Oh What Needless Pain We Bear
“Oh what needless pain we bear” is a line from the hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus” penned by Joseph Scriven. Very often we would like, seek, or pray for God to change our circumstances, but our first thought should be to seek God in the detail, in order that our heart’s attitude should first be changed to please our heavenly Father. The work of the Holy Spirit, the Refiner’s fire, burns up the dross, the wood, hay and stubble in our lives and we learn to trust Him more.
The psalmist declared: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”, Psalm 46:1. When we run into trouble, it behoves us to seek refuge, wisdom and guidance from our Saviour, our only place of safety to take us through the storms of life. God is in the detail!
Our God is a deliverer. Psalm 136: 11-12 God delivered the nation of Israel from the bondage of Egypt – “…….with a strong hand, and an outstretched arm, for His mercies endure forever” The enduring mercies of God are mentioned sixteen times in this psalm, at the end of every verse. When we entered into our salvation at our second birth, Jesus’ blood redeemed us and God’s mercies re-wrote our lives, and continue to do so as His mercy endures forever. God is in the detail.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”………in all things! Matthew 5:8
Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me”, John 14:1 Am I a full vessel?…….full of my own thoughts, my own righteousness, always justifying my actions? Scripture declares they are filthy rags. Humility attracts the Holy Spirit for this is the nature of Christ. Only an empty vessel can be filled. Do I need to repent and empty out in order to be filled with another measure of the fullness of Christ Jesus?
The scriptures we read, the words we receive from the Lord, all have to be proved and tested in our lives. Only then can we claim them as our own: tried, tested and true! There are companies that manufacture parts for mammoth plant machinery such as diggers, dumper trucks etc. When these parts are deemed the finished article, they have to be tested and are laid upon a steel trueing table. Each part has to be measured up to the required standard to pass the test before being fitted to the machine. Our heavenly Father has a trueing table, a standard by which every motive, thought and deed of our lives is measured by. It is the standard of the Cross, the standard of His Son. This is the measure by which we are measured, the divine Plumb line. God is in the detail, measuring the standard by which I live my life by the choices I make. Am I building my own kingdom of wood, hay and stubble, or building treasure stored in heaven for eternity?
When God measures me on His trueing table, my only response should be: “True and righteous are all Your ways, Oh Lord” Scripture declares God’s ways are perfect. God’s word is another divine plumb line. My thoughts and actions have to measure up to His word. Only a renewed mind in Christ will choose what God says, refusing the emotions of a storm tossed, divided heart. Choose to let God be true and make your emotional heart the liar! God’s ways are perfect. God is in the detail of our lives.
Genesis 18: 14 “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will……..”
Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
Luke 18:27 Jesus said: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God”
When you meet the impossible, discover the resources of God! “Seek and you shall find” “ ‘Prove Me now’, says the Lord”
The details of our lives are known to our Father God. Let us bring every one of them to His altar, whether they are desires, needs, cares, tears or laughter. Here we kiss the Son, but more importantly, the Son kisses us and we are changed for eternity. Our eternal destiny beckons and encourages us ever onwards with Jesus Christ, our blessed and faithful travelling Companion.