It may not seem to make any sense to us at all; but we need to thank God for the afflictions that have been allowed to come upon each of us. Why thank God for afflictions, you may ask? Because God knows exactly what each of us can face and go through and what we cannot endure and go through. He said in his word, that he would not allow more to be put on us than what we can bear.
He also said that it rains on the just and the unjust. No, he is not speaking of literal rain that falls from the heavens that gets us wet. He is speaking of things and afflictions, good times and bad times of life; raining down on all good people and all bad people. But could it be, that if we are afflicted with a sickness or a disease, or a "hissing" problem with our ears, or even the dreaded "C" word; that God also allowed these to happen to us for a good reason and not bad? Of course he did!
For those that are living for God and faithful to him, attending church, paying tithes, reading their bible, praying everyday, living the life as a Christ would have; for them, the afflictions are merely "building blocks" in God's grand plan of things for his children's lives; to develop them into better people and more Christ-like.
The bible says in Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Could it be that this hissing in my ears, is to teach me more patience? Do I have enough patience? Most people learn how to become more patient as we grow older and that in itself, is a natural learning process as we age. But sometimes God sees that we may need a deeper depth of patience to endure such things that come upon us; and we can only gain more patience by experiencing afflictions and trials, to extend our patience into a deeper realm of it.
Patience is not always the only thing we learn from afflictions. God uses these things to strengthen us in our minds, and in our wisdom and knowledge; of not only who he is, but how vast is his limitless abilities are, in being able to help us and "get us through" our storms.
But what about the people that are not living for God? Those that choose not to acknowledge God with their obedience to him; with such things as church attendance, tithing, reading the bible, praying to him daily, and living as Christ would live? What about those people, and those that may be good people, but still, not living for God as they should?
What about those that would be labeled as "bad" people? Those committing crimes, addicted to drugs, hurting and killing other people; those not knowing God and those that even proclaim to be atheists, and not even believing in God at all?
What about the afflictions that they go through? How can they work for the good for them, based on the scripture above? The answer is, their afflictions CANNOT work together for good for them! WHY? Because the very scripture says "And we know that all things work together for good to THEM THAT LOVE GOD....!
The "bad people", and even the "good people" that are not living for God, which includes those that do not love God, cannot and will not see their afflictions work together for their good! It is only for those that "love God!"
We cannot dissect the bible and take out scriptures and live according to some but not according to all scriptures. Their are many other scriptures that instruct us on living for God and how to live for God, and if we are not meeting those criteria, then we are not going to reap the benefits of afflictions working for our good.
A person may say that they love God, but to love him, is to know him. To know him, is to be obedient to him, by fulfilling the above examples mentioned.
Yes, everyone is going to fail and mess up at times and unfortunately, even sin. We are all human, and born into sin. But it's those that "get up" when they stumble and fall, that they get back up, and continue their relationship with God, and continue to be as obedient to him as they can be, as they grow and mature with him.
If we love God, then we MUST keep his commandments.
Afflictions for those not obedient to God, not living for God, and even denying God's existence; will never achieve anything with God; unless they begin to humble themselves in their afflictions, and cry out to God, repent, and seek God's salvation for their lives. God can use those people's afflictions, to draw them to him; but only if they have a humble spirit, and a willingness to begin to seek God and commit to live for him.
If they choose NOT to turn to God, then they very well could be allowed to even lose their lives to death, from their afflictions. In those cases, their eternal destination, would be a total separation from God for all eternity. Now is the time for salvation!
IN conclusion, are you afflicted? Are you sick? Do you have something wrong in your body that medicines and doctors cannot heal? Do have a life-threatening disease? Are you in pain? Are you living for God? Do you know God as your personal Lord and savior? Do you have a relationship with God? OR, do you experience all of your afflictions with no hope of ever being cured or healed? Are you just waiting on "your time" to go? If so, you do not want death to open it's door to you, without first becoming a child of God. Do your afflictions work together for good? They will, if you love God and live for him, according to his purpose for your life.
I write this from experience with my own afflictions in my body. I love God with all my heart and soul; and I have personally been living for him for 20 years this coming October 31, 2013. ON October 17, 1993, I was baptized in the water, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins, according to Acts 2:38. ON October 31, 1993, just two weeks later; I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and I spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave me the utterance, and I have spoke in tongues many, many times since then, in prayer, in my worship, in intersession in prayer, and in giving forth a message to a congregation of believers with an interpretation to come forth. When I spoke in tongues for the first time, when I first received the Holy Ghost, I knew right then, that God was real and that there was no falseness to him; because the bible said I would speak in tongues as I received the Holy Ghost and I did, and at that moment; I "sold-out " to God and have never gone back! That was almost 20 years ago! Throughout my 20 years, I have had good times and bad times. But I have stayed true to God and have grown more in love with him; even in this time of affliction in my ears, because I KNOW he will complete his healing in me, in his perfect timing! I cannot leave him; where would I go?
So afflictions, yes, we will have them. Will God heal them and take them away from us? yes, but only in his timing and not ours. can God use doctors and medicines? Yes, but some things cannot be healed by doctors and medicines; and for those we NEED to have a close walk wit God, to see him deliver us!
So do you thank God for your afflictions? if you don't then you should. Because always remember, someone else HAS it worse than you do; and if you had their afflictions, you may not be able to handle it as they can. Thank God for your afflictions, because they can always be worse.
Written on face book on Oct 14, 2013
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