“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings….” Philippians 3:10
Does your life demonstrate that you follow a living, all-powerful God? Do you live by faith in the resurrected Son of God who loves you and gave Himself for you? Does your life match your words? Friends, the Christian life is not just about going to church on Sunday, enjoying the fellowship time and then going on with the rest of your week. It’s a living, passionate, transformed life that affects all of your values and choices. It’s a daily, living association with the God of the Universe, 24/7!!!
Here’s something else to think about! How do you handle it when the person you pray for is not healed? When the suffering continues? When the person is not delivered from persecution? When you don’t have a good answer to why God has not delivered them?
Consider the life of Adoniram Judson, the first great American pioneer missionary who went to Burma with his young bride in 1812. He labored in faith 40 years for Christ, devoting himself to making the message of the gospel understandable to the people of Burma. His wife began a school for Burmese girls. He labored faithfully even though it took him six years to win his first convert.
- A brilliant linguist, he translated the Bible and a Bible dictionary into the Burmese language
- Thousands of people were led to Christ through his preaching, the Bible he translated and tracts he wrote and distributed.
- Along the way, he lost two wives to illness, and five children to sickness and disease.
- He was imprisoned, tortured and homeless for many years, suffering physically from tropical diseases and corruption by Burmese officials.
Yet, through it all, he struggled on. The Lord used their times of personal tragedy for good, giving them an opportunity to form a friendship with the Viceroy of Rangoon. Were the Judson’s loved by God? Didn’t they, their family and many believers pray earnestly? Did they have faith to believe?
We see in the book of Acts that Peter was delivered from prison, but shortly afterwards, Stephen was stoned to death. Why? Later Peter was crucified. Paul prayed earnestly that a “thorn in the flesh” would depart from him. He prayed three times. God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness,” 2 Corinthians 12:9. These were all faithful believers! They believed in God’s power and His love. They are the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on…. watching to see how we run the race! Some of us are delivered for the glory of God and some are NOT delivered…still for the glory of God! We reveal the life of Jesus to a lost world! “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:13-14.
Press on, my friend!
Jean