Those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. what, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
- Romans 8:30–32
If that is true and says what it seems to say why is it that life can be so hard? Why does it sometimes feel that the track record and damage we did before finding the freedom that is ours in Christ continues to hinder and block our progress so often? What about those fruitless job searches, the healing that seems to be denied, the discouragement at almost every turn that feels like constant opposition to the blessing and will of God in our lives?
If God is on our side, if Daddy would hold back no good thing, not even His only Son, for us, why does it feel like so much good is withheld? Why aren't the needs for recovery, employment, healing, restoration from the past and other such difficulties that litter the path of many who have once lived in bondage to addictions not coming more easily?
I think that it can often be a matter of perspective. It may seem to us that our greatest and most immediate need is victory over the wreckage of the past, of restoration of body, or the need to be able to meet financial needs and feel like we have a purpose and are finally productive members of the society we brought chaos and destruction to when playing the prodigal. If I'm so important to God why is the drought lasting so long? Why is life still so hard an full of brick walls that I can't seem to break through? If God will give us all things, why does it feel like so many needs aren't being met?
Sometimes we can't fully rise above self to see what's going on spiritually. The healing or the job or the restoration of reputation or something else may seem like our most pressing need or needs, the Lord knows what we need even better than we know ourselves. He may be using a season of difficulty to carve away the self-reliance, pride and other emotional or spiritual areas of stone in our hearts that are marring and disfiguring the sculpture of our souls from the perfection that He is crafting.
He is restoring our lives. He is making something beautiful from the ashes of destruction and the stone of our hearts. That is our first and most important need, to be transformed, sculpted, into His image. He may allow difficulty and obstacles to wear away the self we find difficult to surrender so that we can become more like Jesus. And more of Jesus is really what we need. It will bring joy and peace and love and a life worth living, relationship or nor relationship, job or no job, health or sickness and disability. The pains and difficulties of this life are temporal and fleeting, while the work He is doing within is eternal.
Today, let us lay our discouragement and needs on the alter. Let us trust in Him. He spared not His only Son so that we could have life and life more abundantly. We can trust Him to care for us as a loving Daddy who cares enough to meet our needs.
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