Mike’s Musings …
When Life Goes Well
Life has been good to us this past week. The temperatures are warming, the skies are brighter with bright sunshine, and even the air smells fresh and clean! Further, there have been some events in our lives this past week that cheer us, grant us some relief from burdens, and other things that grant us a sense of accomplishment. We look upon these blessings and admit with great satisfaction, “Life goes well!”
We value these times and find them easy to share with our brethren, family, and friends. We’re happy, blessed, filled with joy and laughter and we can’t hide this wonderful emotion! We feel better, and we’re reminded, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” (Prov. 17:22) As the inspired apostle Paul recorded some nine times in his letter to Philippi, we are to “rejoice.” When life goes well, this is an easy task!
But what about the times when things don’t go so well? What are we to do when suffering, sadness, heartache, disappointment, and seemingly immense disaster strikes us? The cries of “Why?” don’t answer anything: the situation remains and we must deal with the distant opposite of happiness.
It begs the question, “Isn’t God helping me?” The answer to the faithful souls is, “Yes!” God promised He would never leave nor forsake us! (Heb. 13:5-6) How must confidence do we have in HIS promise? Further, don’t we BELIEVE what the apostle Peter said? “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Pet. 5:7) This is how those suffering return to a comforting state: they increase their faith and reliance upon God!
Think of Job, who in his suffering also asked, “Why?” (Job 9:13-24) Think of Christ Jesus as well who asked, “Why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46) Their suffering had a purpose. In Job’s case, it taught him to appreciate God more, and to recognize his integrity was most valuable (Job 2:3; 2:9; 27:5; 31:6) Yet, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (Job 1:22) The purpose of Christ’s sufferings was to redeem us! (1 Peter 1:11) He knew the joy set before Him, and therefore endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now set at the right hand of God. (Heb. 12:2)
Suffering in this life is temporary. We need to remember that fact! We need to muse on another fact: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom. 8:18) That dear reader makes life go well!