I was walking to the station this morning. It's a 30 minute walk so I often listen to the Daily Audio Bible as I wander. I hasten to emphasise that is because I am a sinner and not a Saint. I need to orientate myself first thing or the day goes badly. Anyway I was happily listening to the 1 Samuel being read and getting into it... When without touching my phone the player swapped over to a sermon from the Elevation Church in Australia. Not a live broadcast but from a Sunday. The guy starts to preach.
To begin with I was irritated and thought grumpily I had better swap back to Samuel. But the guy said he was preaching on "why there is suffering" and at that point I thought I had better listen to it.
I made some notes. They are not very perfect and I am sure he said other stuff also - I might add a link and listen again. Especially if God wanted me to hear it I need to get every drop from it.
It spoke to my heart about the daily struggle between being the good version of ourselves or the bad version. I haven't been plotting evil as such - but sometimes it gets harder to see clearly what we are doing and we start going down an unfruitful route.
1. John 16.33 ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ and from elsewhere where it says "nothing can separate us from the love of God"
2. No bad decision is beyond redemption. Sometimes we say "what's wrong with me" * do note Paul was right with God yet he suffered.
3. Isaiah 48.10 "the refiners fire" is like wearing active wear -when we are suffering everything in our lives is revealed. Every blemish in our life! - he used quote from J L Packer "God hates the sins of his people, and uses all kinds of inward and outward pains and griefs to wean their hearts from compromise and disobedience. Still he seeks the fellowship of his people, and sends them both sorrows and joys in order to detach their love from other things and attach it to himself."
4. Romans 8:28
I will tidy this up later and add a link to the sermon. Judge for yourselves...
By the way the J L Packer quote feels like a driving lesson for my life....
Have a beautiful day!
