THE PURPOSE OF THE PROCESS
”What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?“
One of the stories I hear the most among new converts is that christianity is hard.
In the thick of losing some friendships, perhaps conflicts with your loved one concerning your new found faith, or really a return to the Father who originally had made you for his glory ( ), a sudden loss of appetite for things that use to amuse you — it seems like you are losing too much.
However, one of the things I have learnt about God’s character is order. God is detail oriented and mindful that He would never build anything before setting its foundations right. He cannot make you a King and Priest () without building you a trusted circle worthy of surrounding kings.
He cannot make you a priest with clean hands and a pure heart that your prayers may not be hindered (as we learnt yesterday), when constantly in the presence of people who stir anger and not holy emotions in you ().
It might seem like you are loosing, but in essence you are being set up for greatness; and because God is in the details, your foundations must start right in order for them to uphold the palace in which He himself will dwell ().
Finally, some of these things you haven’t really lost. Some of these friends God preserves that the testimony of your transformation may be what compels them to come in for themselves () . But how could that be if you don’t get separated for the contrast to be obvious? Selah!
I leave you with Paul’s words:
“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” MSG
Prayer: Father I thank you for this truth. In you I live, move and have my being. My trust is in knowing that you keep all that is committed to you until the day of Christ. It is with such confidence that I entrust all that concerns me to you who is outside of time and circumstances for I know you are just. As one man sung, here I am in your presence, do to me what you want, in Jesus name. Amen!
CI.
