WOW Statement

Good Morning!

Every once in a while I read something that makes me go “Wow”. And, not being too creative, I call these Wow moments or Wow statements. In my study for this past Sunday’s Bible lesson, I read a sermon by Bob Deffinbaugh entitled “Why Bad Things Happen to God’s People” – and it had three Wow statements. Over the course of the next few days I want to share them with you. (I have already shared one with my buddy Tom Futch and my daughter, Heather – but they are just going to have to bear with me again.)

Our study was on 2 Corinthians 1:1-11:

2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (New International Version, ©2011)

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise to the God of All Comfort
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 1:8 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 8:1; 13:11.

Christians suffer. Suffering is part of living. And sometimes – actually most times – suffering is unbearable. It makes one wonder why a loving God would permit us to go through such suffering. Right now my daughter is fighting chronic back pain caused by several ailments associated with her back. I have a good friend whose wife is homebound by her heart. He suffers – not physically but emotionally because there’s nothing he can do for her other than to be faithful in care. Some of my readers are suffering from job loss; financial difficulties; conflicts with children; loneliness – I could go on but you already know what suffering is. So here’s the first Wow statement:

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3) Suffering as a saint is God’s means of drawing us into closer communion with Him. Suffering as saints enables us to know God as we would not otherwise know Him. If it were not for sin, we could not know the grace of God manifested in the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ. If it were not for Satan, and for all those who oppose our God, we should not know His omniscience (all-knowing) and omnipotence (all-powerful). If it were not for suffering, we would not know God’s mercy, compassion, and comfort. Suffering is a divinely appointed means of knowing God intimately.

Think about it:

Without sin, God’s grace would be completely unknown and unnecessary. We would not have known Jesus Christ. But because of our sin, Jesus Christ left glory to offer Himself for us that we might know God. It is His free gift of Himself, offered as a sacrifice for my sin, that allows me to be called a son of God. I am not praising sin – just stating a fact.

Without Satan, we would not know God’s power and His knowledge. If you will recall, Lucifer was one of God’s favorite angels … until he wanted to be god. Being “just” an angel, Lucifer did not realize that God was all knowing. Lucifer did not realize that God already knew what was going on. Lucifer also did not acknowledge that God could and would punish his rebellion. It kind of makes you wonder what is going to happen to these folks who wander around this earth today stating that God is a myth and people who believe in God are idiots. I guess we will see.

Without suffering, we would not know God’s mercy, compassion, and comfort. If we went through this life without encountering pain, difficulty, and heartache, we would not “need” God. But when suffering brings us to our knees – both figuratively and literally – we develop an intimate relationship with the One who knows our pain, knows our struggle; knows our heartache … and who can do something about it. And, while the cause of our suffering may not be removed in our earthly sojourn, He can give us the strength to endure and to rejoice.

In our suffering we learn of God’s sufficiency. And that was the first WOW I saw in the article. I hope it blesses your day.

Agape’


Mr. Jim

Last Monday I wrote about my dear friend and mentor, Scrap Wheeler. Friday he went home to be with our Lord. I am reminded of a song written by Janet Paschal:

His back is bent and weary, his voice is tired and old.
His sword is worn from battle and his steps have gotten slow.
But he used to walk on water, or it seemed that way to me.
I know he moved some mountains and never left his knees.

Chorus:
Strike up the band, assemble the choir, another soldier's coming home.
Another warrior hears the call; he's waited for so long.
He'll battle no more, cause he's won his wars.
Make sure Heaven's table has room for at least one more.
Sing a welcome song another soldier's coming home.

He faced the winds of sorrow but his heart knew no retreat.
He walked in narrow places knowing Christ knew no defeat.
But now his steps turn homeward so much closer to the prize.
He's sounding kind of homesick, there's a longing in his eyes.

Repeat Chorus

Rest well, my friend – my brother.