God glorified through my hard time? Isn't there some other way?

The children of Israel are caught between a rock and hard place--the Red Sea on the one side and the Egyptian army on the other. There is no way out. Even though the people had seen the glory of the Lord displayed in the plagues, His protection over them during those plagues, and His deliverance from slavery, they complain!

But the Lord has his purposes. In Exodus 14:17-18 God reveals the purpose behind their "hard time," their crucible experience. His glory! It is through His deliverance through the hard time that the Lord will be glorified. Even though we might know this to be true we might wonder:

Lord, can't you get your glory without me having to go through a hard time? 

If He could He would! Rejoice that He is using our hard times to bring glory to Himself. This is about Him, not us!

His will be done!

Think Positive in Hard Times? No! Think Godly!

We live in a day and age where a lot of emphasis is placed on how much better our life will be if we just think in a more positive way. If we will just have a more positive outlook, things will start to improve. But is that really the case when we are hit with one of those spirit crushing, crucible type experiences? Thinking positive might work for awhile but the longer we are in the crucible, the more we realize that thinking positive is not changing the situation.

No, I would recommend not thinking positive, but thinking Godly. What's the difference? Thinking positive is nothing more than saying: "I can get through this on my own!" Thinking Godly says: "Apart from Christ I can do nothing." (John 15:5) and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) As we think Godly, we receive the strength to endure no matter how hard the circumstance might be! May the Lord give us steadfast hearts (Psalm 57:7) to endure our hard times!

Giving Thanks in Hard Times?

An oft quoted passage when in hard times is 1 Thessalonians 5:18: give thanks in all circumstances. It is true that we should give thanks, because as the passage says, it is God's will for us in Christ Jesus! But how unfortunate that we seem to apply this verse only when in hard times. We somehow view it as a balm that will help us get through a crucible experience. But Paul's admonition is to give thanks ALL the time, in ALL circumstances, the good and the bad. If we take this command to heart, then we will develop a habit of thanking the Lord for even the smallest of things in our lives. Doing so prepares us to give Him thanks when our spirits are crushed in those hard times.

Emotionally Hijacked in Hard Times?

My wife wrote in my book: In the Crucible: "It is about 9:30 p.m. on March 10, 2012. I am in the waiting room by myself while Dan is undergoing an endoscopy. The nurses bring Dan out into the recovery room still under the effect of the anesthesia. The doctor is still not out of the surgery room, so I wait, hoping he was able to repair the bleeding ulcer. The doctor finally comes out and says, “Your husband does not have a bleeding ulcer, he has cancer.” I was emotionally hijacked! All that night while lying on the recliner in his hospital room, I became overwhelmed with the fear of losing my beloved Dan. I finally fell asleep crying softly to the Father through tears that expressed my fears in a way that words could never do."

 

Have you ever had that kind of experience? Such experiences indeed hijack our emotions, catch us by surprise, take our breath away.  BUT, be assured, they NEVER take God by surprise.  He had already prepared both of us for the crucible experience and He is preparing you as well!  2 Corinthians 4:16-17

 

Worthless or Unworthy?

It is very easy to confuse these two words, especially in the light of who we are in Jesus Christ. 
 
When we consider what we do that grieves the Father, we realize how unworthy we are that He would send His Son to die for us.

BUT, we are not worthless. When we consider that He made us breathtakingly unique (Psalm 139:13-14) then we know that we have great worth.

When you are going through a hard time do not let the father of lies convince that God thinks are worthless and that there is no purpose or meaning to your life. DO NOT listen to him!

 

Going Through a Hard Time? This is a GREAT read!

In the Crucible: How God Sustains and Transforms in Hard Times.

Available in paperback or eBook on:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JH4ZPI2

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-crucible-daniel-schlueter/1119269219?ean=9781597553629&isbn=9781597553629

and on iTunes!

If you or someone you know is going through a hard time, like in a crucible, this book is for you!

Having a hard time seeing God as Father because of your past?

Years ago when I was in the military and stationed at the Pentagon, a coworker of mine shared that he had a hard time viewing God as his Father. He told me of his father who demeaned him, beat him, treated him as trash—once being literally thrown into a trash can. His emotions were severely damaged, and so his concept of a father was also damaged. I asked him to describe what he would consider a good father to be like. His description was filled with words like trusting, caring, loving, supportive, and encouraging. When I told him that he had just described God, the tears flowed down his cheeks.

If our understanding of God as Father is shaped by our past, then the father of lies will convince us that God is not our loving, caring, compassionate Father. DO NOT believe him.

