of God for us.
Growing in Christ is more important than anything we hold dear in the world. Take up your own cross and follow Me! You cannot hold your own cross AND anything or anyone.
Are there things you're holding on to that aren't beneficial to growing in Christ that He's said need to go?
Are you in the midst of adversity right now? Know that Jesus is there in it with you.
At no point are we to take a seat in the valley of the shadow of death. He will take us through it.
Search me oh God and know my heart today...as another hymn says.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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