Made for His Glory Part 12
May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (Living) How I love this Living Bible translation of Psalms 19:14. Indeed we are always speaking – spoken words and unspoken thoughts and they must all align in pleasing God and bringing Him glory. Like we learnt a couple of days ago, we cannot begin to comprehend in our finite mind what thoughts the infinite mind of God is conceiving. His ways are too far away from ours but we are privileged by His Spirit to catch a glimpse of what pleases Him. Can you imagine God was pleased by the torture and death of His one begotten son (Jesus) just as much as he rejoices over the home coming of saints in light to glory. We weep when brethren die and we rejoice when the wicked die. But God sees it differently. He does not like it when the wicked die and he rejoices when saints do. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalms 116:15 (KJV) Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD , I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 33:11 (KJV) So praying for the death of wicked men while desiring perpetuity (long life) for the righteous are at variance to what pleases God. 😲😱 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Isaiah 53:10 (KJV) It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. Yes, indeed, it’s not just rossy rossy that delights God. Sometimes our suffering which may make no sense to us pleases God. Jesus had to go through the cross. Sometimes, we need to stop whining and complaining about our “negative” situations and just seek to please God while going through it. Jesus knew this and sought for the Father’s will only. Remember in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus said, not my will but thine! For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Romans 15:3 (KJV) Jesus accepted and even welcomed the reproaches of men as long as He knew they were designed for God’s glory. Some time ago when I was attacked and beaten by certain hoodlums while on a prayer walk with some amazing brethren, this was what gave me strength and emboldened me to refuse retaliation and litigation against those my offenders. It is ok to suffer shame, reproach and distress if it will procure glory for the Lord and give Him pleasure. Some suffering can be redemptive and we must identify them and go through them for God’s glory. Imagine if Jesus had sang that song “me I no go suffer, I no go beg for bread” and rejected the shame and humiliation of the cross. Our salvation would been on jeopardy. Prayer: Lord have mercy on me! Receive glory through my joys and pains; through my shames and gains. That in everything according to Colossians 1:18, You may have the preeminence. Amen.
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