A boring life, an uneventful life, an obscure life, a life that does not go as we would like, a life that is filled with disappointments; are you facing any of these? Perhaps this would be relevant to my dear friends in the army; I often felt like that too when I was in there. But these may not be as bad as you think, because it is during these times that we are forced to give up our own expectations and hopes of life, and in doing so allow God to reveal His plans and expectations. Many times, it is these plans and expectations that we cling on to that are barriers to God's purposes in our lives.
Take the example of Jeremiah. He is often called the Prophet of Tears; He began preaching when he was merely a child of 8, continued preaching throughout his life, but people passed him by on the streets without turning a ear to what He spoke. Imagine what He must have felt! Can a life get more obscure than that? Imagine what would have happened if Jeremiah had given up, said to God, this is not the kind of life I want, there are much better things I want to do. But thank God, Jeremiah clung to His calling in God, refused to give up, drew strength from Him, and from his lips God gave us beautiful words like "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." Jer 31:3. Jeremiah submitted himself wholly to the will of God, even though the life that came along with it was obscure and painful. And God used him mightily because of that.
From Jeremiah's example we can learn one more thing- that in times like these, we can learn to rest not in the things of the world, not in the fleeting treasures and pleasure of earth, but in the everlasting love of God. I can imagine that Jeremiah himself must have been greatly sustained by the everlasting love that flowed from God. Though nothing may happen in our lives, though life may sometimes be filled with dullness and despair, we can learn to rest secure in God's love and find our eternal joy there. We can learn to make God's love the bedrock of our joy, which means that our joy will last not just for this time, but for all time.
If you find life a real bore, turn to Him and seek Him even more fervently, for it may be that He intends to use this time to prepare your heart for greater things later. One thing we know is that God is always in control, and we remember the promise of Romans 8:28.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1
Take the example of Jeremiah. He is often called the Prophet of Tears; He began preaching when he was merely a child of 8, continued preaching throughout his life, but people passed him by on the streets without turning a ear to what He spoke. Imagine what He must have felt! Can a life get more obscure than that? Imagine what would have happened if Jeremiah had given up, said to God, this is not the kind of life I want, there are much better things I want to do. But thank God, Jeremiah clung to His calling in God, refused to give up, drew strength from Him, and from his lips God gave us beautiful words like "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." Jer 31:3. Jeremiah submitted himself wholly to the will of God, even though the life that came along with it was obscure and painful. And God used him mightily because of that.
From Jeremiah's example we can learn one more thing- that in times like these, we can learn to rest not in the things of the world, not in the fleeting treasures and pleasure of earth, but in the everlasting love of God. I can imagine that Jeremiah himself must have been greatly sustained by the everlasting love that flowed from God. Though nothing may happen in our lives, though life may sometimes be filled with dullness and despair, we can learn to rest secure in God's love and find our eternal joy there. We can learn to make God's love the bedrock of our joy, which means that our joy will last not just for this time, but for all time.
If you find life a real bore, turn to Him and seek Him even more fervently, for it may be that He intends to use this time to prepare your heart for greater things later. One thing we know is that God is always in control, and we remember the promise of Romans 8:28.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1
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