Has God let things go to far when in a hard time?

When we are in a hard time, #inthecrucible, we might think that God has let things go a bit to far.  DO NOT LISTEN to the father of lies!

 

Not conforming will yield hard times!

Paul challenges us in Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to the world. He uses a Greek word from which we get our word “schematic.” Paul uses it to mean “to form or mold one’s behavior in accordance with a particular pattern or set of standards.

Have we, who follow Christ, especially those in our country, become so comfortable in our culture’s patterns that even if we know we should be living differently, the pain we know it will cause leads us to stay in the pattern? And so we try to figure out how we can live in the form of our culture and at the same time live for Jesus and have His blessings.

The way we think, see, judge, look at, consider, evaluate “things” are influenced by the world. Change the way you think about things. Change the way you see things and look at them. Change the way you consider things and evaluate them—their worth, meaning, usefulness.

Thinking of Self or Others When in the Crucible?

I can not imagine a more excruciating crucible experience than the one Jesus experienced on the cross. And yet in the midst of that experience He was thinking not of Himself but those at the foot of the cross. He forgave those who crucified Him(Luke 23:34). He took care of His mother (John 19:26-27). May we in the midst of our crucible experiences be "other focused" as He was!

Lord, my spirit is crushed, please hear me!

There are life experiences that can crush our spirits. When they happen, and they will, we can trust that the Lord hears our anguished prayers!

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
     and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17–18
 

In A Hard Time? Focus on the Unseen

When we go through hard times God's speaks of the eternal weight of glory for which they are preparing us.  We need to focus on the unseen, not the seen. 2 Cor 4:16-18

But what dominates our life is in the realm of the seen. Our senses—what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste—are the driving influences in our life. What can help us focus on the unseen? Meditating on God’s living Word does just that.

Martin Luther provides a wonderful insight in his commentary on Psalm 119 that links the seen with the unseen. The words used: lips, mouth, even the words for meditate are oral. Psalm 119:15; 148

He writes that when we meditate on God’s Word we should read it aloud. Why? Because what we see with our eyes and speak with our mouths is heard by our ears and enters our hearts. 

In A Hard Time Work Environment?

When we know that in whatever we do we are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24), it influences how we respond to those “hard time” work environments—bad bosses, obnoxious co-workers, no promotions, demotions, no salary increases, fear of losing a job, monotonous work, frustration with raising children, etc. We know that our work matters to Him and we can persevere.

But we too often we mistakenly confuse God’s promise of prosperity, blessings, and the abundant life with success and the American dream, so when we go through crucible work experiences we can question God's presence and care. As a result we can find ourselves working for ourselves rather than for God.

Pray for your work situation. Pray for your boss & coworkers. Pray for your competitors. Pray for your attitude. Pray for classmates. Pray for your children. Pray for your health care workers. Right now pray for ________________!

In A Hard Time? Go to God's Word

2 Timothy 3:16 teaches that there are four things God's word does in our life to give us steadfast hearts:

Teaches: shows the path to walk on--how are we to live for Him no matter what we might be experiencing
Reproves: shows when we have gotten off the path--He does this gently, pointing out the dangers ahead
Corrects: shows us how to get back on the path--directs and leads us back to Himself
Trains in righteousness: shows us how to stay on the path in the future--what grace!

 

In A Hard Time? Who Are You Trusting?

When going through a hard time, our natural response is to say: “I don’t need any help. I can do this by myself.” Nothing is further from the truth. I remember when I was stationed at the Pentagon that a coworker stated that he believed Christianity to be nothing more than a crutch. He was right. Jesus says that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Paul reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13). Why is it that we feel the need to go it alone? Why do we resist acknowledging that we can’t do anything apart from Christ? Is it possible that we know that if we lean on Him for everything, we will lose control of the decisions in our lives and we just don’t want to give up that control? May our trust in Him be complete (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Sleepless Nights in Hard Times?

Entrust your anxious thoughts, your family, and friends, your physical ailments, your relationships into His care.

Whatever comes to your mind while you are awake, view it as the Lord tapping you on your shoulder, indicating there is something He wants you to bring into your conversation with Him. Hear Him saying: Let's talk my child.

The Lord will guard, keep, put a sentinel around you heart and mind! Philippians 4:6-7

 

God's Care in the Crucible

When we find ourselves in a hard time, in the crucible, we might question God's promise to take care of us. Too often we mistakenly confuse God’s promise of prosperity, blessings, and the abundant life with success and the American dream. A simple review of the lives of the disciples, Paul the apostle, and the early church should be enough to correct our understanding of how the Lord sees success and that He indeed cares for us!

