Going Through

"God did not take me through this season in order to kill me or let the enemy destroy my life. That is never His goal."

YOU CAN'T PUT the cross in a tent, like the tabernacle of Moses. And there was no sacrificing Jesus amidst the gold and grandeur of the temple either. Look back at Leviticus, He was the scapegoat, but He was also the bull taken by the horns and slaughtered beside the altar. He is the Lamb provided by God for the remission of sins. He is the dove, split and laid face down. And also the grain offering. He is all Jewish feast days from atonement to celebration.

The grain mixed with the oil and baked in a cake symbolizes the Spirit's presence in His thoughts and actions. It was believed in those times that the kidneys, or reins (a common word usage for kidneys), were the seat of the emotions and will. So in sacrifice, those were removed and offered first, symbolizing the will laid aside in obedience. Jesus did lay aside His will for our redemption (Mark 14:36). He did not want to destroy even Judas despite his deliberate betrayal and so He begged the Father to use another way.

There is a side of God that asks for sacrifice, to give up what is easier and more pleasant to do the difficult thing. But even then, in what He asks of us, there is salvation. Because He never relinquishes us to damning. He holds onto those who are His, and we can rest assured in this. What pressures and circumstances seem like a test are an opportunity for intimacy in a way we could not know otherwise. It is growth in our spirit, strength to persevere and endure with belief in God’s faithfulness. The Word of God stands true. He does not test us with sickness, dis-ease, or poverty. He holds us up amidst it and alleviates suffering.

Suffering is misunderstood. Minister Jeremy Pearson spoke in an excellent sermon on the three ways we suffer. None of them were illness or injury or theft of property. Instead they required obedience, patience, and stick-to-it-iveness. We HOLD FAST to the Spirit. We "walk in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25 BSB)," and are guided by Him through the valley into abundant pasture where there are blissful waters (Psalm 23:2 TPT), all our needs supplied. I admit the idea of going THROUGH something in order to grow can be discouraging, but here is a truth which saved me. God did not take me through this season in order to kill me or let the enemy destroy my life. That is NEVER His goal, and I can stand confident in Him knowing it. He intends for me to emerge in glory and praises, blessed beyond what I can comprehend. So in those difficult moments I can call out to Him, saying, "You brought me here. What do I need to know to overcome this?"

LISTEN to Jeremy Pearsons speak on Suffering.

There is no condemnation in Christ (John 3:17; Romans 8:1). He adores conversation and enjoys being sought out. He never refuses to hear us. But we must be patient to listen and determine to make ourselves aware of His reply. We are healed through Jesus' sacrifice, are set free because He died for us, and our bodies quickened or made alive through the eternal life He purchased (Romans 8:11). These truths hold us upright. They make us secure in who we are as children of God. And that is the heart of God. That we’d know who we are through Jesus’ salvation and stand confident in it, to the point where those around us, saved and unsaved, see the difference in us and want to know why. How. And we can tell them.

"Brothers and sisters, I have not yet experienced this perfect, total, and complete restoration, but there is one thing I can do to assist God in his plan to heal and restore: I don’t lament past mistakes nor grow content with past victories; rather, I constantly push for the perfection that still lies ahead. I press forward, constantly toward the goal of Christlike perfection—one day to experience the ultimate prize for which God has called me heavenward—the joy of seeing him face to face." (Philippians 3:13-14, Remedy)

Image by Rheo from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com