TerryLema

Recently I was thinking about the privilege we have of ministering for Christ Jesus in every season of our life. As I thought about that privilege, I remembered another Scripture about a different kind of privilege. It’s not one we embrace as readily.

“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” [Phil 1:29-30]

It has been given, or granted, to us on behalf of Christ the privilege to not just believe but also to suffer. Ah, privilege is not necessarily the word I would have chosen. The word Paul chose was charizomai and it comes from the word we usually see translated as grace.  Charizomai means to grant as a favor, or we might say privilege.

Suffering is a universal experience. Everyone at some point will likely suffer from something. But the kind of suffering mentioned here is not the common suffering of mankind, it is a special suffering done “on behalf of Christ.” The privilege of believing on Him means we might also be called to suffer for Him.

Jesus reminded his disciples multiple time that a student is not greater than his teacher, nor a servant greater than his master.  “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” [John 15:20]

Jesus’ suffering was unique in that He suffered and died for our sins … that is finished. Our suffering for Him is because we now testify that He is Savior and LORD. We testify that there is one way to the Father. There are many in this world who welcome that testimony, and there are many who do not. When our testimony of Christ is rejected, that rejection may also be accompanied by ridicule, denunciation, discrimination, and yes, even persecution.

When those things happen, it is wise to remember what Paul wrote, that while it is not something we seek, it is a privilege to suffer on behalf of our Master.

Today is our youngest son’s birthday.  At the time, Bob had just decided to go out on his own as an underground contractor in California. That meant that unlike with our first two children, this time we had no insurance. We were living in an 800 square foot century-old home, about half of that footage was laundry, pantry, and kitchen. The rest was divided between a living room, two small bedrooms and a bath. There wasn’t much room for a third child.

We squeezed a small bassinette in our bedroom. I told God this baby would need to be a little girl, one that would fit in that bassinette for a few months while we figured out where we could put a crib. We even had a name for this “little” girl, Joyce Rene, after Bob’s aunt and my uncle.  We were going to call her Joy.

When our son was born, he weighed 9lbs 4ozs and was 22 inches long. He filled the bassinette the day we brought him home.  We hadn’t even agreed on a boy’s name we were that certain he would be a she.

While God did not heed our idea of what we thought we needed, He gave us so much more. We named him Dan, but truthfully, we could have called him Joy, as that is what he was. He had none of the difficulties and physical problems of our first two children. He seldom cried. He smiled, laughed, and brought a joy into our lives that we didn’t even know we were missing.

I am so thankful that God gave us what we needed, not what we thought we needed. The Scripture reminds us to not be anxious about anything, but “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” [Philippians 4:6-7]

I would remind us to be prepared though, because what we ask for might not be what God knows we need … but what we get from Him will be so much more joyful than we even imagined. 

I had been reading through Isaiah the past few days when I came to this passage.

Isaiah 42:1-4: “This is My Servant; I strengthen Him, this is My Chosen One; I delight in Him. I have put My Spirit on Him; He will bring justice to the nations. He will not cry out or shout or make His voice heard in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not put out a smoldering wick; He will faithfully bring justice. He will not grow weak or be discouraged until He has established justice on earth. The islands will wait for His instruction.” [HCSB]

As I read that passage, I remembered something Pastor Laura said a few Sunday’s ago about false “little-g” gods and those who serve them – that they are always having to work to appease them, always having to strive to make them happy.

To serve those false “little-g” gods a person must be strong. They can never let down their guard or show any weakness or they will lose the attention of their god.

Our LORD and Savior is so different. He will not destroy one who is desperately broken (a bruised reed), nor snuff out one who has only a little bit of faith (a smoldering wick). He will not even shout to make His voice heard above all the babble in the streets.

But He will faithfully care for His own. He will provide justice without growing weak. He will not even become discouraged in His work to permanently establish justice on this earth.

As I thought about those “little-g” gods who demand so much and compared them to our LORD and Savior, my heart was so comforted. As I age, as I grow weaker in my body, I am comforted knowing that my God will lift me up and carry me until that day I enter into His eternal presence.

Sometimes I like to play puzzle-style games on my computer. I do it go keep my mind challenged. I do free online games, which often come with ads for interesting things between each game. You endure the ads to play the games for free.

Some of the ads make me laugh, as one did this morning. It said they found the “Remedy for Old Age” in an old book. Then they showed some obnoxious-looking piece of fruit or vegetable, which I am sure they want me to buy at a ridiculously high price.

I doubt very much that eating whatever they discovered is a remedy for old age. If we live long enough, all of us will experience “old age” in some way. I watched a video of a woman in her 90’s wowing a crowd doing gymnastics. The reason she was wowing the crowd is because most women in their 90’s aren’t doing gymnastics!

Old age doesn’t usually encompass marathons or gymnastics or climbing mountains. Those who can still perform at those levels are rare. Most of us in old age manage our daily routines, sometimes with difficulties or even through pain.  We just aren’t what we used to be.

EXCEPT. Except when it comes to thriving in the courts of God.  Psalm 92 promises: “The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, to declare: ‘The Lord is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.’” [vs 12-15 HCSB]

God promises that even in our “old age” we will bear fruit. Our lips, our lives, will declare His justice, His strength, His righteousness, His love, His faithfulness.

That may not be a remedy for old age, but it is so amazing to know that we can still be spiritually vital and thriving.

Have there been times in your life where it seems like God has forgotten you?  I know there have been times like that in mine.

There have been times when difficult circumstances arose which seemed to drown out the voice of the LORD. There have been losses that seem to overwhelm. Probably the most difficult time for me was shortly after moving to Idaho from California and leaving behind my entire family, including our youngest son who was 17 and a senior in high school.

For a solid year it felt as if God had forgotten me. Someone once called those experiences a “dark night of the soul.” I did not sense God’s presence. I did not hear His voice, no matter how much I tried. I felt forgotten by the Living God.

I wasn’t though. No matter what it felt like, no matter what my emotions were trying to proclaim as truth, the truth is, God cannot forget His own. During that time, I clung to two Scriptures.

One in Isaiah 49, where Zion claimed God had forgotten her. He responded, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” [vs 14b-16a HCSB]

The other Scripture is a promise from our Great Shepherd. “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” [John 10:29 HCSB]

A Bible teacher once told me that the picture Jesus drew with His words in this Scripture was His sheep resting in the palm of His hand with the Father’s Hand cupped over His.

No matter what the world proclaims, no matter what our emotions scream at us, God has not, cannot forget His own. Praise His Glorious Name.