"Tribulation Worketh" ....Wonders !

Common Sense Commentary:

Within the last twelve months, I have lost many of my oldest and best friends and close relatives. Right now, several others are seriously ill and some not expected to live. Others are
going through the most difficult days of their lives. As a friend and Pastor, I try to comfort and strengthen them in their pain and desperation. The truth is, though, that all the words I can conjure up from my years of experience are almost empty when people are suffering and dying. Many would contradict that and tell me how comforting I have been to them. But the fact is, its not just me, nobodie's words can reach the deepest spiritual needs of a person's soul. When a loved one has died, friends want to help and comfort with phrases like, "He's better off now", "She's not suffering any more", "Don't cry", "Look on the bright side". "He wouldn't want you to sorrow so". It does help a burdened heart for friends to just be there and take all the other details, responsibilities and necessities off the grieving ones. But the only words that can truly reach a broken spirit and needy soul is God's Words. Our Creator knows us best and just what we need and how to fill that need. His Word has a power that the most eloquent among us could not match in a lifetime of training and experience. How could human words possibly put a positive spin on a terminal prognosis or a truly comforting word to a loving wife whose lifetime love has died ..... EXCEPT IT BE GOD'S WORD, GOD'S PROMISES ? Is even that possible ? Yes, it is ! I have witnessed it thousands of times when God's Word on forgiveness, eternal salvation, the resurrection, and hope have healed broken hearts. His Holy Word puts the lie to Satan's deception, of our weak flesh, that a Christian's pain and grief are needless suffering that prove God doesn't care. God does care, but He understands love, forgiveness, and heaven ..... Satan doesn't. Neither do those he leads around by the nose.

God's Eternal Truth says that even the most terrible things have a Wonderful side for true Christians whether they can see it or not. "All things work together for good to them that love God ..."Rom8:28. I don't mean to understate the pain, fear and discouragement felt during times of tribulation. I just want to speak of God's greater reasons for "allowing" us to suffer. He knows about it and could very well prevent it ....but sometimes He doesn't. That tells me that He, knowing all things, has a higher purpose for us than just hardship and pain.

I think Tribulation has four distinct benefits to the true Christian's life and Christ's Church, and here they are:

I. Ousting the Chaff and Purging Dead Words. Jesus warned us of "chaff" and "dead works" in Matt.3:12 ,,,, God, "whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor and gather His wheat into the granary but He will burn up the chaff ...."

It is God who controls the winds of trial "His fan", and blows them through His church to
SEPARATE true believers. He is winnowing the wheat, exposing it to the winds of trial, SEPARATING the wheat from the chaff and the chaff from the wheat. The chaff is blown away by the winds, but the grain is only "sifted, purified and selected for the Master's use. This tribulation, separating process "unjoins" unsaved members (Job21:19) but cleanses and strengthens God's people, Christ's Bride, the true Church. See also 2Tim.2:21 and Heb.9:14.

II. Occasion of Spiritual Growth. Rom.5:1-5 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into His grace .... And not only (that) but we glory in tribulation also: Knowing that tribulation
worketh patience ; and Patience, experience; and Experience hope: And Hope maketh NOT ASHAMED ...." You see, tribulation is like a ladder with these four progressive rungs of Spiritual Growth: (1) Patience = Endurance, Perseverance, Long suffering. (2) Experiance = Proof of God's Truth. (3) Hope = Expectation, Security. (4) Unashamed = Because, v.5, we are filled with God's presence (His Holy Spirit) and God's love, and know it, which makes us unashamed and openly followers of Christ.

III. Opportunity to Glory (Rejoice) 2Cor.7:4 ...Apostle Paul said, "I am FILLED WITH COMFORT, I am EXCEEDINGLY JOYFUL in ALL our TRIBULATIONS". And who could say such a thing with more credibility ? Blinded on the Damascus Road encounter with Jesus Christ, after He was crucified, Paul cried out "LORD" confessing Christ as his master. I think Paul's "blinding" there is a key to his "thorn in the flesh". Most of his fourteen epistles (letters) were dictated to assistants, though Paul signed all with "his own hand" he says. Read the last two or three verses of all of the Pauline Epistles. On one he boasts, "See how large a letter I have written unto you with my own hand". But it was a short one compared to others. Weak eyes ?

When some of the brethren were complaining or bragging of their sufferings for Christ, Paul scolded them by mockingly listing a litany of dozens of tribulations he had endured, including a series of near death experiences. See 2Cor.11:23-30. Paul must have set the all time record for numbers of serious tribulations in one life, but never complained or mentioned it except that one time. He wrote fourteen epistles full of praise and gratitude and set an example for how TRIBULATION is indeed an "Opportunity for Rejoicing".

IV. Others .... That they too may "Grow, Rejoice, and Minister to "others' in turn.
"The God of All Comfort ....who comforteth us in ALL our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them (others) which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 2Cor.1:3-5. See also Acts 14:22, Rom.8:35, John 16:33.

Pass It On. RB