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A Planting of Faith Seeds for the Glory of the LORD
Wrestling with God… a Loser’s story…
Do you remember the Old Testament story where Jacob wrestled all night with “God”? In case you don’t here’s a short reminder, “This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket.” (Genesis 32:24–25, NLT)
This morning I wrestled with God! Well, not really but I did wrestle with “the word of God” when I read the following verses almost immediately my “belief” and my “unbelief” squared off and I began wrestling with the Holy Spirit. “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (1 Peter 1:6–7, NLT)
As I read the first sentence, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while,” it was like a bell went off in me and the match began with me striking the first blow, “…a little while! …be truly glad! …endure many trials! How many years have my trials gone on? Seems to me “a little while” should have ended years ago.”
Almost immediately the Holy Spirit struck back, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.” Not to be undone I struck back, “but you can’t purify gold forever at some point you need to take it out of the fire and let it solidify so you can use it.”
For the next several minutes we wrestled back and forth then the Spirit struck the final blow. “Faith is far more precious than gold or any other substance known to man, Faith is the power to believe that with God all things are possible in and through your relationship with Jesus. Faith gives you ability to see and experience the hidden beauty in each and every trial they are transparent look through them and instead of seeing their end experience the Peace of Jesus.”
Somehow I knew the match was over, I thought about getting in the last word and as I began forming the words the only words that came to mind were, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT) I have to admit I love it when I wrestle with God not only because he always wins but especially because he wrestles with me!
Oh, the presence of God how sweet it is!
Believe it! Experience it!
Grace and PEACE!
Gary
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“The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people… Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it...” (Mark 4:14, 20, NCV)
“The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people… Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it...” (Mark 4:14, 20, NCV)
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“Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.”