August 16, 2024

Despite Suffering

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (KJV) And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

Isn’t it wonderful that the salvation of a soul is not limited by circumstances, afflictions, and suffering? God can swoop in and change the spiritual condition of a soul from standing in opposition to Him to standing in spiritual agreement with Him. It is often true that a meeting with God comes in the most challenging times, not during fun, rest, and relaxation. Each person has a limit of what they can try to handle apart from God and has a different level for falling apart. This is why this verse speaks about much affliction, as typically, a person must come to the end of themselves before they can meet God.

Yes, despite the pain each child of God faces when they try to do things on their own, once they recognize God, seeing Him for the first time, all other things at work in their life dim in comparison to Him and the truth of His Word. Think of Saul actively searching out followers of God and seeking their harm and imprisonment instead of identifying the value God places on each person. Then, one day, God stops Paul on the road and causes him to drop to the ground upon meeting Him personally. God does not make his life easy once he knows the truth; instead, he changes his name to Paul and is with him through a myriad of troubling situations and even times of danger and near-death experiences as Paul chooses to live for God.

Just the same, each person experiences much affliction in their journey but has the joy of the Lord at work despite the hardships and trials they face as they walk with God and sojourn on this wicked earth for a time.

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