Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

We’ve just returned from church. Terrific message. Thano needs to go to work at Safeway soon. How we lace the afternoon and evening is still to be determined. However our 3pm Gospel Sing session at Pheasant Pointe is a given.

I’m just being called to the lunch table. Wish you could join us. Have a great day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Now don’t get me wrong—I don’t like trouble any more than you do. But show me a person who is balanced, benevolent, and blessed, and who has NOT had to face lots of trials, tribulations, and testings along the way, and I will show you fiction. In other words, such a person does not exist—and never has. This fundamental Biblical concept deserves review and reinforcement. We are wise to not allow this idea to wander far from our thinking. We are benefitted to recognize as early as possible that difficult experiences are actually God’s grooming and refining tools—helping us to be contoured and “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). Be reminded that even His Son, on the human side, “learned obedience from what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). If He is the template and standard for the qualities and character that the Master Craftsman seeks, how could anyone expect to be exempted from the same process?

As soon as James begins to address us in his short hard-hitting New Testament message, some of us may be tempted to yell at him—“Why don’t you just sit down and shut up!” The first words from his mouth (or pen) are offensive to our natural inclinations. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2). On the natural side, that sounds just plain crazy! But he goes on to give a reason—“…because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance” (James 1:3).

Let’s face it—that’s what life is by God’s design—one big test. It is both for our benefit and God’s that we determine how we will manage our God-given gifts of life, reason, and choice. Will we seek and serve our Maker, or the things our Maker has made?—which includes ourselves.

In order to save ourselves from a lot of trial and error and unnecessarily repeating negative history, let’s just embrace the tried and proven approach of Peter: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:3-9).

Peter is not finished giving some good advice in this regard: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-14).