INSPIRASUNS

On the way home from dinner last night, my husband and I had an interesting conversation. I have to admit, I’m not quite sure how we got to the subject, but I’m glad we did. I kind of had an epiphany, so to speak.

We were discussing the struggles or challenges that people face. I was thinking about friends and some of the things they are going through, or have been through. I’m not usually one to ask, “Why God?” I know that He has a plan, and His plan for my life is probably going to be different at times than my plan 🙂 . Having said that, as we were discussing last night, I do wonder what His plan is for some people when I look at their challenges.

As my husband and I talked, a lightbulb went off. Do we need to live through the challenge and come out the other side for the message to stick? Are we to be a disciple on the other side of the struggle, helping others to not have to go through it?

Think about Jesus’ life. There were so many times during His ministry when, as my husband said, He could have just waved His hand and made everything new. When He was tested in the wilderness by satan, He could have summoned God’s angels to make it all go away. He did not; instead, He quoted Scripture and threw it all back in satan’s face.

Yes, He performed many amazing miracles, healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, to name just a few. However, during the single most painful time He himself would face, He did not do what He had the power to do: save Himself.

When Jesus was brutally beaten and crucified, how many times did the crowd mock Him and tell Him to summon God to bring Him down from the cross? He did not. Instead, He endured the ugliness and physical pain, trusting fully in Father and in what was to come. If He had just magically jumped from the cross, there would have been no death. Without the death, there would have been no resurrection. Without the resurrection, there would be no everlasting life.

Jesus lived through the darkness and the pain so that we could be made one with Father again. Jesus bore the burden so that we could be forgiven and, through Him, be in eternity with the Father.

So, friends, when the challenges and the struggles come in this life, hold strong to your faith, knowing that Jesus has been where you are and is right there with you. Father doesn’t wish for bad things to happen to us, but when they do, He will bring us through. And…when we get on the other side of the challenge, we can usually see what Father’s plan is for us.

Have a good day, friends. May it be filled with opportunities to share the love of Jesus 🙂 .

Psalm 34:17-19
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.