One of the greatest quotes ever known to man is this one, “An eagle has to fly through the storm in order to fly above it”
Pain is a difficult word, a word that is very complex in meaning and in revelation. Pain is not something that any one of us want to face but the pain is necessary for life. Everything from diamonds to an oak tree in order to be what it is today it had to go through a season of pain. It had to go through a season of anguish, agony, stretching, pulling, scrapping, suffering and misery just to stand tall and shine bright.
God in His omniscience understands the human heart and the human mind. He understands the process of life for He is the giver of life. Before he created man he created “the process“. The process of growth and the process of development. The process of stages and the process of progression. When sin entered the heart of man “the process” was already in place to purge the defiled, contaminated, and destructive human heart. In order for us to walk in the newness of life we have to experience “the process”
So What’s the process?
The Children of Israel is a great example;
The Children of Israel was bound in slavery for 400 years under the Pharaoh that knew not their fore father Joseph. Thy were enslaved and force into slavery for 400 years, until God rose up in the midst of them a deliver name Moses. Moses was Hebrew Child but was raised Egyptian. He studied the ways of the Egyptians and was destined to rule over Egypt. One day Moses sees an Egyptian offending a Hebrew man and Moses steps in and smites the Egyptian man killing him. Moses then has to flee Egypt after word goes out about him killing the Egyptian man. Moses flees into the wilderness. While in the Wilderness Moses goes up a mountain and hears a word from God to deliver his enslaved people. Moses goes back to Egypt and demands that pharaoh let God’s people go. After a few plagues Pharaoh lets them go. Moses and the Children of Israel left Egypt to embark on a journey of freedom and promise. They walked a journey that was suppose to take 11 days took them 40 years. During this 40 year process God took great care of them but also dealt firmly with them. On the edge of the promise land only some of the beginning 2 million people made it in the promise land due to their unwillingness to be grateful and their plea of commitment to Egypt.
Ok lets see how this applies to us…
Egypt:
Egypt represents our enslavement to sin. It represents those things that reside deep with in our hearts. It represents our lust, our pride, and our un forgiveness, it represents all those hidden sins that lie with in our hearts. All these things cause us deep pain because we know deep down how much our enslavements to our sins hurts the heart of God. Since the garden we have had a barrier between us and God. At one time we were eternally separated from Him, Until Jesus Christ died on the Cross and HE closed that barrier giving us a path to God. This path is a narrow one and only few shall find it. On this path is full of testing and full of obstacles, full of raging armies that follow, red seas, and Jordan rivers. A path that requires the turning away from our old Egyptian ways. In order to walk out of Egypt we have to be willing to walk the path…
This Path represents the Wilderness…
I know many of you heard the saying that you can take a person out the hood but it’s hard to take the hood out of them the same is for us. It is easy for God to take us out of our sinful environments but it takes a lot for Him to purge the sin out of us…
The wilderness represents “the process”.
Whenever you see the number 40 in the Bible it represents a season of testing. In many cases the season of testing wasn’t necessary 40 days or 40 years but the number itself represents a “season of testing” just like the number 7 represents completion… We all (who are saved) will go through a season of testing, a season of pain and a season of struggle. Many people feel as if you are a “Christians” you shouldn’t go through anything they feel as if “Christianity” is a some type of country club. If many of us would read our Bibles we would Cleary see that the Christian life is full of Testing and Trials. Do you think Jesus, that went through so much Pain to PROVE His love for us wouldn’t allow you and me to go through testing to PROVE our love for Him? Love is Painful and LOVE has to be PROVEN. Pain produces; it never reduces. When we go through pain we grow. I know each and everyone of you have a “TESTimony” of how you went THROUGH something difficult but came out stronger… you cant have a testimony with out a TEST!
Pain hurts but it produces results. In order to get to the promised land we have to go through “the process“. Before Gold is gold it has to be put through fire. Before diamonds are diamonds, coal has to be crushed. Before we can have olive oil the olive has to be squeezed. And before we can be holy we have to be purged…
We have been taught by so many false prophets that this life is all about prosperity and promise and has nothing to do with pain. We have been brainwashed in believing that those that go through things have sinned before God and are being judged when all in all these are probably the true Christians. Never look at your situation as PAIN (only) look at it as PAIN that leads to a promise. We all go though things and God knows them but before you and I can fly over the storms of life we have to fly through them.
During your “process” don’t complain or give up; walk boldly through them. For at the end of this “life” journey is something far greater than what this present life has to offer. don’t give up because its tough but fight through because its worth it! These light afflictions are only for a moment and they can not compare to what God has for you over there…
Today, Endure
