WHEN I DISAGREED WITH GOD. 097

Years ago I came across this paragraph and immediately decided it was something I need to commit to memory. Today, I want to share it with you.

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Philippians 1:29. And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor. DA 225

It really blew my mind. I don't know about you but I have felt more than once before that God had made a bad decision. I straight up just said, God I disagree with you. I had to wrestle and just believe that though I couldn't see it and make sense of it, that one day I would agree with Him. I had peace, and eventually, the day came. The quote says that God will only lead us in paths that we would agree with if only we could the bigger picture. In the moment it makes no sense, but if we saw the bigger picture we would totally agree that this is how things needed to be. God has called us to glory and when we endure trial and trust Him anyway we are setting that glory ablaze to showing it to the world or maybe just even to ourselves. We need it though, we need it. The last part made me uncomfortable, it says that of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow,

wait what...

of all the gifts that heaven can bestow... to enter into fellowship with Jesus is the most weighty trust and the highest honour???

God trusts you.

His trust holds weight.

God honours you.

He sees you.

I often think that Jesus enters into fellowship with me in my sufferings, Isaiah 63:9 says "In all [of our] affliction he [is] afflicted, I still agree with this but think that Jesus is also inviting me, us, to enter into fellowship with Him in His suffering.

Together we suffer, together we conquer; together we die, together we are resurrected.

IJN,

amen.

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