Tuesday June 5th 2012

God is almighty, all knowing, and all present.  That's one of the fundamental attributes we have come to accept about God.  There are many foundational beliefs, creeds, truths that we have been taught and been told is TRUE.  
Really, if a "god" wasn't all that and even more, then that "god" wouldn't be much of a god.  
But our GOD is all that and more.  GOD is LOVE and Goodness.  God is pure and God wants us to become like Him - good, true, pure, righteous, and most importantly full of love.  We can not hate if we love, we can not kill if we love, we can not do evil if we love.  
Then the harsh reality of life comes in and makes us make decisions and weigh the options and choices.  That's the complexity of God.  Of course if being a Christian was easy and just fun, then heck nearly everyone would want to be a Christian!
Today's thoughts by F. B. Meyer addresses one of the key questions - why do bad things happen to good people?



June 5


GLORYING IN INFIRMITIES!
"My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."-- 2 Corinthians 12:9.


THE APOSTLE seems to have enjoyed wonderful revelations of God. Not once or twice, but often he beheld things that eye hath not seen, and heard words that ear cannot receive, and God felt it was necessary for him to have a make-weight lest he should be exalted beyond measure (2Co_12:7).
What the thorn or stake in the flesh was it is impossible to say with certainty. He may have suffered from some distressing form of ophthalmia. We infer this from the eagerness of the Galatian converts to give him their eyes (Gal_4:13-17), and from his dependence on an amanuensis. His pain made him very conscious of weakness, and very sensitive of infirmity, and kept him near to the majority of those to whom he ministered, who did not live on the mountain heights, but in the valleys, where demons possess and worry the afflicted. Be willing that your visions of Paradise should be transient, and turn your back on the mountain summit, where the glory shines, as our Lord did, in order to minister to souls in anguish (2Co_12:4; Mat_17:14-18).
On three separate occasions the Apostle besought the Lord for deliverance from his infirmity, and finally received the assurance that though the thorn could not be removed, yet sufficient grace would be given to enable him to do his life-work, and he was more than content. 
On the one hand, there was the buffeting of this messenger of Satan; but on the other, there were the gains of meekness, humility, and of greater grace than would have been possible if he had not needed it so sorely--and he gladly accepted an infirmity for which there were such abundant compensations.
Do not sit down baffled by your difficulties and infirmities, but run from them to claim Christ's abundant grace and strength, that at the end of life you may have done all that was set you to do, and more, because the greatness of your need made you lean more heavily on His infinite resources. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength."


PRAYER
Help us, O Lord, to look on the bright side of things; not on the dark cloud, but on Thy rainbow of covenant mercy; not on the stormy waters, but on the face of Jesus; not on what Thou hast taken, or withheld, but on what Thou hast left. Enable us to realise Thine all-sufficiency. AMEN.