Going It Alone in Hard Times?

Proverbs 18:1 strongly advises against it.  “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

Not going it alone is made very clear in a survey of the “one another” NT passages.

We are to “love one another,” “be devoted to one another,” “honor one another,” and “live in harmony with one another.” (John 15:12; Rom 12:10; Rom 12:16) 

There is the need to “accept one another,” “greet one another,” and “wait for each another.” (Rom 15:5; Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Pet 5:14; 1 Cor 11:33)

As we are a part of the body of Christ we are to “have equal concern for each another,” “serve one another,” “bearing with one another,” and “be kind and compassionate to one another.” (1 Cor 12:25; Gal 5:13; Eph 4:2; Eph 4:32)

In our worship we are to “speak to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19)

In humility we are to “consider others better than yourself.” (Phil 2:3)

As we live for Christ there is always the need to “encourage one another and build each other up” and “spur one another on.” (1 Thess 5:11; Heb 10:24)

To maintain unity we need to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other” and “offer hospitality to one another.” (Jas 5:16; 1 Pet 4:9) 

The Fragrance of Christ When in a Hard Time

Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth that wherever we are, whatever we are experiencing, we are the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Start a prayer list of those whom you become connected because of your crucible experience. As you pray it affects how you talked with others, how you relate to them, how you can encourage them, how you will see the Lord in the smallest of details through others and how you express thanksgiving to them.

When you pray, begin with the words that Jesus used in Garden of Gethsemane as He faced His crucible experience on the Cross. They are words that express the intimacy we have with the One who loves us: Abba, Father.

When in Hard Times We Are Better Together

Do others know of the burdens you are carrying? Do they know about hard days at work? Does anyone know the weight you are bearing as you care for your elderly parents?  How many know of a surgery you are facing?  How many know of a pain you are enduring?

It is understandable that when others know of the burdens that you carry, you might be overwhelmed by conversations and questions. You might even be wondering if others will question your faith.

Asking people to pray brings a reality to the Lord’s command that we “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”  (Romans 12:15)

When you hear how God is moving His children to pray for you, your heart will be encouraged.  How do you feel when someone comes up to you and asks about your situation?

When others hear of how God is strengthening your heart to endure, they will be encouraged in their crucible experiences. 

Hard Times Teach Us to Battle Satan

“God does not send him this distress to destroy him... He wants to drive him to pray, to implore, to fight, to exercise his faith, to learn another aspect of God’s person than before, to accustom himself to do battle even with the devil and with sin, and by the grace of God to be victorious. Without this experience we could never learn the meaning of faith, the Word, Spirit, grace, sin, death, or the devil. Were there only peace and no trials, we would never learn to know God Himself. In short, we could never be or remain true Christians. Trouble and distress constrain us and keep us within Christendom. Crosses and troubles, therefore, are as necessary for us as life itself, and much more necessary and useful than all the possessions and honor in the world.”   Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 14: Selected Psalms III, Ps 118:5. 

Healed By THE Light!

Cancer radiation treatment is done with photons. Photons are bundles of energy that we call light, which are always in motion. The first thing God created was photons: let there be light (Genesis 1:3). Depending on the amount of energy a photon has, it will either behave like a wave or a particle. The lowest energy photons are known as radio waves (radio and TVs with antennae use these). Next are cell phone waves (for all our smart phones), then microwaves (for heating food and telecommunications), and finally infrared (for your TV remote). All of these light waves are invisible to the eye. Next in line in energy is visible light. All the colors of the rainbow are just the right balance between photons acting like a wave and a particle. As the energy of the photons increases, they become more like particles and we get ultraviolet rays, those nasty rays that cause sunburn. Next are X-rays; these are most commonly used by doctors to see the inside of our bodies. These are the photons used for radiation treatments but are given at a much higher dosage level. Imagine that: healed by light.  Healed by Jesus, the Light of the World (John 8:12)!

You Are Breathtakingly Unique!

 "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14 (ESV)

The meanings behind the Hebrew words are:

fearfully: awe inspiring, breathtaking
wonderfully: distinctive, unique
wonderful: marvelous

This means that when you and I were born we took God’s breath away as He witnessed His unique creation, each twist and link of the helix of the DNA molecule being exactly as He intended! He wouldn’t change a thing about us—we are formed just the way He wanted us. We are marvelous! God did not make a mistake when He made us. He knew exactly where, when, and to whom we would be born.

Do not listen to Satan's lies!!