mepastormike

I have done right, and at times have had to suffer because of doing what was right. Being a follower of Christ may lead me into harms way. I certainly don't desire to experience hardship... and I don't believe that God WANTS me to suffer. Yet remaining strong in my faith may require me to go against the grain which does not make for a smooth finish. It is in times like these that my faith is refined; made pure. If everything is striped away and I am exposed... made vulnerable to the world around me what will I do? Will I give up?
I shared again with our men's group last night about this burden upon me to not give up. It seems in recent weeks I have heard sad story after sad story and most all have ended with the person giving up, or giving in to the pressures around them. Do we think that God does not know what we are going through... or that He does not care? Is it possible to push through no matter what the cost! I believe it is. The hardships in my life may not seem like much compared to the hardships experienced by others. But think about... how many hardships could be diverted from our lives by following Christ in the first place? The truth is many suffer the consequences of their own actions because their decision making process did not even consider God.
But wait there's more... The hardships I face at times come as a result of the stupidity of someone else and not of my own (and believe me I have enough of my own stupidity to deal with). Yet even knowing this I sometimes cry out 'where are you God?'. Well, God has been with me the whole time... He never left me. God gave me His Holy Spirit to companion me when I became a believer in Christ. Either I believe this or don't. The reality doesn't change that God is at work around me... and, oh, if I could only see behind the scenes of how God has protected my life from the suffering I could have experienced. The point for me is this: If I am faced with a bullet heading in my direction I may be spared, or I may not... I may live, or I may not. I will cry out to my Lord to give me strength to face whatever comes my way for I believe He is with me. I will not give up or give in... my God will be my strength.
My reading took me to 1 Kings, chapter 17. The prophet Elijah is directed to inform king Ahab that no rain or dew will be upon the land for the next few years. Elijah suffered like most everyone else yet he remained obedient to God.