heat lightning.

I am reading through Jerry Rankin’s Spiritual Warfare, and this quote grabbed my attention this week.  Someone in the book was talking to someone else who was complaining about a great trial:  “You know, Jesus didn’t like nails.”

Many times in the New Testament God encourages us to rejoice in sufferings.  Kind of sounds crazy, right?  Who wants to say…“Hip hip hooray!!! Three thorns poked me in the foot today!  Hooray!  Another translator has gone!  Hooray! It is so hot!”  Crazy, right?

Well, maybe not. 

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus cried out to His Father from the depths of his soul.  He asked for God to take away what lay before Him, to please pour out the cup of His wrath on someone else.  He knew the pain that lay ahead on the cross.  He knew that His Father was going to turn His back.  He knew that darkness was coming.  He knew that death was going to grab Him.

But He knew why He had to suffer.  He knew that the pain was necessary, as was His Father’s turned back, the darkness, and the end of His own life.  He knew that His blood had to be split, poured out, and emptied to pay the payment for all sin and that He had become The Sacrifice so that His creation could come back into His Presence.  He knew He had to die to bring life.

But He also knew what was coming after that.  He knew that the pain was temporary.  He knew that His Father would turn back and face Him, and that His place would forever be at His right hand.  He knew that three days of darkness would end with the most brilliant light.  And He knew that death could not hold Him nor defeat Him.  He knew that He would be most glorified in and through this suffering.

This week three thorns did poke my feet. 

Mindy and I did lose another translator.

And it does continue to be really hot.

But, thanks be to God, it’s like the lightning I saw in the sky last night.  It was extremely hot as I lay in bed watching the flashes of light across the sky.  “Heat lightning,” I told myself, almost frustrated.  And then…RAIN.  What?  In the middle of dry season?  It was light and short-lived, but it brought with it a cool breeze. 

It was like Jesus was reminding me that He didn’t like the pain and suffering of the cross.  But He loved why He went.  And He loves those who turn to Him at all times, because He is glorified again through His death and in their lives, over and over again.

I made a deal with myself as the rain tinkled on my tin roof.  No more complaining.  No more frustration.  I am turning my sufferings, which—by the way—are still so tiny compared to what He went through for me and for you, over to Him. 

That He can take the heat lightning of my nights and bring rain.  And that when I see the lightning, feel the thorns, say goodbye to a translator, and sweat up a storm…I can remember that it’s okay that I don’t nails either. 

But they are worth it. 

If they lead me closer to Him, and He is glorified, then I can and I will forever rejoice!

“Hip Hip Hooray!!!”

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”  Romans 5:2-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Hebrews 12:1-3