It's 7:15 PM and I'm in the midst of a visit to my dad's house which is an hour away from mine. It's the 4th of July and the temp today hovered around 100°.....But now it is a very comfortable 85° and I'm lying on the porch swing on his backyard deck. There is a light breeze blowing and the trees are filled with hundreds of birds conversing and singing songs of praise to their Creator.
The sun filters through the trees and the low angle of the light makes what is ordinary at noon, into something dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful. I think God did this for a purpose...in the morning, to elicit our praise and to remind us as we begin our day, that good things are ahead and that the dark night is over. In the evening as we wind down our day, there comes the comfort of knowing that, although the dark night approaches, the God who designed this spectacular beauty, is present and full of love for His children and will keep and protect them throughout the night. And come morning, once more, He promises to carry us forward into whatever the day holds.
As you may have surmised, I am speaking metaphorically about the dark night. I am the veteran of thousands of long, dark nights..in every sense of the image. And, I'm sure, that you have had your share of them too.
I have been studying and memorizing the book of James in the Bible. And chapter one, where I still am, talks a lot about trials and temptations and how we are not to resist them but rather, to welcome them with the knowledge that they are the passageway to great joy. We must get through the dark nights in order to take delight in the sun's first rays.
James also talks about how our trials serve to increase and strengthen our endurance. If you have fully developed endurance then you are complete...not lacking or needing anything. If you meet your trials with strong endurance, you may joyfully anticipate receiving a special crown in heaven, the Crown of Life which is reserved for those who love God. And I think that this implies that, by enduring whatever pain, tests and heartache that come our way, we demonstrate our faith in the love and wisdom of our God. We know that suffering is not random, meaningless, or vindictive on the part of deity. Rather it is aimed at perfecting and strengthening our trust and reliance on God, our Father, who loves us with a deep, abiding, dependable love.
The sun filters through the trees and the low angle of the light makes what is ordinary at noon, into something dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful. I think God did this for a purpose...in the morning, to elicit our praise and to remind us as we begin our day, that good things are ahead and that the dark night is over. In the evening as we wind down our day, there comes the comfort of knowing that, although the dark night approaches, the God who designed this spectacular beauty, is present and full of love for His children and will keep and protect them throughout the night. And come morning, once more, He promises to carry us forward into whatever the day holds.
As you may have surmised, I am speaking metaphorically about the dark night. I am the veteran of thousands of long, dark nights..in every sense of the image. And, I'm sure, that you have had your share of them too.
I have been studying and memorizing the book of James in the Bible. And chapter one, where I still am, talks a lot about trials and temptations and how we are not to resist them but rather, to welcome them with the knowledge that they are the passageway to great joy. We must get through the dark nights in order to take delight in the sun's first rays.
James also talks about how our trials serve to increase and strengthen our endurance. If you have fully developed endurance then you are complete...not lacking or needing anything. If you meet your trials with strong endurance, you may joyfully anticipate receiving a special crown in heaven, the Crown of Life which is reserved for those who love God. And I think that this implies that, by enduring whatever pain, tests and heartache that come our way, we demonstrate our faith in the love and wisdom of our God. We know that suffering is not random, meaningless, or vindictive on the part of deity. Rather it is aimed at perfecting and strengthening our trust and reliance on God, our Father, who loves us with a deep, abiding, dependable love.
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