Mat 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Thomas Case wrote:
"By suffering God's will we learn to do God's will: God hath no obedience children as those whom he nurtures in the school of affliction. At length brings his scholars to subscribe, what God will, when God will, how God will."
Our striving after godliness is no mere walk. It is a constant struggle to overcome the flesh (self). Being wholly unable to make any progress on our own, our loving Father often uses the rod of corrections to teach us obedience. And indeed, for the redeemed, all affliction carries with it a critical lesson /God desires us to learn.
No, it is never pleasant and it gives provocation to our flesh (self) but we must remain under it as the lesson He has for us unfold. Whatever the lesson, we must learn it. It is His will for us. Learn it not the first time and His love demands we learn it under a new affliction. His holiness and indeed His love demands He teach us in whatever way He must that we may be conformed to the likeness of His Son.
We fight it to our own hurt. We crave deliverance to our own detriment. When we resist His instruction through His Word and Spirit. When we ignore the ordinary means He uses to teach us and mold us He must use those methods which we call affliction and suffering to quiet the flesh (self) - to overcome the abiding principle of evil we carry within our selves.
We have a choice. We can humbly submit to Him in the exercise of those duties He calls us to or we expect the rod of correction to drive us to them. In His mercy and grace we have the choice. In our fallen struggle we must fight for the right choices. If we do not, if we reject or ignore His common means for our instruction He has no choice but to correct us by what ever means for what ever duration towards His end for us.
There in lies a lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment