“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…” Ephesians 1:3
A big part of my prayer journey has been learning how to give thanks to God. Thankfulness is critical for our success and spiritual prosperity! In the thankfulness in affliction series we also saw the important role it plays in getting us through tough times. But there is a BIG difference between intellectually learning to give thanks for affliction and putting it into practice.
This week I got to put it into practice and I’m sorry to say—I didn’t do so great!
But God is so patient. He picked me up, wiped off the mud I was rolling in, and forgave me. He is faithful. I can trust Him. You see, when someone betrays you to the extent they threaten the foundation of your livelihood—it cuts to the quick. Especially when it’s someone you poured your time and resources into trying to help. But instead of being grateful—this person turns on you like a viper blindly striking over and over again. What’s your first reaction when being unjustly attacked??? Mine wasn’t so great.
Thoughts of revenge, scorn, disdain, and even hatred for this person arose within me like poison.
As I held onto these thoughts for an entire day, I also began to sense less of the presence of God. Thus, my judgment was clouded. My peace was gone. My satisfaction and comfort went missing. I was being captured and hogtied by the evil thoughts I had allowed to camp out in my heart. And even when I was working late, I found myself largely unproductive. I didn’t sleep well. The next morning, I knew my prayer time would be a waste of time unless I got my heart right with God.
This affliction was stealing the joy of God’s presence—even though God had just given me an entire series of devotionals and two podcasts about it! Ugh!
I tried to begin my prayer time, and I knew something needed to be done. So I asked the Lord to help me forgive. But it wasn’t in me to do it without His help. He reminded me of His attitude of mercy. He reminded me of the experience of being surrounded by mercy. I thanked Him for His continual mercy for me and then…He showed me the offender through His eyes. What I saw broke my heart. This person was desperately dark and sad.
Forgiveness broke the dam and mercy poured in.
My affliction became God’s problem. He opened the window to my mind and I knew He had a plan. He didn’t show me the plan. That is part of the journey of trusting His faithfulness. I don’t need to know the plan—I just need to stick close to Him. This situation will have an end. If it has a major effect on my livelihood, well, it’s His law practice—not mine. It’s in God’s hands. His ways are far above my ways. In the meantime, as I do His will, I am enjoying the spiritual blessings of God’s presence.
No one can take God’s love, joy, peace, strength and wisdom from me—except me.
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:26-28
