Trust In Torment

Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but commited himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shephred and overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2: 23-25 NKKJV

Pain, suffering and torment, these are not the things which one associates with the life of a commited christian.  For the assumption is that when we make that decision to follow Christ Jesus that we ourselves will somehow be immune to the sufferings of this world.  Alas, when turmoil comes knocking at our door, our very first response is to shout, "WHY ME, GOD?"  Indeed, when these times of torment come knocking, our very response should be, "What is it you are doing through me, Lord?"  I refer to the very scourging and torment which Christ endured for the sins of many, in which He did not waver from that path which was prepared for Him.  Now, are we expected to suffer as Christ Jesus did?  I cannot answer that, but what I do know is that in these lives we share as followers of Jesus, we WILL have those seasons in which we will be required to endure pain, torment and persecution.  How do I know this?  Well, not only did Jesus predict these periods in our lives, but I've experienced these times for myself.  I'm not aware of too many christians out there who have not felt the sting of torment.  For being a follower of Jesus is not a guarantee that we will breeze through life unaffected by this world.  Quite the contrary, it is BECAUSE we choose to follow Christ that we ourselves should all the more prepare ourselves for those times of suffering that we know will surely come our way.

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.  And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?"  So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."  Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?  And still holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause."  So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin!  Yes,all that a man has he will give for his life.  But stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and flesh, and he will surely curse you to your face!"  And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."  So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.  And he took himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.  Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die!"  But he said to her, "You speak a sone of the foolish woman speaks.  Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept  adversity?"  In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
Job 2: 1-9 NKJV

I often refer to the story of Job in those seasons in my life when it seems that God has somehow given me a bad break.  I don't feel bad for having these feelings, for this flesh of mine is all a part of the created person whom God has made.  It is the natural reaction of my very flesh to feel as if God has somehow slighted me and forgotten about me.  However, I also know within my heart that God, who gave me life, would never leave me behind.  These feelings of Gods rejection which I have often had are not from God, but from my earthly flesh.  Knowing this to be true, I can therefore rest assured that my very health, safety and life are in my Lords care.  There is no terror or adversity which may come over me which will escape the attention of my loving God.  There will certainly be those times when satan, coming into my Lords presence, may ask permission to inflict adversity upon me.  even though I am not privy to these interactions between my Lord and my accuser, I can rest assured that God has only my best interests at heart.  Satan?  Not so much.  Indeed, when those seasons of adversity come, as they surely will, our first thought ought to be not why God is doing what He is doing, but what He is doing through us.

~Scott~