I recently saw the movie “The Ultimate Gift” and could not help but realize the wisdom of the rich grandfather in not just handing over the billion dollar inheritance to his grandson. He caused his grandson to go through great difficulties in order to gain understanding, proper perspective and appreciation for things he had never experienced before. Those things ended up becoming greater gifts than the incredible riches he was to inherit. Although at first he hated his grandfather and thought he was just being mean and evil at his expense, in the end he came to understand his great wisdom and love.
I could not help but see the heart of God the Father in this movie. He knows what increase and blessing will do to us if we do not have the proper character first. He desires us to have the best, to be blessed and for those blessings to be used to bless others. He must take us through many testing’s and difficulties in order for us to have the proper perspective, be proven faithful, capable and trustworthy to receive the fullness of our inheritance.
Through these trials we receive many precious gifts along the way. Sensitivity and compassion to others, a realization of our weaknesses, patience, and a stronger faith and hope in His heart towards us, but that revelation often comes once we are on the other side. After we have gone through a few testing’s and seen the fruits of righteousness they have produced and the greater understanding of His ways, the more we are able to lean and press into the trials of our next circumstance because we know we will begin to see Him as He really is (1 Jn 3:2). We also realize that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly, but that sometimes the thing we desire is not a “good thing” until He has produced in us what needs to be produced. (Jms 1:2-4, Phil 1:6, 8-11, Ps 84:11)
In this season, if some good things are being withheld from you, know that it must be because it would not be good for you at this time. In His mercy and loving-kindness He will add it to you when it will be the best for you and those around you. (Ps 34:8-22)
2 comments:
Hey Hope,
Your blogs are great. I love the title of your blog site, "Uncommon Beauty". I also like what you wrote about the purpose of God's tests and how He uses them to form things in us of His likeness. Keep writing your heart out. You have a special gift! Ange
I'm so bitter, I just wrote this long comment and then it didn't post and got erased... Oh well...
What I was saying though was...
This is a great blog! You really had my attention up the very end wanting an outcome I didn't get. I want you to have those keys!!!
I've also been meditating lately on the subject of fighting the devil and his accusations. Though his accusations are empty, they seem so real at times. There's a song that's been ministering to me recently that Shane Barnard wrote and is on his latest album 'Pages'. It's called Embracing Accusation and here are the lyrics...
Father of lies, coming to steal kill and destroy
All my hopes of being good enough
I hear him saying, cursed are the ones who can´t abide
He´s right, hallelujah, he´s right
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation
Could the father of lies be telling the truth of
God to me tonight?
That if the penalty of sin is death, then death is mine
I hear him saying, cursed are the ones who can´t abide
He´s right, hallelujah, he´s right
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation
The ´s singing over me an age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently over me
He´s forgotten the refrain.
JESUS SAVES!!!
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