- Morning Devotional
- September 29,
2005
"Ouch!" (Part 5)
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For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT).
Believe me when I tell you that I can imagine most of you saying that there’s no way you could think that the trouble you are facing today is “small.” Your trial, if it’s like some of mine, may seem to be different than the way Paul describes them. You may not think “small and won’t last very long” adequately illustrates the problems in your life, but you have to understand that Paul writes from the perception of eternity with Christ. Paul, led by the Spirit of God, is viewing things from a much different perspective than we do most of the time. And, from this perspective, our trials are small and short compared to the work He is doing through them.
You and I learn more through the trials of life than we do through the times where nothing is wrong. We learn who we are when trials come. The real us comes out when we are flattened by a trial of life. We also learn more about who God is through trials. When a trial comes we are able to see our faith at work and we find that God’s grace truly is sufficient. As we trust in God, He becomes more real to us as we weather the storms of life. So, the real question now is how we handle these trials practically. I found the following “suggestions” recently… read them with a very large grain of salt! If you want to relieve stress in your life you could:
§ Jam 19 tiny marshmallows up your nose and try to sneeze them out. § Pop some popcorn without putting the lid on. § When someone says "Have a nice day!" tell them you had other plans. § Forget the diet-center and send yourself a candy-gram. § Leaf through National Geographic and draw clothes on the natives. § Pay your electric bill in pennies. § Drive to work in reverse. § Bill your doctor for time spent in the waiting room. § Tattoo "Out To Lunch" on your forehead. § Read the dictionary backwards and look for subliminal messages. § Start a nasty rumor and see if you recognize it when it gets back to you. § Write a short story using alphabet soup. § Stare at people through the lines of a fork and pretend they are in jail. § Make up a language and ask people for directions. § Retaliate for tax woes by filing your tax forms with Roman numerals.
I hope you smiled a bit when reading these “suggestions.” That really is the beginning of taking control of your present trial. It really is only temporary. God is not far and He is waiting for you to surrender your full heart to Him and His will. He’s shaping you for eternity.
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