God Has A Purpose

Have you found yourself in one fiery trial after another? Does it seem the hits just keep on coming one after another? For a moment, you may have peace and comfort. Then, another attack, persecution, slander, or setback comes out of nowhere. Be encouraged, be of good cheer, and don’t despair. Remember, God has a purpose and good reason for every trial that comes your way. The Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples this would happen. He is also speaking to you.

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming. Indeed, it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:31-33

You will be persecuted if you are in the Lord and chosen by His mighty hand to do His work for His Kingdom. You will have to endure much suffering and hardships to accomplish everything He intends for you to do. But He will take care of you. He will carry you and keep you until your time has come to be with Him in glory.

And you will be hated by all, for My name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 10:22 Strengthen the souls of the disciples, encourage them to continue in the faith, and say that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22

Every aspect of life for the follower of Jesus Christ is opposite to the ways and understanding of men in this world. The weak and meek are strong in God’s eyes. The poor in spirit are rich. The humble are exalted. The fool for Christ is wise. Those willing to give generously are rich, and the one who loses his own life, hopes, and dreams for the sake of Christ will save their life and soul for eternity. They will build up great treasures in Heaven because they sacrificed so much for Jesus on Earth.

Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

Do not be surprised when you fall into tests and trials. The Lord uses them to prepare you for what is ahead. They have a purpose so that God may craft you into His image. Honestly, to be made like the Lord does not come easy. It takes hard work, discipline, and endurance. Sacrificing what you want to be for what He wants you to be.

You have heard the saying, “No pain, no gain.” Just like that, every good and beneficial thing you must learn comes from struggle, work, sweat, and pain. Sometimes, it even comes with blood and tears. Just as a bodybuilder must work hard, endure much pain, and struggle to strengthen and shape his body to achieve his goals. So also, the Lord must shape you, with much struggle and pain, into His image so that you may achieve His goals.

Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs, I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. Isaiah 46:3-4

This is why you suffer. This is why you must endure testing and trials. I say again, be of good cheer, rejoice, and be very glad you have been given the great privilege to share in the sufferings of Christ. You will be richly rewarded for your faithfulness and endurance to be more like the Lord.

May your hope not lie in the things of this world, in the accomplishments of your hands, or the approval of men. But may it ultimately lie in the Lord God’s hands. His approval is all that matters. His plan and will are essential for you to accomplish the work He has set out for you to fulfill.

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.  Philippians 1:6

May the Lord Bless you exceedingly and abundantly. May He pour out His wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and Spirit upon you in every way. May He cut away those things that displease Him, molding, crafting, and shaping you into His image so that you will be better equipped for the journey ahead. May you be adequately prepared for the work He has planned for you from before the foundation of the world. 

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 1 Peter 4:12-19