If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.  The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in—it stirs us up to overcome.  Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory?

God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” ( Philippians 2:13 ). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.

Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10 , and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.

_________________________________________________________________

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 7, 2010

I don’t want to hear about how difficult life will be and is for believers. I don’t want to hear about the pain and suffering and turmoil of this world and how we must endure and rise above it all. Like most other human beings, I gravitate away from pain and toward things that please me.  

I know that when I am inside a difficult time God is with me, I know that nothing can reach me that has not first touched His hands. Nevertheless, I would like to avoid the pain and suffering side of life, if possible. When I am inside a trial God comforts me, but I would rather not know and anticipate more of the same coming toward me.

When I read about the pain and suffering I will endure as a believer, I sometimes pause and wonder if there is another way. Even if I cause the pain for myself I ask God to take me out of it. Why can’t I understand that the reality is that in this life there will be pain and suffering? Why can’t I simply get prepared and endure it and take it like a “good soldier?”

And God says…  “One of the reasons I do not show you the future is that I do not want to engage your fear of pain and suffering. Even though you know I am with you inside of your trials, it is your nature to want to resist pain and attempt to avoid discomfort. I want you to avoid fear, and when you allow Me to lead your life, your fear is cast out by My love, perfect love casts out fear.

It is your nature to try and avoid the pain and suffering of this world, but you need to understand that trials help you get focused on Me. When you are inside trials from which you cannot escape, using your own power and strength, you turn to Me. And over time, you learn to turn to Me before the trials, and from there you learn to turn to Me all the time because the world is full of trials and trouble you will not be able to avoid.

I will not remove you from the trials; however, I will use them to help shape you into the man I want you to become. Perhaps you have noticed that over the past trials you have begun to look more and more like Jesus. It is inside the trials that you come to the end of yourself and learn to trust Me completely, and when you trust Me completely, you are just like Jesus.