Good Timber Must Suffer

This poem struck a chord in my heart this week.  First, it reminded me of how I am an oak tree.  That was quite a few years ago, and it is even more true today.

Secondly, the Lord used it to show me how much I've grown.  I used to ask the Lord, "Why is this happening?  Where are You?  Why aren't You making this stop?  Why do I have to suffer?"  Then, I would wonder if He loved me, or if He was there at all.  But Jesus didn't let me stay there.  No, He pulled me out of the pit of wrong thinking and He rebuilt my heart on a new foundation based on His wisdom and understanding.  Through it all, He did something amazing!  He gave me grace to endure and persevere through any circumstance.

"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." ~Philippians 4:11-13

Thank you, Jesus - for betrayals, humiliations, hard jobs, monotony, rude people, low income, harsh criticism, judgmental attitudes, colic, learning disabilities, chronic illness, car repairs, relationship struggles, lost jobs, arguments, troubled hearts, cranky neighbors, anxious moments, feverish children, death and grief, a leaking roof, unsaved relatives,....and any crashing wave that makes my heart need You more.

Suffering places me right where I need to be - rooted in You.

^" Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." ~Romans 8:26-28, The Message

For encouragement on the sovereignty of God, my favorite resources are:

Life Application Study Bible, NASB

Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges

Trusting God Study Guide: Even When Life Hurts

As Silver Refined: Answers to Life's Disappointments by Kay Arthur

So grateful for grace,