Holding on to Hope...

I have been reading a book by Nancy Guthrie called Holding on to Hope. This is her journey of losing two babies at 6 months of age to a rare genetic issue. In this book she teaches the lessons she has learned and is learning through suffering and grief, while knowing God could have chosen a different path. She starts by having us look at Job from the Bible. You see, the book of Job starts with God saying to Satan…”have you not considered my servant Job?”… As much as we don’t want to see it, God gave Satan permission to hurt Job. Our understanding of a loving God doesn’t comprehend it.
I can’t comprehend why God has woven NF into John-Michael. NF is like a volcano in his life. I don’t know if the NF volcano will lay dormant forever (literally)…or if it will erupt and cause a little damage…....or catastrophic damage. I just don’t know. It is a scary road to be on. However, God’s word…and my own life experiences, has shown that God is faithful and God is good. When I can’t see the goodness, I have to trust in His character and not just look at the circumstances in my life. My faith doesn’t make the journey hurt any less but my faith keeps me from being swallowed up by despair.
Jesus understands. Isaiah 53:3 says “He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness.” Hebrews 5:7-9 says “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” Jesus, perfect, sinless… wrestled with God’s plan, but He submitted to it. We might cry out to God with frustration and with questions about how He could have the power to heal and yet chooses not to heal.. We might agonize in an effort to reconcile our understanding of a loving God with one who allows atrocities, rejections, abuses, illnesses, etc. Jesus understands. He understands what it is to cry out to the Father, who has the power to make another way, but choose not to. God required such intense suffering of his son whom He loved to “accomplish a holy purpose. He has a purpose for your pain and my pain”, says Nancy Guthrie. She reminds us that scriptures say the main purpose is to make us look like Christ. It is often pain that refines our character and removes selfish, sinful attitudes. I do believe God has a purpose for the pain in our lives. It is for our ultimate good, even though everything about it looks and feels bad. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. MORE TO COME>>> Joy in the midst of Trial....