This week as definitely been a bad one. I guess part of the reason it's been so bad is because it started out bad. It just seems to me that when one thing goes wrong, a series of other things follow. That's that old saying "when it rains, it pours" in action. Then again when one bad thing happens, we tend to notice all the other bad things that we would probably otherwise look right over. I guess that's the devil's way of throwing a bunch at you, and waiting for you to give up. He just handing you some rope, a nice high platform, and a clear path to failure.
After going through what I can now look back at as annoyances, I went to church this morning, and the message was about how powerful God's favor is. Rev. Robinson talked about how it can turn people who "love" you against you. Then he started talking about how much Jesus went through because of God's favoritism. Every new obstacle that Satan put in front of Jesus could have made Him give up. When Jesus had to weep, He could have given up. When Jesus was tempted by Satan he could have given in. When Jesus was hurt, betrayed, beaten, hung, and ridiculed He could have given out. Yet the covering God had on His life made Him give MORE. More forgiveness, more mercy, more strength, and more prayer. Now I won't compare myself to God's only son besides saying this, God created Him as a human. Flesh like me, feelings like me, emotions like me, a heart like mine, a mind like mine, and the ability to make choices like He gave me. So much of Jesus' human life is described in ways that we can all relate to. I guess that's how God shows us he can relate to who we are. He used Jesus as a blueprint to show us all the hurt is worth it because He has something so much better after the suffering and pain.
Every new "Judas" could make you or I "throw up our hands in disgust". That's Satan's way of offering a rope. Every time we're mistreated could make us turn away from people or trust. That's his way of buiding a platform. Every fallen tear could make us give up on God. That's Satan's way of pushing up off that platform and hanging us there in our situation. Yet every "Judas" could make us pray from strength in life. That's God's way of making that rope strong enough to climb. Every time we're mistreated could teach us to turn to God before putting our trust in any man. That's God way of using that platform as a step to get closer to him. And every fallen tear could wash away what's been troubling us. That's God's way of showing us we need those "ropes" Satan offers to pull ourselves up and closer to him. Every "platform" get's us higher. Those weapons Satan wants you to destroy yourself with, God can use to turn you into a stronger, better, wiser person. What Satan means to cause you pain, God can turn around and make it gain.
At the end of the sermon today, Rev. Robinson said God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to someone else. He makes us go through things the hard way so we can help make someone else's journey easier. So I hope in reading this someone is helped.
